Disease and ageing are intimately related to the acid/alkaline balance (pH) of the fluids in our bodies. Virtually every degenerative disease from cancer, osteoporosis, heart disease and arthritis, to skin problems, tooth decay and joint pain is associated with excess acidity in the body.
What is pH? Water is comprised of hydrogen and oxygen [H2O]. When there is an equal proportion of oxygen (O-) and hydrogen (H+), then the pH (potential hydrogen) is said to be neutral and the pH is 7.0 as measured on the pH scale that ranges from 1 to 14.
If there is more oxygen than hydrogen the water is alkaline and will measure between 7.1 and 14. If there is more hydrogen than oxygen the water is acidic and can range from 1.0 to 6.9 on the pH scale. Most importantly, the pH scale is logarithmic, which means that each step is ten times the previous one. Therefore, a pH of 7.0 means that there is ten times more oxygen available to the cells than a pH of 6.0 and 100 times more available oxygen than a pH of 5.0. A small variation in pH measures a rather large difference in the balance between oxygen and hydrogen.
Everyone knows we need to provide our lungs with adequate amounts of oxygen to sustain life. We now understand that the water in our bodies also needs adequate amounts of oxygen to resist disease and maintain health. The only way to increase the amount of oxygen in our body “water” is to raise the pH level and provide the system with the optimum amount of oxygen. The planet we live in is over 70% water. If we pollute our water with acid and chemicals this has a direct effect on our health. The acid-alkaline balance is important since many functions in the body occur only at a certain level of acidity or alkalinity.
Our blood is slightly alkaline, and the body makes every effort to maintain this alkalinity at a constant level. The cells of the body are alkaline. When we are ill the cell pH is below the neutral level of 7. Unless the body’s pH level is slightly alkaline, the body cannot heal itself. The more acid the cells become, the sicker we are and feel. Our bodies produce acid as a by-product of normal metabolism. This is the result of our bodies burning or using alkaline to maintain the pH balance and remain alive. Since our bodies do not manufacture alkaline, we must supply alkaline from an outside source to keep us from becoming acid and dying.
The main determining factor of alkaline is organic minerals. The total balance of minerals in a particular food may be either acid or alkaline. If the type of residue that remains after the food is digested and processed is acidic, the body must neutralise this acid with alkaline to keep the blood from getting acid. Ideally there should be adequate alkaline in the diet to do this. However, if there is not, the body must extract alkaline from its cells to neutralise the acid. This of course, causes the cells to become acid and thus diseased.
Because our bodies are an alkaline entity, in order to maintain health, the majority of our diet must consist of alkaline forming foods. In other words we must consume more whole fresh foods and reduce mass produced industrially processed foods. If we become too alkaline by eating a majority of alkaline foods, we will lose our appetite and automatically want to fast, during which time the normal acid metabolic by-products will return the body pH back to normal, thus healing our bodies of any disease present.
High acidity is caused by a diet rich in processed foods and low in fresh whole foods as well as hectic lifestyles filled with stress, overconsumption of alcohol, smoking, lack of exercise, and intake of any type of drugs. This is apart from the environmental toxins that we are exposed to daily. Over acidity is a dangerous condition that weakens all body systems and is very common at present. It gives rise to an environment conductive 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. This condition forces the body to borrow minerals – including calcium, sodium, potassium and magnesium – from vital organs and bones, to 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 the following problems:
- Cardiovascular damage
- Weight gain, obesity and diabetes
- Bladder and kidney conditions including kidney stones
- Immune deficiency
- Acceleration of free radical damage, possibly contributing to cancerous mutations
- Hormone concerns
- Premature aging
- Osteoporosis; weak, brittle bones, hip fracture and bone spurs
- Joint pain, arthritis, rheumatism, aching muscles and lactic acid buildup
- Low energy and chronic fatigue, poor memory, depression
- Slow digestion and elimination
- Yeast/fungal overgrowth
Nelly
