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Acid:Alkaline Balance 25 July 2009

I have become increasingly convinced through experience that the secret to health and vitality is maintaining an alkaline body. Body tissues operate optimally at a slightly alkaline pH of 7.365. pH stands for “potential hydrogen” and is a measure of the level of hydrogen in a substance. It therefore describes acid:alkaline balance where a pH of 1 is the most acid and 14 the most alkaline. Substances with a pH of less than 7 are acidic because they contain a higher concentration of hydrogen (H+) ions. Substances with a pH greater than 7 are alkaline because they contain a higher concentration of hydroxide (OH-) ions. Most cells have a pH of about 6.8 but they are bathed in blood and tissue fluids with an optimal pH of 7.365.

The pH scale is logarithmic which means that if a fluid changes form a pH of 8 to 9, it has become 10 times more alkaline and if it drops from a pH of 6 to 5, it has become 10 times more acidic.

Our bodies spend an enormous amount of energy trying to maintain that balance which is constantly pulled by our environment to a more acid state. Exercise and stress produce lactic acid and most of the food we consume is acidic. Special mechanisms, known as buffers, exist to try and keep the pH optimal. Buffers can bind to H+ or OH- ions and remove them from solutions if their concentrations get too high.

Almost everyone tested finds themselves in a state of latent acidity and those who find themselves alkaline with elevated pH and bicarbonate levels are almost always like that because of an over-compensation to the acidity as the body fights to maintain a pH of 7.365. It’s just like what happens with insulin levels when there is excessive glucose in the blood- there is a spike in insulin levels to maintain blood sugar in a normal range.

The excessive acidity is one of the main root causes of most or our chronic degenerative diseases including cancer. It is also the reason behind our obesity epidemic. The body retains fat and water to buffer over-acidity. One of the clues to excessive acidity is the presence of calcium in tissues. The body uses alkaline calcium to try and buffer any excessive acidity in the tissues. This not only puts calcium in tissues where it is not wanted but also takes it from bone, where it is wanted.

Chronic infections and cancer cells thrive in acidic conditions. More and more research shows that ill health is related to a plague of microorganisms including yeast, fungus, mold, bacteria and viruses. Many of these microorganisms secrete exotoxins which further acidify our tissues. The microorganisms break down our tissues and use glucose, fat and protein for growth- leaving us fatigued. Other symptoms/disorders that can be caused by over-acidity and subsequent infections include diabetes, athletes foot, cancer, atherosclerosis, chronic fatigue, osteoporosis, autoimmune disease, adrenal/thyroid disorders, inflammatory bowel disease, depression, influenza, psoriasis, thrush, arthritis, rheumatoid arthritis, acne, headaches, obesity, metabolic syndrome and fibromyalgia (just to name a few). Maintaining an alkaline terrain prevents these microorganisms from gaining a foothold. Restoring an alkaline environment and eradicating chronic infections can restore health. If fish are sick because they are swimming in very polluted water, the first thing we do is change the water.

This is why improving the acid:alkaline balance in the body by increasing alkalinity is always the first intervention in almost all chronic diseases treated at the Emerson Health and Wellness Centre and why drinking generous amounts of alkaline water (with a pH of around 9.5) is the single most important health strategy for everyone on this planet. It also means eating the proper balance of alkaline and acid foods- 80% alkaline if recovering from an illness, 70% on a maintenance programme. It doesn’t mean acidic foods like meat and grains can’t be eaten, they just take up a much smaller part of the plate than traditionally.

The principles outlined in this website are based around trying to maintain the bodies slight alkalinity. Optimal levels are:

• blood- 7.365
• urine- 7.2 or greater (9-10 when recovering from severe illness). Urine pH is a direct measure of the pH of body tissues.
• saliva- 7.2 or greater (although can vary greatly and is not as reliable as blood or urine). Saliva pH represents the potential to be able to neutralise acids. Low levels show that there are depleted alkaline reserves and a low potential to neutralise acids.

It is crucial to supplement with minerals because deficits, particularly magnesium are a major contributor to cellular acidosis (International Journal of Integrative Medicine, 2001;4(6):7-18). Note that an alkaline diet is recommended in the position paper on toxic metals by the American Board of Clinical Metal Toxicology, the American Association of Environmental Medicine and the International College of Integrative Medicine: “an alkalising diet is recommended as to correct cellular acidosis, thereby enhancing toxic mineral mobilisation. A high fiber diet with 80% of food intake that is alkaline forming when metabolised is important. Check first morning urine pH to assess net acid excess and clinically evaluate metabolic acidosis.”

Food is either metabolised to acidic, neutral or alkaline substances. Health can be maximised by ensuring 75% of food intake from the alkaline group. In general, vegetables, avocado, tomatoes, grapefruit, lemon, nuts and seeds are alkalising while meat, eggs, dairy, yeast, grains, high sugar fruits, alcohol, coffee and tea are acidic. Vegetables are a great source of alkalising salts, vitamins, minerals, enzymes and fiber and a wide variety should be consumed.

Foods to Consume Freely in the 75% alkaline component:

• Vegetables: Asparagus, broccoli, cabbage, carrots, cauliflower, celery, cucumber, eggplant, garlic, green beans, leeks, lettuce, onions, parsley, peas, peppers, spinach, sprouts, kale, zucchini.
• Nutrient dense grasses such as wheat grass and barley grass.
• Fruits- avocado, tomatoes, grapefruit, lemons, limes, coconut. Lemon, limes and grapefruit are alkaline in the body because they contain lots of sodium and potassium bicarbonate and very little sugar.
• Alkaline grains- amaranth, quinoa, millet, buckwheat, spelt.
• Healthy fats- extra virgin olive oil, coconut oil, flax seed, avocado oil, pomegranate oil, nuts, seeds.

Acidic foods that must go in the 20-30% component:

• High starch vegetables: potatoes, pumpkin, yams, kidney beans, chick peas.
• Grains- brown rice.
• Fruits. Click here to see a chart of the pH of several fruits. The best ones have a rating greater than -5.
• Organic meats, fish and eggs. Never eat meat unless it is from organic, grass fed animals. The grains that other animals are fed on always contain fungus and mould. The fats of these meats contain mycotoxins from the fungus. Best meats are organic wild game such as venison, kangaroo, buffalo, duck.

Foods to avoid: dairy (use soy, almond, coconut or rice milk instead), yeast, wheat (most stored grains are heavily contaminated with fungus), sugar, flour, soft drinks, fruit juices, vinegar (use lemon or lime juice instead), alcohol, coffee, artificial sweeteners, trans-fatty acids, peanuts (highly acidic and contain over 27 yeasts and molds), corn (contains 25 different fungi including recognised carcinogens), mushrooms and soy sauce (it is fermented on a bed of aspergillus niger mold).

Food and water are not the only sources of acidity in our lives. Other strategies to decrease acidity include:

1. Minimise negative emotions and increase positive ones. Depression, guilt, hatred, anxiety etc all increase acid levels in the body. Finding ways to minimise these and maximise positive emotions through forgiveness, meditation, changing your values in life etc are health promoting.
2. Replace strenuous exercise with more controlled aerobic exercise.
3. Detoxify from environmental toxins.