Over acidity,
which can become a dangerous condition that weakens all body systems,
is very common today. It gives rise to an internal environment
conducive to disease, as opposed to a pH-balanced environment
which allows normal body function necessary for the body to resist
disease. A healthy body maintains adequate alkaline reserves to
meet emergency demands. When excess acids must be neutralized,
our alkaline reserves are depleted leaving the body in a weakened
condition.
See
Acid / Alkaline Forming Food Chart
The concept
of acid alkaline imbalance as the cause of disease is not new.
In 1933 a New York doctor named William Howard Hay published a
ground-breaking book, A New Health Era in which he maintains
that all disease is caused by autotoxication (or "self-poisoning")
due to acid accumulation in the body:
Now we depart from health in just the proportion to which we have
allowed our alkalies to be dissipated by introduction of acid-forming
food in too great amount... It may seem strange to say that all
disease is the same thing, no matter what its myriad modes of
expression, but it is verily so.
William Howard Hay, M.D.
More recently,
in his remarkable book Alkalize or Die (see recommended
reading), Dr. Theodore A. Baroody says essentially the same thing:
The countless names of illnesses do not really matter. What does
matter is that they all come from the same root cause...too
much tissue acid waste in the body!
Theodore A. Baroody, N.D., D.C., Ph.D.
Understanding
pH
pH (potential
of hydrogen) is a measure of the acidity or alkalinity of a solution.
It is measured on a scale of 0 to 14—the lower the pH the more
acidic the solution, the higher the pH the more alkaline (or base)
the solution. When a solution is neither acid nor alkaline it has
a pH of 7 which is neutral.
Water is
the most abundant compound in the human body, comprising 70% of
the body. The body has an acid-alkaline (or acid-base) ratio called
the pH which is a balance between positively charges ions (acid-forming)
and negatively charged ions (alkaline-forming.) The body continually
strives to balance pH. When this balance is compromised many problems
can occur.
It is important
to understand that we are not talking about stomach acid or the
pH of the stomach. We are talking about the pH of the body's fluids
and tissues which is an entirely different matter.
Test
Your Body's Acidity or Alkalinity with pH Strips
It is recommended
that you test your pH levels to determine if your body's pH needs
immediate attention. By using pH test strips, you can determine
your pH factor quickly and easily in the privacy of your own home.
If your urinary pH fluctuates between 6.0 to 6.5 in the morning
and between 6.5 and 7.0 in the evening, your body is functioning
within a healthy range. If your saliva stays between 6.5 and 7.5
all day, your body is functioning within a healthy range. The
best time to test your pH is about one hour before a meal and
two hours after a meal. Test your pH two days a week.
Urine
pH
The results of urine testing indicate how well your body is assimilating
minerals, especially calcium, magnesium, sodium and potassium.
These are called the "acid buffers" because they are used by the
body to control the acid level. If acid levels are too high, the
body will not be able to excrete acid. It must either store the
acid in body tissues (autotoxication) or buffer it—that is,
borrow minerals from organs, bones, etc. in order to neutralize
acidity.
Saliva
pH
You'll also want to test the pH of your saliva. The results of
saliva testing indicate the activity of digestive enzymes in your
body, especially the activity of the liver and stomach. This reveals
the flow of enzymes running through your body and shows their
effect on all the body systems. Some people will have acidic pH
readings from both urine and saliva—this is referred to as
"double acid."
Keeping
the Balance Right for Excellent Health
Your body is able to assimilate minerals and nutrients properly
only when its pH is balanced. It is therefore possible for you
to be taking healthy nutrients and yet be unable to absorb or
use them. If you are not getting the results you expected from
your nutritional or herbal program, look for an acid alkaline
imbalance. Even the right herbal program may not work if your
body's pH is out of balance.
What
Causes Me to be Acidic?
The
reason acidosis is more common in our society is mostly due to
the typical American diet, which is far too high in acid-producing
animal products like meat, eggs and dairy, and far too low in
alkaline-producing foods like fresh vegetables. Additionally,
we eat acid-producing processed foods like white flour and sugar
and drink acid-producing beverages like coffee and soft drinks.
We use too many drugs, which are acid-forming; and we use artificial
chemical sweetners like NutraSweet, Equal, or aspartame, which
are extremely acid-forming. One of the best things we can do to
correct an overly-acid body is to clean up the diet and lifestyle.
Most
people who suffer from unbalanced pH are acidic. This condition
forces the body to borrow minerals—including calcium, sodium,
potassium and magnesium—from vital organs and bones to buffer
(neutralize) the acid and safely remove it from the body. Because
of this strain, the body can suffer severe and prolonged damage
due to high acidity—a condition that may go undetected for
years.
Mild acidosis
can cause such problems as:
- Cardiovascular
damage, including the constriction of blood vessels and the
reduction of oxygen.
- Weight
gain, obesity and diabetes.
- Bladder
and kidney conditions, including kidney stones.
- Immune
deficiency.
- Acceleration
of free radical damage, possibly contributing to cancerous mutations.
- Premature
aging.
- Osteoporosis;
weak, brittle bones, hip fractures and bone spurs.
- Joint
pain, aching muscles and lactic acid buildup.
- Low energy
and chronic fatigue.
A recent
seven-year study conducted at the University of California, San
Francisco, on 9,000 women showed that those who have chronic acidosis
are at greater risk for bone loss than those who have normal pH
levels. The scientists who carried out this experiment believe
that many of the hip fractures prevalent among middle-aged women
are connected to high acidity caused by a diet rich in animal
foods and low in vegetables. This is because the body borrows
calcium from the bones in order to balance pH. — American
Journal of Clinical Nutrition
