Acid
Alkaline Balance
by
Dr.
Robert O. Young
"It is not the germs we
need worry about. It is our inner terrain." ~ Louis Pasteur
Acid Alkaline Balance
Excess acidity is a
condition that weakens all body systems.
Excess acidity forces the
body to borrow minerals - including sodium, calcium, potassium and
magnesium - from vital organs and bones to buffer (neutralize) the acid
and to safely remove it from the body. As a result, the body can suffer
severe and prolonged 'corrosion' due to high acidity - a condition that
may go undetected for years.
It affects virtually every
person in our society because of the way we live, the way we eat, the
way we think, and the environment we live in. The result is an internal
environment where disease can easily manifest, as opposed to a
pH-balanced environment which allows for normal body functions -
necessary for the body to resist dis-ease. It is true that if we have a
healthy body, we will maintain sufficient alkaline reserves to meet
emergency demands.
However when excess acids
must be continually neutralized, our alkaline reserves are depleted,
leaving the body in a weakened, dis-ease-prone condition.
Unfortunately, there are
still many practitioners who believe that the body can somehow
miraculously and 'naturally' balance its pH - as if we were living in
nature and eating raw foods and herbs. The truth is so far beyond this
ideal. The truth - according to Dr Lynda Frassetto, acid/alkaline
researcher from the University of California, is that we have turned an
evolutionary corner.
We simply do not handle
acid waste the way we used to.
Her research showed the
sheer volume of acid waste our body has to handle has forced it to take
drastic 'war' style action to preserve its strategic reserves - the
kidney and liver - our major essential detoxifying organs.
In her study of almost
1,000 ageing subjects, she found that we are now 'stockpiling' acid in
fatty deposits rather than eliminating it via the kidneys and liver.
In its infinite wisdom,
the body has chosen to save the kidney and liver from degradation by
excess acid.
Of course, there is a
cost. It's called obesity, lowered immunity, lack of energy and the
whole host of acid related dis-eases we are subject to including cancer,
diabetes, osteoarthritis and more - much, much more.
Acid Alkaline HISTORY
The concept of
acid/alkaline imbalance as the cause of disease isn't a new one.
One of the first persons
who talked about the need to alkalize the body was the great "Sleeping
Prophet," Edgar Cayce.
He always referred to body
detoxification with herbs, colonics, fasting, massage, steam baths and
diet modification with the aim of alkalizing the body.
Way back in 1933 Dr.
William Howard Hay published a ground-breaking book, A New Health Era,
in which he maintained that all disease is caused by 'auto-intoxication'
(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
alkalis to be dissipated by introduction of acid- forming food in too
great amount...
It may seem strange to say
that all dis-ease is the same thing, no matter what its myriad modes of
expression, but it is verily so."
More recently, in his
remarkable book, 'Alkalize or Die', Dr. Theodore A. Baroody said
essentially the same thing:
"The countless names of
ill- nesses 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!"
Dr. Robert O. Young, Ph.D.
in his book, 'The pH Miracle' says it this way; "Those willing to look
again, and with clear eyes, will be rewarded with the secrets to
permanent health. We can heal ourselves by changing the environment
inside our bodies. Potentially harmful invaders, then, will have nowhere
to grow and will become harmless."
Unfortunately, according
to Sang Whang, author of Reverse Aging even if we eat the best of
organic fruit and vegetables, 97% of our food still consists of carbon,
nitrogen, hydrogen and oxygen, which will still be reduced to acid
waste.
He says that it is not
what we put into our bodies it is what stays in our bodies as waste that
creates our over-acidic condition and what causes us to age prematurely.
Sang Whang says that in
terms of acid/alkaline balance, the only difference between 'good' food
and 'bad food' is that 'good' food will have less acid waste and more
acid neutralizing result.
Your pH balance depends on
what is left after metabolism. So we'll take a look in this article at
what foods, lifestyles and supplements contribute to a 'clean' house
within.
Here our metabolism can
operate as it is supposed to instead of acting as a continual janitor in
an increasingly overloaded toxic warehouse.
Leftover Acid Waste
Very few if any of us are
physically capable of ridding our bodies of all the acids we create from
food, stress and our own metabolism. These acid wastes move around the
body via the blood and lymphatic system until our overloaded kidneys
decide to dump them or us within, as the body struggles to counteract
acid-producing foods, acid-producing pollution and acid-producing
stress. In fact of all acidifying factors, stress is the greatest. It
can neutralize and acidify an alkaline diet with one surge of the acidic
hormone adrenalin.
Long Term Acidity Is Like Rust
It corrodes our tissue,
eating into our 96,000 kilometers of veins and arteries. Left
unchecked, it eventually interrupts all cellular activities and
functions, from the beating of the heart to the way we think.
As we have mentioned,
acids can be stored in fat. Cholesterol and crystallized uric acid are
solidified acids that have been dumped within the body for 'later'
removal - the 'later' that never comes.
Acid Effects
Acid coagulates blood.
Blood has major problems flowing around fatty acids.
Capillaries clog up and
die. The skin, deprived of life-giving healthy blood, loses elasticity
and begins to wrinkle.
Even with a face lift or
liposuction, the acid remains and continues its relentless advance.
Without a basic acid/alkaline balancing plan, every part of your body
works ever harder to maintain health - because every system; all the
organs, the lungs, even the skin - are involved in the maintenance of
correct blood pH.
The War Within
Within your body, your
organs and cells are totally subservient to your blood. All organs work
to keep your blood at a balanced pH, to the point where your body is
willing to inflict major damage on organs if they appear to stand in the
way of correct blood pH. If its pH drops from its optimum pH 7.365 down
to pH 6.95, you will lapse into a coma and die.
"..we have turned an
evolutionary corner "
That's why you get such a
charge from a can of Cola. Its pH of 2.5 acidity sets alarm bells
ringing all over your body.
Alkaline chemical stores
that should be used elsewhere are sacrificed to the call of the
adrenalin that floods your system.
The 'high' you have
learned to expect is no different to the high a drug user experiences as
his artificial sensory elevation. It is your body screaming "Help", and
you, enjoying the thrill of the fear. It's "The Real thing".
It's not just a glass of
Cola that causes such effect. (32 glasses of neutral pH water are needed
to balance one glass of Cola). Most of us already have a running battle.
In summary,
over-acidification interferes with life itself leading to virtually all
sickness and dis-ease! Finally, it ages then kills us.
When we die, it celebrates
by turning the whole body acid, giving birth to antagonistic
mirco-organisms to the party!
Dr. Baroody expresses it
very well: "Too much acidity in the body is like having too little oil
in the car.
It just grinds to a halt
one lazy Sunday afternoon. There you are - stuck.
The body does the same
thing. It starts creaking to a stop along the byways of life and you
find yourself in some kind of discomfort. I watch with great concern as
people of all classes and lifestyles suffer from this excess."
He attributes no less than
68 major health conditions to a prior existent acidic inner terrain.
Why Are Westerners So Prone To Obesity?
Is it just food? Of
course, the food we eat, its quantity and quality has a large effect on
our waist measurement.
But because the body has
made a habit of its 'last chance' solution (pirating calcium from the
bones and teeth) of what to do with excess toxic acid waste, there is
another reason we deposit fat.
As Dr. Frassetto
discovered, when we are faced with shortage of options due to an acid
besieged inner terrain, we dump toxic wastes in fatty deposits as far
away from the organs and heart as possible; on the buttocks, the chest,
the thighs and the belly.
Dr Robert O. Young writes
convincingly on the same subject. He sees sugar as an acid and as the
reason we are so fat, but not as we have been taught. He says that the
body has to protect itself from the excess sugar we consume, and so it
co-ops fat - to encase it and protect us from it. "Fat" he says, "is
saving our lives".
Alkalinity and Energy levels
Acidity or alkalinity of
our internal fluids has a profound effect even at the individual
cellular level.
MITOCHONDRIA; THE BODY'S CELLULAR POWERPLANT
In our bodies our entire
metabolic process is dependent upon balance, right down to the cellular
level. Our 75 trillion cells are mildly alkaline within, dependent on
our inner sea - the surrounding alkaline interstitial fluid to surround
them.
Without this relationship,
no useful chemical or energy interchange will occur because no pH
balance exists. pH opposites - acid and alkaline - in the body are the
chemical method for electricity to flow. Without sufficient 'polarity'
between the interior of the cell and the fluid surrounding it, the
energy of the cell has difficulty flowing into the surrounding tissues.
Weight loss and the
regaining of energy occurs more easily when we take the first steps
towards an alkaline 'rebalance'.
Alkalinity and Your Blood
Blood is always slightly
alkaline (or at least it should be!). As the only transport system for
nutrients to every part of your body, blood cannot afford to be acidic.
It needs to stay within a pH range that will maintain resistance to
decay or putrefaction, and the birth of malevolent mirco-organisms.
Hence pH 7.365 is the ideal environment in which micro-organisms remain
in co-existent or symbiotic harmony with the body.
"Fat is saving our lives."
- Dr Robert O. Young
Allow the blood to shift
slightly either way and results will be felt in every part of the body.
Microforms sustained by an acidic environment begin to multiply and
mutate, taking the form of aggressive, parasitic and pathogenic agents.
Scientists studying live
blood using phase constast microscopy can see the changes in the blood
taking place and correlate it. Second the progression of the dis-ease
process.
They witness a repetitive
pattern unfolding that has prompted them to state that the
over-acidification of the body, caused by improper eating, thinking and
living, causes a biological transformation of matter into microforms
which debilitates or recycles the body and, if not corrected, may
ultimately cause our demise.
The Real Power of pH
If any substance changes
from pH 7 to pH 8, it has become ten times more alkaline.
Conversely, if it has
changes from neutral pH 7 to pH 6, it is 10 times more acidic.
As an example, a popular
Cola, at pH 2.5 is almost 50,000 times more acidic than neutral water,
and needs 32 glasses of neutral (pH 7) water to counteract the
consumption of one glass of Cola. (Active ingredient: Phosphoric Acid)
You can now see that a
change from the normal level 7.365 to pH 7 would mean that your blood
would suddenly be around 4 times as acid as it should be. You would die
from poisoning by your own blood.
This is why every body
system is used to support the correct blood pH.
You can also understand
from this that our blood pH can be affected at any time of the day by a
myriad of events; food, drink, stress, pollution, exercise, or
beneficially, by meditation, by drinking alkaline water, by deep
breathing, even by being happy.
MEDITATION IS ALKALIZING -
START EARLY
Alkalinity and Parasites
Today more and more
doctors and researchers (including most forms of alternative therapists)
believe most dis-ease is caused by unbalance in the body. Unbalance
occurs in a nutritional, electrical, structural, toxicological or
biological equation, allowing for the transformation of matter into
microforms that flourish.
They believe we need to
re-establish balance in your body by working with your body, not against
it. They say that healing of chronic illness takes place only when and
if the blood is consistently maintained at a normal, slightly alkaline
pH.
It's not an understatement
to say that we live in a world plague of "microforms". These include
more than simple germs. Yeasts, fungi, and molds are all microforms
that exist within our bodies. It's not just their presence within us,
but the excretions they deposit within us. These toxic wastes are
produced when microforms digest glucose, fats and proteins in our body.
They steal our food, turn it to poison, and dump it inside of us.
Alkalinity and Mineral Assimilation
If only people were aware
of what causes minerals to be assimilated or rejected, we could save
hundreds of millions in wasted supplement consumption every year. pH
balance determines - and limits - mineral assimilation.
Every mineral has its own
'signature' pH level that permits assimilation by your body. If we look
at an atomic scale chart of elements, those at the lower end are capable
of assimilation over a broader pH range. Those 'higher' on the chart
need a progressively narrower pH range to be assimilated.
Summarizing, if you are
not balanced, your body will simply reject most minerals.
Why Is This Relevant?
Let's look at iodine as an
example.
High up on the atomic
scale, it requires near perfect pH for its assimilation into the body.
Iodine is required for a healthy thyroid gland. But our thyroid will
receive no iodine unless the body pH is almost perfect. Thyroid
deterioration has been connected to arthritis, heart attacks, diabetes,
cancer, depression, obesity, and fatigue.
Today, inadequate mineral
supply to the body is extremely common due to the depletion of minerals
in our agricultural land. The supply and absorption of adequate minerals
determines our health and well being because it determines the
conductivity of electricity in our bodies.
Electrical conductivity is
the basis of an effective nervous system, which in turn monitors and
reports on how well our various organs and subsystems are doing. The
effectiveness with which our nervous system can operate therefore, is
subject to a correct pH, just like every bio-chemical process we
perform. By eating, living and thinking in a way that causes imbalances
to our internal pH we actually 'kill the messenger'; the system that
keeps us updated on how our body systems are fulfilling their allotted
tasks.
Alkalinity and MERCURY
Dr. W.R. Kellas, Ph.D.,
co-author of numerous books including “Surviving in a Toxic World” says
that the pH factor plays an important part in ridding the body of
mercury and other toxins.
He says, "the best pH is
around 7.365 because the more acidic the body is (below 6.8) the more it
holds on to (heavy) metals.
Heavy metals in turn
create a high oxidative stress that acidifies the body."
Dr. Kellas's clinic in
California sends out pH strips along with their medical treatment and
products, to measure body pH. They have consistently seen better results
when the pH factor is incorporated in their detoxification program.
Many people who have
embarked on an alkaline water regime have found that immediate
detoxification occurs, bowel movements normalize after years of
malfunction, and energy returns. They also experience classic symptoms
of detoxification including headaches, body aches, itching etc as the
toxic, acidic minerals begin to be washed out of the body.
Alkalizing With Food
To achieve a balance,
health practitioners recommend an 80/20 mix of alkaline and acid foods.
As you'll discover, unless you are like 'Popeye' and just love spinach,
silver beet and broccoli, you may find this rule, at first, rather
challenging.
We have one client who has
progressed from diet to alkaline powders, to volcanic water with drops,
and at last he found alkaline water. In his words, he just couldn't
beat his acidity with food.
However, some dedicated
green food people do manage, but most enlist the help of alkaline
supplements or alkaline water.
Green Supplements
There are many
formulations of alkalizing green food on the market. There are many that
work, and are a workable answer for a busy parent or business person
because you need only down it once a day. Ingredients may include
barley grass, wheat grass and all manner of green vegetables and
alkalizing herbs. Few are organic so take care in selection. (Contact
us for a powerful SuperFood - Wild AFA Algae)
We all see many ads on TV
and in magazines for calcium supplements.
Calcium can certainly
replace lost alkalinity, as it is constantly being raided in the acidic
body.
The catch is that calcium
is very difficult to absorb with an excessively acid body condition.
In other words where it is
most needed is where it is most likely not be absorbed in supplement
form. Is calcium in these cases more of a palliative than a cure?
An unbalanced acidic
system will always hunger for calcium but unless the cause is corrected,
the hunger may continue forever.
If buying a calcium
supplement be sure to find one that has the correct ratio of calcium and
magnesium in an ionic form for fast assimilation and the vital 2:1 ratio
Alkaline Water
Sang Whang, scientist,
inventor and drinker of alkaline water for 17 years says the problem
with trying to alkalize using food is that unless you can afford
organic, you will metabolize a large amount of pesticides, herbicides,
fungicides and other chemical residues.
He adds that if you
'overdose' by drinking too much alkaline water, it will simply pass
through the kidneys and flush away any germs that may have taken up
residence as it passes through.
Alkaline water is used by
millions of Japanese and Korean families, and has been a part of their
culture since the 1980's.
Alkaline water is found in
hospitals, in sanatoriums, and in clinics all over these countries.
In South Korea, Ionized
Water Filters sell approximately 50,000 alkaline water ionizers every
month in a country with six times less population than in the USA!
You can alkalize by using
a alkaline water ionizer. Note that your tap water may already be
slightly alkaline, but Japanese scientists at Shiga University say that
you should have water at pH 8.5 or above.
Alternatively a home water
ionizer attached to your tap or to your cold water line, filters your
water of all major impurities including chlorine and then separates and
removes acid minerals, giving an unlimited stream of purified and
powerful alkaline water.
The magnetic process it
employs gives a number of important side benefits. The water molecules
are greatly reduced in size, offering far greater hydration ability.
The minerals in the water
are negatively charged, making them far more effectively absorbed. The
water is also loaded with bound oxygen, plus negative hydrogen ions that
are nature's original antioxidant.
Finally, the latest
alkaline water ionizers employ Far Infra red (FIR) emitting ceramics to
help energize, soften and disinfect the water.
ALKALIZING FOODS
VEGETABLES
Garlic, Asparagus, Sea
Vegetables, Parsley, Watercress, Beets, Kale, Broccoli, Brussels Sprouts
Cabbage, Carrot,
Cauliflower, Celery, Chard, Zucchini, Collard, Greens, Cucumber, Kale,
Kohlrabi, Lettuce, Mustard Greens, Dulce, Dandelions, Edible Flowers,
Onions, Ginger, Peppers, Pumpkin, Rutabaga, Arugula, Sprouts, Squashes,
Alfalfa, Spinach, Barley Grass, Wheat Grass
Wild Greens and Grasses,
etc
FRUITS
Avocado, grapefruit, Lime,
lemon, coconut, Tomato, peppers
FATS (Cold Pressed)
Avocado Oil, Coconut Oil,
Cod Liver Oil, Grapeseed oil, Hemp Seed Oil, Flax and Olive Oil,
Evening Primrose Oil
PROTEIN
Buckwheat, Spelt,
Chestnuts, Quinoa, Tofu, Flax Seeds, Pumpkin Seeds, Sesame Seeds Squash
Seeds, Sunflower Seeds Millet, Sprouted Seeds Almonds, Hazel, Macadamia
Nuts
OTHER
Alkaline water, Green
Juices, Veggie Juices, Real salt, celtic salt, most spices, Cayenne and
red pepper, Mineral Water, Alkaline Antioxidant Water, Dandelion Tea,
Ginseng Tea,
SWEETENERS
There are NO alkaline
sweetners!
SPICES/SEASONINGS
Cinnamon, Curry, Ginger,
Chili, Pepper, Sea Salt, Cayenne Pepper, Herbs
ORIENTAL VEGETABLES
Dandelion Root, Nori, Sea
Veggies
ACIDIFYING FOODS
FRUITS
Orange, Banana, Peach,
Watermelon, Pineapple, Mango, Apple, Blackberry, Figs, Persimmon, Guave,
Apricot, Papaya, Tangerine, Currant, Grape, cranberry etc.
GRAINS
Rice Cakes, Wheat Cake,
Barley, Corn, Oats (rolled), Rice (all), Rye, Spelt, Kamut, Wheat, Flour
DAIRY
Cheese, Cow Cheese, Goat
Cheese, Processed Cheese, Sheep Milk, Cows Milk, Yogurt, Butter
NUTS & BUTTERS
Cashews, Brazil Nuts,
Peanuts, Peanut Butter, Pecans, Tahini, Walnuts
ANIMAL PROTEIN
Beef, Carp, Clams, Fish,
Lamb, Lobster, Mussels, Oyster, Pork, Rabbit, Salmon, Shrimp, Scallops,
Turkey, Venison
PASTA (WHITE)
Noodles, Macaroni,
Spaghetti
OTHER
Distilled Vinegar, Wheat
Germ, Potatoes, Mushrooms
DRUGS & CHEMICALS
Drugs, Medicinal Drugs,
Psychedelics, Antibiotics, Antifungals, Vaccinations, Pesticides,
Herbicides etc.
ALCOHOL
Beer, Spirits, Hard
Liquor, Wine
BEANS & LEGUMES
Black Beans, Chick Peas,
Green Peas, Kidney Beans, Lentils, Pinto Beans
WATERS & JUICES
Certain backwash filtered
waters, Distilled water, most bottled water, Reverse Osmosis water |
