The Importance of Acid & Alkaline Balance for Health

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The Importance of Acid and Alkaline Balance for Health JoAnn Guest Aug 04,

2003 18:42 PDT

The Importance of Acid and Alkaline Balance for Health

 

Virtually all degenerative diseases including cancer, heart disease,

arthritis, osteoporosis, kidney and gall stones, and tooth decay are

associated with excess acidity in the body. While the body has a

homeostatic mechanism that maintains a constant pH 7.4 in the blood,

this mechanism works by depositing and withdrawing acid and alkaline

minerals from other locations including the bones, soft tissues, body

fluids and saliva. Therefore, the pH of these other tissues can

fluctuate greatly. The pH of saliva offers a window through which you

can see the overall pH balance in your body.

 

Cancer cannot exist in an alkaline environment. All forms of arthritis

are associated with excess acidity. Acid in the body dissolves both

teeth and bones. Whatever health situation you are faced with, you can

monitor your progress toward a proper acid/alkaline balance by testing

your saliva pH.

 

What are Acid and Alkaline?

Water (H2O) ionizes into hydrogen (H+) and hydroxyl (OH-) ions. When

these ions are in equal proportions, the pH is a neutral 7. When there

are more H+ ions than OH- ions then the water is said to be acid. If OH-

ions outnumber the H+ ions then the water is alkaline. The pH scale goes

from 0 to 14 and is logarithmic, which means that each step is ten times

the previous. In other words, a pH of 4.5 is 10 times more acid than

5.5, 100 times more acid than 6.5 and 1,000 times more acid than 7.5.

 

Acid and Alkaline Minerals and Foods

Minerals with a negative electrical charge are attracted to the H+ ion.

These are called acid minerals. Acid minerals include: chlorine (Cl-),

sulfur (S-), phosphorus (P-), and they form hydrochloric acid (HCl),

sulfuric acid (H2SO4), and phosphoric acid (H3PO4). Minerals with a

positive electrical charge are attracted to the negatively charged OH-

ion. These are called alkaline minerals. Nutritionally important

alkaline minerals include calcium (Ca+), potassium (K+), magnesium

(Mg+), and sodium (Na+). (Cancer patients tend to have an excess of

sodium. - Gerson page 97). Also important for cancer treatment and

prevention are the alkaline trace minerals rubidium and cesium. To

determine if a food is acid or alkaline, it is burned and the ash is

mixed with water. If the solution is acid or alkaline then the food is

called acid or alkaline. Ash is the mineral content of the food.

 

Four Ways to Restore Acid/Alkaline Balance in Your Body

If your saliva is too acid you may wish to increase the alkalinity of

your body. Ways to do this include:

 

1. Eat mostly alkaline foods. The general " rule of thumb " is to eat 20%

acid foods and 80% alkaline foods. Avoid the " strongly acid " foods.

 

Strongly Acid

(avoid)

Mild Acid

20%

Mild Alkaline

80%

Strongly Alkaline

(supplement)

 

meat

 

soft drinks

 

dairy

 

 

 

2. Supplement your diet with alkaline minerals. Salts of the alkaline

minerals cesium, rubidium and potassium have been found by Dr. Brewer to

be particularly effective in fighting cancer.

 

Dr. Gerson (page 246) gave his patients a 10% potassium solution.

 

Potassium tablets are commonly available. Potassium bicarbonate (KHCO3)

can be used as a substitute for sodium bicarbonate (baking soda) when

baking.

 

Many people take calcium and vitamin D daily in order to help prevent

osteoporosis.

 

It is well known that calcium needs vitamin D in order to be absorbed by

the body so most calcium supplements contain vitamin D.

 

What is not generally known is bones are a complex matrix of many

different minerals and if all the required minerals are not present then

strong bones cannot be built. There are at least 18 key bone-building

nutrients essential for optimum bone health. The implication is that it

is easier to destroy bone through excess acidity in the body than it is

to rebuild bone.

 

Furthermore, as farm soils become depleted of many trace minerals the

foods grown on these soils contain less and less of the required

nutrients.

 

At last count, the human body requires 90 different nutrients for

optimum health, and the list is growing year by year. A good nutritional

supplement is no longer optional.

 

If you do not eat dairy products, you can get calcium from cooked greens

(collards especially), molasses, sesame seeds, broccoli, and tofu.

 

Magnesium complements calcium in the same way that potassium complements

sodium. Calcium and magnesium in balance are needed for proper

conduction of electrical impulses in nerves and muscles.

Taken together, calcium and magnesium are mild neuromuscular relaxants

and may help promote sleep at bedtime, especially if muscle tension

contributes to wakefulness. - www.drweil.com

 

http://www.alkalizeforhealth.net/cancerselftreatment.htm#alkalinity

 

 

 

The complete " Whole Body " Health line consists of the " AIM GARDEN TRIO "

Ask About Health Professional Support Series: AIM Barleygreen

 

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