Potassium bicarbonate/alkalinity increases glutathione, is antiinflammatory for cell membranes & decreases muscle wasting in inactive patients

Mary

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@YippeeKi YOW !! - the study says that it's the alkalinity that's key, so perhaps baking soda may accomplish the same thing? But I don't know of course. Unfortunately baking soda raises my BP! But I am very glad to have the potassium bicarbonate alternative --

It's stunning to me that alkalinity can help prevent muscle wasting! I've wished for so long that I could exercise, my muscles are just not what I would like, but if this could help, I think that's huge not only for me but probably almost everyone here!
 

YippeeKi YOW !!

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I think that's huge not only for me but probably almost everyone here!
Absolute-tively. For a long time. I've watched what used to be a well-toned body turn to ..... well, not well- toned. If this helps, I'll be over the moon.

Thank you for posting this, @Mary .... a happy gift to everyone here, at a time when we could definitely use one !!!
 

ljimbo423

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Interesting study Mary. It sounds like you get a lot of bang for your buck!:)

Conclusions: Alkalinization during long-term inactivity is associated with improved glutathione status, anti-inflammatory lipid pattern in cell membranes and reduction in protein catabolism at whole body level. This study suggests that, in clinical conditions characterized by inactivity, oxidative stress and inflammation, alkalinization could be a useful adjuvant therapeutic strategy.
 

Sushi

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I think this sounds tailor-made for ME/CFS! Thanks to @kangaSue for providing this link here -
https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/29739680/
Great idea! My problem (and this may be true about some others) is that I have low stomach acid so oral methods of increasing alkalinity make my digestion worse. :(
It's stunning to me that alkalinity can help prevent muscle wasting! I've wished for so long that I could exercise, my muscles are just not what I would like, but if this could help, I think that's huge not only for me but probably almost everyone here!
I think I’ll post a separate thread on easy Pilates exercises that could help some of us. My Pilates teacher is giving free online classes during this period when we cannot go out and she is also copying them to her YouTube channel. They are all done lying down which makes it easier for most of us.
 

Mary

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Great idea! My problem (and this may be true about some others) is that I have low stomach acid so oral methods of increasing alkalinity make my digestion worse. :(
@Sushi , I have low stomach acid too. I take betaine HCL with pepsin with each meal. So I always take the potassium bicarbonate at least an hour before a meal and I'm fine. And I read somewhere (but don't want to look it up right now) that taking baking soda or I would assume potassium bicarbonate as well actually ends up increasing stomach acid, possibly because the stomach gets the message that stomach acid is low from the bicarbonate so ends up making even more.

I think I’ll post a separate thread on easy Pilates exercises that could help some of us. My Pilates teacher is giving free online classes during this period when we cannot go out and she is also copying them to her YouTube channel. They are all done lying down which makes it easier for most of us.
This would be great! Tag me when you create this thread :nerd:
 

Hip

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If alkalizing is the key, then potassium citrate can be used. This alkalizes the body, but unlike sodium bicarbonate and potassium bicarbonate, it does not affect stomach acidity. So you could take potassium citrate with a meal, and it would not affect digestion. Whereas with bicarbonate, you would want to take that away from meals.


Whenever I have tried alkalizing, whether using sodium bicarbonate, potassium citrate or via an alkalizing diet, I have always experienced a lightheadedness. I always wondered why that might be, and eventually found a potential explanation: there's some evidence that more alkaline blood causes vasoconstriction in the brain blood vessels, leading to lightheadedness.

So given that ME/CFS patients have reduced brain blood flow anyway, alkalizing may not necessarily be helpful.
 
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YippeeKi YOW !!

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Whenever I have tried alkalizing, whether using sodium bicarbonate, potassium citrate or via an alkalizing diet, I have always experienced a lightheadedness. I always wondered why that might be, and eventually found a potential explanation: there's some evidence that more alkaline blood causes vasoconstriction in the brain blood vessels, leading to lightheadedness.

So given that ME/CFS patients have reduced brain blood flow anyway, alkalizing may not necessarily be helpful.
It's always the double-edged sword.... it might help this, but it'll make this other worse, and then it might also activate whatsis ..... I could scream, but dont have the energy right now :bang-head::bang-head::bang-head:. Will come back and scream later.


Watch this space ....:aghhh::aghhh::aghhh:

In the meantime, I'm giving serious thought to @Hip 's suggestion of potassium citrate, starting really low because right now, a warm bath creates an exercise in caution and good footing just to get out of the tub without damaging myself or the tiling, I get so light-headed and dizzy. This just reasserted itself over the last 10-14 days, and I wasn;t happy to have it stroll back.

But I want some of my previous really good muscle tone back, and I dont care how I do it .... well, I do care, but I'm willing to take cautious risks :nervous::nervous:

When I work up the courage, I'll post the results, if any are worth remarking.

Thank you all for the tips and input @Mary, @Sushi, @ljimbo423, @Hip, @maple, @Wendi ..... they were really helpful, in an area that's pretty much baffled me for a while now :woot::woot::woot: :thumbsup::thumbsup: :hug: ....

 

YippeeKi YOW !!

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Its getting me down, when you open your eyes and first thought is I am sore
I soooooo feel 'ya, @Wendi ......

I finally dug out an old double-headed back massager called, accurately, The Thumper (The Pounder might have been closer to the truth), and I keep it just under the foot of the bed, As soon as I can pull myself into a semi-sitting position I reach down, fire it up, and turn it loose on my lower back, hips, and calves, after which I can sort of unfurl like a cobra.

It really helps, but it also reminds me that I didn't used to have to resort to this ....

You might give something like this a try .... it reduces the time between waking and actually being able to walk upright dramatically for me ....
 

Mary

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I take sodium bicarbonate just before bed and it reduces stiffness and pain in the morning. Quite amazing really. I have low BP.
How much do you take and have others been helped by this? Its getting me down, when you open your eyes and first thought is I am sore
@Wendi - I wanted to suggest you "tag" @maple in order to get a response. Unless you tag a member, or hit "reply" in response to their post, they have no way of knowing that you're trying to reach them. And @maple's post was done last March, so odds are they won't be back here, unless they know you want to reach them.

To tag someone, simply put the "@" sign in front of their user name like I did with you, or like this @Mary :nerd:

Anyways, I've now tagged @maple so hopefully they will respond to you!
 

maple

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Hi @Wendi. Apologies for not responding sooner. I take one teaspoon of baking soda (from the grocery store) in a glass of water before bed. Doesn’t taste good but it is cheap and more impressively, it works (for me). Note this is NOT baking powder. It IS baking soda- sodium bicarbonate. I expect potassium bicarbonate would do the same thing- it is the bicarbonate that you are after. If you are avoiding excess sodium then the potassium bicarbonate might be better for you, but I use ordinary grocery store baking soda. It worked after the first few nights. Takes the stiffness right down - like turning the volume down from 10 to 2. At least for me. Good luck!
 

anne_likes_red

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Is anyone here able to translate the dose of potassium bicarbinate used in this study into mg? :rolleyes:o_O:confused:

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Hi @Wendi. Apologies for not responding sooner. I take one teaspoon of baking soda (from the grocery store) in a glass of water before bed. Doesn’t taste good but it is cheap and more impressively, it works (for me). Note this is NOT baking powder. It IS baking soda- sodium bicarbonate. I expect potassium bicarbonate would do the same thing- it is the bicarbonate that you are after. If you are avoiding excess sodium then the potassium bicarbonate might be better for you, but I use ordinary grocery store baking soda. It worked after the first few nights. Takes the stiffness right down - like turning the volume down from 10 to 2. At least for me. Good luck!
Thanks
 
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