The Acid-Alkaline Debate-Part 2-Your Body's pH, Cancer & Other Diseases

 

In part 1 of The Acid ? Alkaline Debate we discussed the health crisis in America. To put it in greater perspective America is first in having access to clean water and sanitation facilities. We spend more money per person on health care and a greater percentage of our gross domestic product that any other country. Yet, we are 34th in infant death rate, 29th in maternal death rate, and 48th overall in life expectancy. Where we used to be #1 in life expectancy for women age 65 we are now 20th. Many feel the source of the problem lies in our calorie consumption. Americans consume more calories per capita than any other nation and we show it by leading the world in the prevalence of obesity.

What Does This Have To Do With The Acid ? Alkaline Debate?
Everything! The vast majority of the American diet centers on foods that create an acidic environment in your body. This then allows other acid producing pathways to take hold having a negative impact on your health and wellness. The body becomes acidic as a result of the following three things:

1. Ingesting Acidic Producing Foods. When food is metabolized or ?burned? in our body it leaves an ?ash?. This food ash will be neutral, acidic, or alkaline depending largely on the leftover mineral composition of the food. Although the following list is not complete, it will give you a general idea of which foods leave behind an acidic or alkaline environment:

Acidic Foods: corn, canned fruits, cranberries, most grain and grain products, most beans & legumes, milk, peanuts, peanut butter, most animal proteins, tuna, most fats and oils, sugar, artificial sweeteners, alcohol, catsup, cocoa, and aspirin.

Alkalizing Foods: water, most vegetables, most fruits especially if they are low sugar, almonds, fermented tofu, whey protein, all herbs and many spices, soured dairy products, probiotic cultures, bee pollen, and juices that are green, veggie or fresh fruit.

Super Acidifying Food: Coca-Cola ? pH 2, Beer ? pH 2.5, Coffee ? pH 4

Super Alkalizing Minerals: Potassium ? pH 14, Sodium ? pH 14, Calcium ? pH 12, Magnesium ? pH 9

Now you can see why the standard American diet of animal protein with a refined grain product washed down with a beer or dark cola creates an extremely acidic environment.

2. Creation of an Acidic Environment Resulting in Toxicity & Microform Overgrowth. As you eat and drink food combinations that create an acidic environment, microforms and pathogens start to grow and proliferate in your body. For example, yeasts, Candida, and anaerobic bacteria now have an environment that fosters their growth which results in toxins and acids being excreted into your system causing a further pH imbalance.

3. Poor Elimination & Neutralization of Acids. Your body will go to great lengths to maintain its normal pH level. It will even stress other tissues and body systems to do so. It uses minerals such as calcium to act as a buffer. Your body will even pull calcium out of your bone structure to help in this process which can lead to osteoporosis.

Got Milk?
The dairy industry has created a great campaign slogan so you might think that all you have to do is drink more milk. The fat and protein in whole milk creates a greater ?acid ash? than the amount of calcium it contains. The net result is whole milk will actually deplete calcium stores. If you are going to drink milk, then make it skim milk only. Not only will you save on calories and fat but you will be able to offset the ?acid ash? from the protein and get a positive influx of calcium. And, since we are on this topic, stay away from dark colas. Most dark colas whether they be regular or diet contain phosphoric acid. I firmly believe that this has been one of the leading causes of all the degenerative diseases that we are seeing. Dark colas create an acid environment and most Americans consume such large quantities of it.

So, How Do I Find Out If I?m A Walking Flask of Acid?
You could spend lots of money and make lots of visits to your doctor?s office to get your blood analyzed on a regular basis or you could do a simple urine test at home. One of the primary systems for getting rid of acids in the body is your kidneys or renal system. Under normal or optimal conditions, the pH of your urine should be in the 6.75 to 7.25 range. Anything under 6.75 would most likely mean that your body?s internal environment is becoming acidic. By using pH test strips you can test your urine?s pH at home. There are special test strips designed to give you a color gradation to help you accurately determine your urine?s pH so that you can maintain a proper pH level.

If you take the time to find out if your body is acidic, then what steps can you take to go from acidic to alkaline? I?ll cover that in Part 3 of The Acid ? Alkaline Debate!

Dan Hammer has a background in biology, chemistry and exercise physiology. He used to run one of the largest health club operations in the Chicagoland area and has been helping people with their wellness issues for more than 25 years. His website http://www.AgingNoMore.com provides current information on how to slow down the aging process. He offers a free daily email that breaks this information down into actionable steps that are easy to understand and implement.