Does Maintaining pH Require Energy?

[greening]

This might be a silly question but, does the body consume energy in the process of maintaining pH?

I was reading about the so called "alkaline diet" and the misconception that different types of food changes the body's pH. I know that this is wildly untrue but, it made me wonder if there was a caloric benefit of eating alkaline or acidic foods. Can anyone more knowledgeable on the subject tell me if the body burn calories in the process of maintaining pH?

[exchemist]

7 hours ago, greening said:

This might be a silly question but, does the body consume energy in the process of maintaining pH?

I was reading about the so called "alkaline diet" and the misconception that different types of food changes the body's pH. I know that this is wildly untrue but, it made me wonder if there was a caloric benefit of eating alkaline or acidic foods. Can anyone more knowledgeable on the subject tell me if the body burn calories in the process of maintaining pH?

In principle yes, the body's processes for regulating pH, e.g. the operation of the kidneys which transport substances against a concentration gradient, or breathing more rapidly to reduce the CO2 in the blood, can involve some energy expenditure. But only to a very minor degree and certainly not in the range it would need to be as a factor in dietary calorie control.   

[studiot]

8 hours ago, greening said:

This might be a silly question but, does the body consume energy in the process of maintaining pH?

I was reading about the so called "alkaline diet" and the misconception that different types of food changes the body's pH. I know that this is wildly untrue but, it made me wonder if there was a caloric benefit of eating alkaline or acidic foods. Can anyone more knowledgeable on the subject tell me if the body burn calories in the process of maintaining pH?

Different parts of the body operate at different pH values.
Some also operate a variable pH values for instance there are literally thousands of catalysed body processes many of which are pH sensitive.

So the first question is
What do you mean by the body pH ?

 

The body processes alkaline foods in the stomach with stomach acids and further in in the digestive system it processes alkaline foods.

This I understand is the basis of the 'Hay Diet'

The little experience of this I have seen in others, is that dieting works by reducing calorie intake eg substituting cabbage for potatoes, rather than any pH control.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hay_diet

 

[John Cuthber]

The body does expend energy in maintaining pH differences- pumping hydrogen ions into the gut makes it acid and takes energy.
But I don't think it's a big part of the energy budget.