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• Part 3: pH of the Body, Water & the Food We Eat

  Monday, October 24th, 2016

  Acidity Fuels Us. Alkalinity Restores Us.

  [This article is Part 3 of 4 articles in this series entitled  ‘pH of the Body, Water & the Food We Eat’. See Part 1, Part 2 & Part 4.]

  Alkaline pH Does Not Determine Healthy Food or Water.

  Diets of people and cultures around the world vary greatly. Many of these diets have evolved from ancient wisdom based on local climate, crops, game and animal husbandry. The body is designed to adapt to and accommodate the pH of the wide range of foods and beverages humans eat and drink.

  At an individual level, each person has unique peculiarities, energy requirements and rhythmic patterns that determine the metabolic needs of their body at any given time. Alkalizing and acidifying influences are required at different times of the day and in response to a wide range of metabolic needs. For instance, the reason why you may feel sleepy after eating a meal is because eating tends to alkalize the blood because the stomach is demanding acid to make hydrochloric acid for digestion.

  The Body’s Acid/Alkaline Requirements Are Responsive and Changing, Not Fixed.

  The body has complex layers of systems, each with its own acid/alkaline balance. Our tissues consist of cells which contain subcellular systems such as mitochondria. Each level of this metabolic hierarchy requires its own pH balance to function properly.

  Similarly, intracellular fluid (67% of body fluid) maintains a slightly acidic pH, while our blood and extracellular fluid (26% of body fluid) require a slightly alkaline pH. We are not designed to be simply ‘alkaline’.

  Eating alkaline foods can be beneficial or counterproductive depending on the condition and immediate needs of your metabolism and your lifestyle. Acid-forming foods are activating, alkaline-forming foods are reparative.

  A healthy body swings naturally between acid (active) and alkaline (reparative) cycles. We require acids to initiate energy-consuming daytime activities. The alkaline momentum dominates at night to facilitate rest, recovery and healing.

  Acids Are Our Fuel

  Our mind and body are fueled by acids. They are essential for digestion and genetic coding, plus the production of proteins, hormones and energy. No acids, no vigor.

  Some acids that are essential to the body: Amino acids = protein Fatty acids = cell membrane, protein, hormone and energy production Hydrochloric acid = digestion Deoxyribonucleic acid = DNA, your genetic code Ribonucleic acid = RNA, protein production and genetic information

  There are two types of acids generated in the body. A healthy, efficient metabolism is aerobic and produces acid in the form of CO2. Anaerobic energy production produces lactic acid, resulting in an inefficient metabolism.

  Your Metabolism Determines Your Need for Acidity or Alkalinity.

  According to biochemist and nutrition expert, Steve Fowles¹,  how your body responds to an alkalizing diet depends on how your body is utilizing energy. An efficient metabolism typically responds well to an alkalizing diet. A challenged metabolism may be overwhelmed by alkalizing foods.

  If you are a night owl, alkalizing food may help you wind down in the evening but it won’t get your day kick started in the morning when you are having trouble getting out of bed. In fact, quite the opposite. That is when you may need that cup of coffee or food containing healthy fats (acids). On the other hand, early birds may thrive on an alkalizing breakfast because their activating acid ‘momentum’ has already kicked in.

  It is obviously wise to ingest healthy food and water. Eating lots of fresh fruits and vegetables helps prevent disease. However, the needs of the body do not necessarily require or benefit from a fixation on alkaline-forming foods and ‘alkaline’ water. Studies show that it is not acid-forming foods that cause acidosis, cancer or osteoporosis.^{2, 3}
  

  For instance, the Paleo and Bullet Proof diets are popular health regimens based on acid-forming foods such as meat and select dairy products. Studies show that these diets are beneficial to many people and do not contribute to calcium loss and osteoporosis, as was once thought. In fact, research shows that they can augment the utilization of calcium and bone density in the body.^{4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10}
  

  Healthy Acids That Become Alkaline-Forming Foods

  Many healthy foods, such as most fruits and vegetables, are acidic before being digested, yet they contribute alkaline minerals upon digestion.

  Soft drinks, sodas and colas are notoriously bad acids with an extremely low pH (as low as 2.5).
  Yet, lemon juice has an even lower pH (2.0) and is highly beneficial to ingest. It has an alkalizing influence inside the body.

  On the other hand, meat is very alkaline but has an acidifying effect inside the body.
  pH alone does not determine the health benefits of a given food or liquid.

  End of Part Three.

  Part Four, the final segment of this series, is entitled The ‘Myth’ of Alkaline Water.
  It will address the following points:

  • Clarification 16: The pH of Water Does Not Determine How Beneficial It Is to Drink.
  • Clarification 17: ‘Alkaline’ Does Not Mean ‘Alkalizing’.
  • Clarification 18: Your Need for pH Balance, Not Oxygen, Stimulates Your Urge to Breathe

  See Part 1, Part 2 & Part 4 of this series entitled ‘pH of the Body, Water & the Food We Eat’.

  References for Part Three:

  1. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NdScVgeIVls
  2. John J. B. Anderson and Philip J. Klemmer. Risk of High Dietary Calcium for Arterial Calcification in Older Adults. Nutrients. 2013 Oct; 5(10): 3964–3974. Published online 2013 Sep 30. doi:  3390/nu5103964. PMCID: PMC3820054. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3820054/
  3. Jean-Philippe Bonjour. Nutritional disturbance in acid–base balance and osteoporosis: a hypothesis that disregards the essential homeostatic role of the kidney. British Journal of Nutrition, Volume 110, Issue 7. October 2013, pp. 1168-1177
     https://www.cambridge.org/core/journals/british-journal-of-nutrition/article/nutritional-disturbance-in-acidbase-balance-and-osteoporosis-a-hypothesis-that-disregards-the-essential-homeostatic-role-of-the-kidney/3EAD569004A55B4AEAA0DAFC30AB5BE6/core-reader
  4. https://chriskresser.com/how-to-keep-your-bones-healthy-on-a-paleo-diet/
  5. Fenton TR¹, Lyon AW, Eliasziw M, Tough SC, Hanley DA. Meta-analysis of the effect of the acid-ash hypothesis of osteoporosis on calcium balance. J Bone Miner Res. 2009 Nov;24(11):1835-40. doi: 10.1359/jbmr.090515. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/19419322
  6. http://ajcn.nutrition.org/content/75/4/609.full
  7. http://press.endocrine.org/doi/full/10.1210/jc.2004-0179
  8. http://www.westonaprice.org/our-blogs/cmasterjohn/does-meat-really-leach-calcium-from-the-bones/
  9. http://nutritionj.biomedcentral.com/articles/10.1186/1475-2891-10-41
  10. http://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1359/jbmr.090515/abstract;jsessionid=BF6DFFA3FA57EA3B3A8745465E825813.d02t02

  Special thanks to Steve Fowkes for his bio-hacking insights and to Dave Asprey for broadcasting cutting edge info about upping our physical and mental game.

  Disclaimer:

  The information in this article is for information purposes only. It is not intended to diagnose, treat, cure or prevent any disease. It should not be construed as personal medical advice or instruction. No action should be taken based solely on the contents of this article. Readers should consult appropriate health professionals on any matter relating to their health and well-being. The information and opinions provided here are believed to be accurate and sound, based on the best judgment available to the authors, but readers who fail to consult appropriate health authorities assume the risk of any injuries. The publisher is not responsible for errors or omissions.

  Posted in Water and Health

• Part 2: pH of the Body, Water & the Food We Eat

  Friday, October 21st, 2016

  [This is Part Two of a 4-part article series entitled ‘pH of the Body, Water & the Food We Eat’. See Part 1, Part 3 & Part 4.]

  The Body’s Amazing Mechanisms for pH Balance

  There are strongly held and highly charged opinions about the importance of making oneself more ‘alkaline’. The following clarifications will be addressed here in Part Two of this 4-part article series.

  • Clarification 4: Your Lungs, Kidneys and Buffering Agents Maintain Your pH Levels, Not Your Diet
  • Clarification 5: Abnormal pH is a Symptom, Not the Cause, of Disease.
  • Clarification 6: Acid-Forming Foods Do Not Cause Acidosis.
  • Clarification 7: The pH of Urine is Not the pH of the Body.
  • Clarification 8: Candida Thrives in an Alkaline Environment.
  • Clarification 9: Cancer Cells Have a Neutral to Alkaline Internal pH.
  • Clarification 10: Cancer Cells Produce Acidity, Not the Reverse.

  The Rhythm and Precision of pH Balance

  As the day dawns and we wake up to a new day, our body requires acids to fuel our activities and alertness, and to activate immunity from contact with foreign substances and the world beyond our own body.

  As the day ends, our body becomes more alkaline to support its nighttime work of healing, rest and repair.

  This daily alkaline/acid swing is managed by the body while maintaining tightly regulated pH levels for the various body fluids and functions. For instance, the pH of the blood and extracellular fluid must be maintained within a very narrow range (pH 7.35 – 7.45) to prevent acidosis (too much acid) or alkalosis (too alkaline). Either of these conditions can result in the failure of vital functions.

  Your Lungs & Kidneys Maintain pH Balance in the Body

  The body has several powerful mechanisms by which it regulates its requirements for acid-alkaline balance. These mechanisms are:

  1. The lungs ²
  2. The kidneys ³
  3. Buffering agents– especially the bicarbonate buffering system ⁴

  A buffering system is a chemical process that resists changes in pH when acids or bases (alkaline substances) enter or are produced in the body. Buffers work by binding or releasing H+ (hydrogen ions). 1

  Here is how the remarkable coordination between these systems works to maintain critical pH levels within your body.

  CO₂ (carbon dioxide) is a by-product of your metabolic processes, including all the food that you digest. CO₂ dissolves in the blood to form carbonic acid (H₂CO₃) which then becomes bicarbonate (HCO₃–) and the hydrogen ion (H+).

  CO₂ + H₂O ⇆ H₂CO₃ ⇆ HCO₃^– + H⁺

  If your blood becomes too acidic (excess of H+ ions), the body raises the blood pH by increasing respiration so that more CO₂ is exhaled through the lungs. If your blood becomes too alkaline (excess of bicarbonate), respiration will slow down to build up CO₂.

  The kidneys participate in this process by excreting and reabsorbing bicarbonate (HCO₃-). Kidney excretion produces new bicarbonate ions which are supplied to the blood to replace bicarbonate used to buffer acid. Excess acidity or alkalinity accumulated in the kidneys is urinated out of the body.

  This self-sustaining cycle is how the body maintains its pH levels. The body depends upon you keeping it well hydrated in order to carry out these complex processes well.

  Abnormalities in pH are a Symptom, not the Cause, of Disease.

  Abnormalities in the pH of various body fluids are indicative of a disorder with which the body is trying to cope. For instance, research suggests that dangerous changes in blood pH are a symptom of a severe condition, not the cause of the disorder.⁵ Causation and correlation are not the same.

  Acid Foods Do Not Cause Acidosis

  Acidosis is a condition where there is too much acid in the blood and/or extracellular fluid. It is a potentially life-threatening condition that occurs when your kidneys and lungs can’t keep your body’s pH (a measure of acidity) in balance. It is usually the result of serious illness or poisoning. Acidosis is not caused by an acidic diet.⁶ (More about pH and Diet in Part Three of this series of articles.)

  Measuring the Swings in Urine pH: What It Tells You

  Measuring the pH of your urine does not show you the ‘pH of your body’. However, according to biochemistry and nutrition expert, Steven Fowkes, it can provide useful feedback about your metabolism if tracked every time you pee over a period of 2-5 days so that you can see the pattern of your metabolic rhythm. The body generates acids in response to the daily stresses of life, whether environmentally or otherwise induced. A healthy body with a good circadian rhythm will produce urine that swings from pH 5 during the day to pH 7 at night.⁷ This is because the pH of urine indicates any acid or alkaline excess the kidneys have recently accumulated for removal from the body in order to maintain balance. Keep in mind that the averaged pH of urine is slightly acidic (pH 6).⁸

  Candida Thrives in an Alkaline Environment

  All organisms, including pathogens, are dependent on specific pH levels for survival. Some microorganisms thrive in neutral pH environments (neutrophiles), some require alkaline environments (alkaliphiles), and others need highly acidic conditions (acidophiles).⁹

  Candida is an example of a pathogen that thrives by producing an alkaline environment. ¹⁰

  Cancer Cells Have a Neutral to Alkaline Internal pH.

  Highly charged beliefs about the ‘need to become more alkaline’ centre around concerns about cancer.

  The ‘alkalize or die’ theory revolves around the presumption that cancer cells cannot get established or persist in an alkaline environment. Studies indicate that this is not true.¹¹

  It appears that tumour cells maintain a slightly alkaline internal environment.¹² They expel acids (hydrogen ions/protons) which result in an acidic environment around them. Contrary to popular belief, cancer cells produce the acidity, not the reverse.

  End of Part Two.

  Part Three of this series is entitled ‘Acidity Fuels Us. Alkalinity Restores Us.’
  It will be about pH and the food we eat and will include the following clarifications.

  • Clarification 11: Alkaline pH Does Not Determine the Best Food to Eat.
  • Clarification 12: Acid/Alkaline Requirements Are Responsive and Changing, Not Fixed.
  • Clarification 13: Your Metabolism Determines Your Need for Acidity or Alkalinity.
  • Clarification 14: Acid-Forming Foods Do Not Cause Osteoporosis or Loss of Calcium.
  • Clarification 15: Some Acidic Foods Are Alkaline-Forming.

  See Part 1, Part 3 & Part 4 of this 4-part article series entitled ‘pH of the Body, Water & the Food We Eat’.

  References for Part Two:

  1. Rachel Casiday and Regina Frey. Blood, Sweat, and Buffers: pH Regulation During Exercise Acid-Base Equilibria Experiment. http://www.chemistry.wustl.edu/~edudev/LabTutorials/Buffer/Buffer.html
  2. https://www.boundless.com/physiology/textbooks/boundless-anatomy-and-physiology-textbook/body-fluids-and-acid-base-balance-26/acid-base-balance-248/regulation-of-h-by-the-lungs-1218-37/
  3. https://www.boundless.com/physiology/textbooks/boundless-anatomy-and-physiology-textbook/body-fluids-and-acid-base-balance-26/acid-base-balance-248/the-role-of-the-kidneys-in-acid-base-balance-1219-9206/
  4. https://www.boundless.com/physiology/textbooks/boundless-anatomy-and-physiology-textbook/body-fluids-and-acid-base-balance-26/acid-base-balance-248/chemical-buffer-systems-1217-4810/
  5. John A Kellum. Determinants of blood pH in health and disease, Crit Care. 2000; https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC137247/
  6. https://medlineplus.gov/ency/article/001181.htm
  7. http://projectwellbeing.com/ph-the-real-deal/
  8. https://www.rnceus.com/ua/uaph.html
  9. Microbial Growth at Low or High pH. Boundless Microbiology. Boundless, 26 May. 2016. https://www.boundless.com/microbiology/textbooks/boundless-microbiology-textbook/culturing-microorganisms-6/other-environmental-growth-factors-65/microbial-growth-at-low-or-high-ph-392-5693/
  10. Slavena Vylkova, Aaron J. Carman, Heather A. Danhof, John R. Collette, Huaijin Zhou, Michael C. Lorenz. The Fungal Pathogen Candida albicans Autoinduces Hyphal Morphogenesis by Raising Extracellular pH. http://pubmedcentralcanada.ca/pmcc/articles/PMC3101780/
  11. R.Griffiths. Are cancer cells acidic? Biomedical Magnetic Resonance Research Group,
      St George’s Hospital Medical School, Cranmer Terrace, London SW17 ORE, UK. http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC1977628/pdf/brjcancer00073-0015.pdf
  12. ‘it is the extracellular pH (pHe) in tumors which is acidic while the intracellular pH (pHi) is neutral-to-alkaline.’ http://www.u.arizona.edu/~raghunan/Reprints/Raghunand_A12.pdf

  Disclaimer:

  The information in this article is for information purposes only. It is not intended to diagnose, treat, cure or prevent any disease. It should not be construed as personal medical advice or instruction. No action should be taken based solely on the contents of this article. Readers should consult appropriate health professionals on any matter relating to their health and well-being. The information and opinions provided here are believed to be accurate and sound, based on the best judgment available to the authors, but readers who fail to consult appropriate health authorities assume the risk of any injuries. The publisher is not responsible for errors or omissions.

   

  Posted in Water and Health

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