Knowing the distinction between which food is alkaline and which is acidic is determined by the minerals left behind after digestion – termed the ash residue. Alkaline foods contain magnesium, potassium, calcium and sodium, which complement each other and only minute quantities are required in our daily bodily functioning.
Different fluids in the human body generally have a delicate range of acid-alkaline balance to maintain for optimal functioning. The normal pH for urine is about 4.5-8 (acidic environment to eliminate toxins), for saliva 7.0-7.4 and blood is between 7.35 and 7.45. The pH of urine has a wider range based on the acid or alkaline forming potential of foods eaten during the course of the day. First morning urine before any foods are eaten is often considered the most accurate indicator of true urine pH. (that is why you have to fast overnite before a health screening test)
Without exception, all your organs, tissues, bones and joints should also fall into this range. Basically, you came into this world with an alkaline pH and should remain till your last day. However, your body automatically becomes acidic upon death so it can decompose like it is supposed to.
When the pH levels of blood or other key bodily fluids fall out of optimal pH range due to adverse metabolic or respiratory conditions, the human body goes through a variety of adjustments to try to correct the acid or alkaline imbalance. If the body is too alkaline, a condition called alkalosis results. Conversely, an overly acid condition results in acidosis.
Acidosis:
In the modern society, many of us are prone to ACIDOSIS, a condition in which there is too much acid in the body fluids. Although a host of factors like stress, environmental toxins, lack of exercise and smoking can contribute to this condition, the main culprit is our poor dietary habits. We often neglect the need for a balanced diet and consume too much acid-producing foods such as processed food, fast food, refined carbohydrates and dairy products, and too little alkaline foods like fruits and fresh vegetables. Another cause is aging. As we age, our metabolism alters slightly, resulting in a lower calorie requirement. Excess fat accumulates quickly which results in higher acidity in the cells.
Some symptoms: Frequent sighing, insomnia, water retention, gout, arthritis, migraine headaches, abnormally low blood pressure, dry hard stools, foul smelling stools and a burning sensation in the anus, constipation alternates diarrhea, difficulty swallowing, sensitive to vinegar and citrus fruits.
Recommendations: Eat more raw foods (cooking depletes nutrients) comprising fresh fruits and vegetables that contain minerals like magnesium, potassium and calcium. Highly acidic foods that should be avoided are processed foods, foods high in sugar, animal fats and drinks that contain caffeine.
Alkalosis:
Alkalosis is a condition in which the body loses too much acid and becomes alkaline. It is less common than acidosis and produces over-excitability of the nervous system, affecting the peripheral nerves much. The causes can be due to:
- excess vomiting, which causes a loss of electrolytes
- overuse of diuretics
- endocrine imbalance
- a large loss of potassium or sodium in a short amount of time
- antacids
- accidental ingestion of bicarbonate, which can be found in baking soda
- laxatives
- alcohol abuse
- poor diet
Symptoms: Easily excited and heart palpitation, sore muscles, creaking joints, drowsiness, protruding eyes, hypothermia, seizures, allergies, night cramps, asthma, night coughs, indigestion, too rapid blood clotting and thick blood, menstrual problems, hard dry stools, bone spurs.
How main organs are affected:
When your blood starts to become acidic, acidic substances (usually toxins) are deposited into cells to allow the blood to remain slightly alkaline. This causes your cells to become more acidic and toxic, which results in a decrease of their oxygen levels, and harms their DNA and respiratory enzymes.
+ Acid wastes in your system rob your blood of oxygen, which causes your heart tissue to deteriorate.
+ Far too much toxins choke your liver, thus it is constantly under stressed to flush them out.
+ The pancreas is unable to produce insulin to regular the sugar level.
+ Kidneys are overburdened to clear up huge piles of toxins and wastes.
+ Hard to digest, acid-creating food poses a challenge to the stomach and can result in excess gastric acid produced to facilitate the digestion process. As a result, fewer nutrients are being absorbed, and acid rising up into your throat causing acid reflux, GERD, IBS, hiatal hernia and gastritis.
+ Wastes not clearing up properly through the colon can clog its walls and become a breeding ground for bacteria and disease. In addition, the toxins can be re-absorbed into your bloodstream, make you ill and encourage the development of food sensitivities. The problem can develop into IBS, diverticulosis and chronic constipation on a prolonged basis.
If left untreated, heavy accumulation of wastes poisons the cells and causes their premature die. These dead cells themselves turn into acids which may adapt in that environment to become abnormal cells which may develop into malignant cells having the ability to grow indefinitely and without order termed 'cancer'.
Recommendations: Watch alkaline drugs such as sodium bicarbonate taken for gastritis or peptic ulcers, and other drugs for high cholesterol. Maintaining healthy lifestyle including having more grains and acid-forming foods is crucial for right balancing.
Acidity/alkalinity range of foods
Although lemon juice is very acidic, small amounts mixed with water can have an alkalizing effect when it is digested. This can help to neutralize the acid in your stomach, especially so for those with acid reflux caused by low stomach acid. Even those with peptic ulcers can find relief as its high ascorbic acid content can help to protect the stomach from certain cancers and other damage. However, this relief is temporary and should not be over-relied upon as lemon acidity is corrosive to the stomach lining. Mixing sodium bicarbonate from the pancreas results in its acidity turns alkaline upon reaching the small intestine.
The 1931 Nobel Prize winner Dr. Otto Warburg discovered that cancer cells cannot survive in a highly oxygenated environment. Alkalinity helps to increase the body’s oxygen level, which is why alkaline foods can be helpful in fighting cancer. When the blood is alkalized, it is able to contain more oxygen, absorbing up to 100 times more than a body with a high acid content.
In other words, oxygen levels in cells decrease in the presence of too much acid. This creates a toxic environment, which can create mutations in the cells, potentially leading to cancer. With a greater degree of alkalinity in the body, these toxins decrease.
Excessive acids present in the diet that are not dispelled fast enough can result in the body storing the toxins in the cells. People with cancer generally have high levels of acid in their system, which makes it essential for them to find balance through eating foods that are alkaline in content. This will bring the body to a healthy pH level of approximately 7.4, which helps to saturate red blood cells with healing and essential oxygen.
Sources: http://nh1.ccone.com/ph-balance.html, Prescription to Natural Healing
VIVA corner
Can toxicity be detected?
The medical community recognizes only acute toxicity, the type that leads to painful, sudden and severe symptoms, including cramping, nausea, vomiting, sweating, headaches, breathing difficulties, convulsions and impaired cognitive, motor and language skills.
The effect of consumption, inhalation, skin contact and other exposure is clear. Such frequent occurrences are observed on job sites when workers are exposed to hazardous substances, and to a smaller extent on the home front.
Pesticide, herbicide and chemical fertilizer are usually ingested and can make otherwise healthy people chemically sensitive and environmentally ill. As this is a gradual process, the symptoms may develop over several years and are often interchangeable with other signs of poor health, thus the culprits are not suspected.
Need to detox
Virtually all chronically sick patients have sustained significant exposure to toxic substances.
Toxic metals such as aluminum, cadmium, lead, cobalt and arsenic are easily found in unknowing patients. For instance, mercury is planted in anyone who has done amalgam fillings or root canals. Cocoa and chocolate products have some of the highest levels of lead found in any food item.
Dose, duration, manner of exposure, biochemical individuality, genetic propensity, diet quality and stress levels combine to determine the degree of ill effects.
Babies can be contaminated at birth because mercury and other metals pass through the placenta from intoxicated mothers. The Environmental Working Group reports that blood samples taken from the umbilical blood of newborns show an average of 287 toxins, including mercury, fire retardants, pesticides, and Teflon chemicals. No wonder babies come into this world with compromised digestive and immune systems. Vaccinations containing mercury and aluminum worsen the matter, often sending an already vulnerable child over the edge into autism, ADD and ADHD, life-threatening allergies and autoimmune diseases.
+ Having asthma, eczema or sinusitis?
+ Having allergies or are you sensitive to chemicals or pollution?
+ Having wheezing or skin outbreaks frequently?
+ Having digestive problems?
+ Feeling worse after exercise?
+ Experiencing fatigue on and off?
Process of detoxification
For good internal housekeeping, all harmful substances should be eliminated or neutralized using built-in defenses and resources, especially during our sleeping hours. The complex process of detoxification involves the immune system (especially the white blood cells), the lungs, kidneys, colon, liver and the skin (biggest organ in our body).
The ability to cope well goes for a younger and healthier body. Thus, the older or less healthy you are, the poorer is this protective response and the greater possibility of damage occurring to your body.
Liver as detoxifier. In addition to its vital functions in digestion and energy production, the liver acts as a major detoxifier. It combines toxic substances such as metabolic waste products, insecticide residues, drugs, alcohol and other harmful chemicals with substances that are less toxic which are then excreted by the kidneys and colon. The other detoxifying organs include the lungs, skin, colon, kidney and lymphatic system. If they do not receive the relevant or adequate nutrients, their functions can be compromised, resulting in build-up of toxic materials which can ruin our health.
How to detox: The best means of removing toxins and wastes from the body is a fast and a ritual monthly practice for most desirable result. Day-to-day cleansing is preferable for those who believe in good health at all times. Fasting is highly recommended for any illness, as it allows the body the rest it needs to recover. Acute illnesses, colon disorders, allergies and respiratory illnesses are most responsive to fasting, whilst chronic degenerative diseases are the least responsive.