The pH Level of the Body

There is a growing body of literature concerning the pH level of the body and the health benefits that may be associated with a diet that tends to move us to an alkaline state.  The pH level refers to the balance of acid and alkaline in the body.  The scale runs from 0 to 14 with lower numbers representing an acidic level and higher numbers representing an alkaline condition – 7 being neutral or balanced. 

As a disclaimer, I am a distributor for the Enagic Water processing machines which offer, among other benefits, a flow of highly alkaline water through a process of electrolysis.  But that is not my topic for today (stay tuned).

I am attracted to what I perceive as a significant difference between Eastern (Oriental) and Western medicine.  We seem to believe that as we age, we dehydrate and accumulate acidic waste deposits in our cells.  The more Eastern approach seems to say that as we dehydrate and develop acidic waste deposits in our cells, we age.  There is a tremendous difference in those two statements and I prefer the approach that suggests that aging is a condition with a natural cause – and therefore a natural treatment.  I am also strongly opposed to Western medicines method of treating every condition with a chemical.  I consider it unnatural and contrary to our health interests in the long run. We will talk further about these concepts in future posts. 

But for today, I would like to begin to look at the concept of examining acid-alkaline food content as part of your choices.

There are an abundance of books preaching the benefits of an alkaline diet to combat the acidic buildup in the cells.  The premise of these books is that the modern diet (Standard American Diet – which is an unfortunate acronym) tilts the body’s pH level toward the acid range – which can be bad for your health.

I will admit that a knowledge of chemistry was somehow omitted from my extensive and expensive education, so the science here is elusive to me.  I know that there are short term swings in the pH level of parts of the body.  For example, when food is present in the stomach, acid is generated to aid the digestive process.  But the blood level pH is one of the most regulated levels in the body (at 7.365 pH).  So are the scientists telling me that anything that I can eat will change this number ?  But what does make sense to me is that the body’s regulatory systems – particularly the kidneys – will have to work harder to regulate the acids we consume and that the alkaline substances in the body may be consumed in a constant battle to neutralize acids.  Over time this could result in imbalances in the alkaline stores in the body.  So I accept the argument that consuming alkaline foods may be beneficial.  But since I am not ready to adopt a vegetarian plan, I continue to feed the problem, so to speak. 

Dr Susan Brown and Larry Trivieri have written a book called The Acid-Alkaline Food Guide.  (available from Amazon.com) Dr Phil Domenico interviews the authors in a lengthy article for NaturalNews.com  <link here> that is very interesting to gain a perspective on this issue.

Quoting from Dr Domenico’s article, “Their major premise is that the modern diet tilts the body’s pH toward the acid range, which has negative health consequences. The kidneys, lungs and skin must work overtime to balance body pH toward the alkaline. They do so by borrowing alkaline minerals (calcium, magnesium, potassium) from bone and tissue. Muscle is also broken down to obtain alkalizing amino acids (i.e., glutamine). Over the long haul, bones weaken and muscles waste away to compensate, and aging is accelerated. Osteoporosis, muscle loss, kidney stone formation, joint and back problems are among the conditions associated with even a slightly acidic state. The authors also describe many other problems and chronic conditions that could result from what they term chronic, low-grade acidosis.”

The article is an extended discussion which you should click on to read in its entirety.  The book also contains comprehensive food tables to inform you of the acid-alkaline impacts of the foods we eat or drink. 

Let me be clear.  The authors state that the consumption of acidic foods contribute to the rise of chronic degenerative diseases in this country.  I appreciate that the authors do not demand a vegan lifestyle to be healthy – but they do recommend that proteins and carbs be consumed in moderation and in some balance with alkaline foods to facilitate the neutralizing process in our bodies.

I consider age management and the emphasis of this discussion group to be a long process from an early age to maximize our health with strategies for health and anti-aging through natural programs beginning as early as possible.  Articles about exercise, hydration, anti-oxidation and nutrition should be of interest and importance to us - and will be the focus of this group. 

My source: http://www.naturalnews.com/023694.html