Acid - Alkaline Imbalance

by John Fisher, PhD

Acid-alkaline imbalance may be the cause of health problems and an acid-alkaline balanced diet may be the solution to health maintenance. 

Dr. Theodore A. Baroody states in Alkalize or Die (1991): “The countless names of illnesses do not really matter. What does matter is that they all come from the same root cause...too much tissue acid waste in the body!”

Over acidity is very common today among many people.  It can weaken all body systems resulting in an internal environment conducive to disease.  On the other hand, a pH-balanced body allows normal body functions that resist disease. A healthy body has alkaline reserves that neutralize acids.  When these are depleted, they need to be built up. This can be done by eating alkaline foods and taking alkaline producing supplements.

According to Dr. Lee Bryant, a Minnesota naturopath, most people who suffer from unbalanced pH are acidic. Too much acidity forces the body to borrow minerals—including calcium, sodium, potassium and magnesium—from vital organs and bones. Bryant recommends Stem Enhance and putting baking soda in pure water to buffer (neutralize) the acid and safely remove it from the body.

Sponsored links:

http://www.stemenhanceinfo.info - A capsule that increases alkalinity while revitalizing cells.

http://www.urilife.com/livingbetter - Fruit and vegetable drink mix including antioxidants, active enzymes and probiotics.

http://www.melanoni.com – A balanced diet program that includes noni juice and recommends a monthly cleanse. 

Mild acidosis can cause such problems as:

• Cardiovascular damage, including the constriction of blood vessels and the reduction of oxygen.
• Weight gain, obesity and diabetes.
• Bladder and kidney conditions, including kidney stones.
• Immune deficiency.
• Acceleration of free radical damage, which may contribute to cancer.
• Hormone concerns.
• Premature aging.
• Osteoporosis; weak, brittle bones, hip fractures and bone spurs (American Journal of Clinical Nutrition).
• Joint pain, aching muscles and lactic acid buildup.
• Low energy and chronic fatigue.
• Slow digestion and elimination.
• Yeast/fungal overgrowth.

Maintaining body balance

The body assimilates minerals and nutrients properly only when its pH is balanced.  If you are not getting results from your nutritional or herbal program, you may have an acid alkaline imbalance. Even the right herbal program may not work if your body's pH is out of balance.

Acidity is the most common imbalance, which is because we eat too much acid-producing animal products like meat, eggs and dairy, and far too low in alkaline-producing foods like fresh vegetables. Additionally, we eat acid-producing processed foods like white flour and sugar and drink acid-producing beverages like coffee and soft drinks. We use too many drugs, which are acid-forming; and we use artificial chemical sweetners like Aspartame.

One of the best things we can do to correct an overly-acid body is to change the diet and lifestyle. Dr. Bryantrecommended choosing more foods that are alkaline-forming and less that are acid-forming. He said a healthy diet should consist of 80% alkaline-forming foods and 20% acid-forming foods.  (His comments are supported by research by Dr. Russell Jaffe who produced a chart showing acidic and alkaline foods. Click here to download the chart.)

If your urine and/or saliva test below 6.5 pH then you may need to change your eating to reduce acidity. A regular cleanse may help to maintain pH balance. You can monitor your progress with pH test strips.

Alkalinity is relatively rare, but if your urine and/or saliva indicates you have a high pH, you might change your diet to add more fats. 

Put simply, Dr. Bryant said “unless your body is in balance you’re sick.”  Although he tried a number of things, he said he could never get his body over 5.8 pH.  Then he found Stem Enhance. 

“As I started taking stem enhance, I started to see my pH balance improve,” Bryant said.  His pH now is about 7.3 to 7.4. 

Stem Enhance, he said, is a good neutralizer. In a test in using neutral water he found Stem Enhance has a pH of about 11.

With Stem Enhance, he eats alkaline foods like asparagus, and other green and white vegetables.   He drinks more than he eats, about five to six 8 oz glasses of alkaline water.

He has had to purify his water and add baking soda.  He lives less than a half mile from an old land fill in a swamp.  The water was filled with all kinds of toxic chemicals.  He used reverse osmosis to neutralize the water and then added two tablespoons of baking soda per gallon to increase the alkalinity to 7.4.

Bryant uses test strips to check his pH balance.  Although you can test saliva, urine is a truer check for pH, he says.  “If your urinary pH fluctuates between 6.0 to 6.5 in the morning and between 6.5 and 7.0 in the evening, your body is functioning within a healthy range.”

On the other hand, he says, “If your saliva stays between 6.5 and 7.5 all day, your body is functioning within a healthy range.”

The best time to test your pH is about one hour before a meal and two hours after a meal. Some people recommend you test your pH two days a week.

Bryant said cancer can’t survive in an alkaline environment.  He pays 43 cents a month for a pound of baking soda and $100 for stem enhance.  “I think that is good cancer insurance.”

Recommended Reading:

Theodore A. Baroody.  (1991). Alkalize or Die. Holographic Health Press.

Key word search

       1. Acidosis

       2. Alkalosis

       3. Autotoxication

       4. Osteoporosis

       5. pH

 pH testing is not a diagnostic test, but a useful tool in evaluating overall health. Information and statements regarding dietary supplements have not been evaluated by the Food and Drug Administration and are not intended to diagnose, treat, cure, or prevent any disease.