We all know that the
immune system of children is unstable: they react to antigens strongly: they
get fever and all the infection symptoms quickly and they overcome the
infection quickly. But if the antigen comes in big amount and constantly in
organism, the immune system react with proliferation of lymphocytes and
production of antibodies, following chronical diseases and in some cases leukemia.
The number of immature white blood cells also increases, because the immune
system is constantly stimulated by the antigen in food
It is a lot spoken
about pH reaction in organism when it develops some disease and that we need
alkaline reaction of blood to overcome diseases especially malign diseases. In
fact it is proven that vegetables cause more alkaline reaction and meat causes
acidic reaction of blood. Why?
Because acidic
reaction of blood characterizes inflammation and consuming meat and animal
products causes that inflammation. We could consume vegetable acids as much we
want we cannot cause cancer, but animal products can cause it through the
chronical inflammation in the organism, through the destruction of tissues and
the need of proliferation of new tissues which causes the activation of cancer
genes.
Another proof for the
autoimmune theory is the paraneoplastic syndromes. They are caused by
production of autoimmune antibodies. This leads to the conclusion that leukemia
and other malign deceases are caused also by autoimmune reaction of the
organism. Consumption of meat causes the production of antibodies and
proliferation of B-cells thus sometimes leukemia, sometimes human antibodies
destruct tissues by inflammation, these tissues need to be replaced by new tissues
thus causing proliferation of genes which may cause cancer.
Perhaps leukemia and
cancer can be cured with vegan diet?
I would leave the
answer to you, but when you need it do not forget it can be too late.
The next article
shows the connection between acidity an inflammation. It also proves that meat
diets cause higher acidity levels.
Perhaps meat causes
inflammation?
Acidity as a
Cause of Disease
By Benedict Freudenmann
So far we’ve explored infections, toxicity and
deficiencies. These three (along with stress) are the core underlying causes of
biological disease. However when treating disease we must consider what the
effects these causes have and how they result in the cascade of ill health that
once started is so hard to stop. Therefore in the TRULY HEAL methodology to
managing disease we must consider the 2 most immediate down stream influencers
of disease. These are Acidity and Inflammation. I initially planned to write
these into one article however after beginning to write, I realized the
enormity of this task. Therefore we will explore each in more detail over 2
different articles. Remember both of these symptoms of the underlying causes
are causes of further down stream events are common denominators in almost all
disease. So in this article let’s take a closer look at Acidity.
To begin I’ll start with the basics by explaining just
what acidity actually means. pH is the universal measurement of acidity and alkalinity
and the letters pH are an abbreviation for Potential Hydrogen. The higher the
pH reading; the more alkaline, the lower the pH reading; the more acidic. The
pH range is from 0 to 14, with 7.0 being neutral. Anything above 7.0 is
alkaline, anything below 7.0 is considered acidic. Simple right?
Normal cellular metabolism and function require the pH
of your blood to be maintained within narrow limits, 7.35-7.45. Even mild
changes outside this range have dangerous health effects. pH of less than 6.8 or
greater than 7.8 is considered – according to medical and physiology texts –
incompatible with life.
Similarity specific is the pH of gastric acid in the
stomach is 1.5-3.5. An elevation of this pH results in mal-absorption and
thereby nutritional deficiencies.
Research shows that unless the body’s pH level is
correctly modulated, the body cannot regain proper homeostasis and therefore
cannot begin healing processes. Enzymes are the catalysts for all bodily
reactions. These enzymes are specific proteins that function for individualized
purposes. The optimal function of these enzymes relies heavily on the pH.
Toxins, deficiencies,
stress, oxygen deprivation, infections and a poor diet commonly result in a
decrease in the body’s pH. Thereby making the body acidic. This change directly
affects enzymatic function.
Your body has an innate ability to correct the pH. The
kidney is the primary organ that regulates blood pH as it controls the levels
of minerals and urea in the blood. The concentration of mineral buffers such as
phosphate, bicarbonate, magnesium, sulfur and sodium are used to ensure that pH
is maintained. A deficiency in any of these minerals will lead to a
dis-regulation in pH and kidney function. The lungs are the bodies other organ
for regulating acidity. The constant exchange of acidic carbon dioxide for
alkaline oxygen helps maintain proper pH within the blood stream.
Although the body has this fine-tuned ability to
regulate the blood pH, the pH within interstitial fluid (between blood and
cells) can vary, resulting in latent metabolic acidosis. Furthermore if the
body is exposed to acid factors and needs to work hard to maintain homeostasis
within the blood, it often does so at the cost of maintaining interstitial
fluid pH. Therefore the body can be very acidic even though the blood stays
within the important healthy parameters. These bits definitely more complicated
so let me give you an example:
Patients with arthritis in their knee had the pH of
their synovial fluid measured. The study found that people with osteoarthritis
showed statistically significant lower pH values (7.1) than healthy individuals
(7.4-7.9). Secondly the study found that the lowered pH was closely linked with
inflammation and pain. Supplementation of buffering minerals such as potassium
citrate, calcium bicarbonate and magnesium citrate resulted in a reduction in
arthritis symptoms. During this entire time the patients’ blood pH stayed
within normal parameters.
Your body has the potential and ability to heal
itself.
Ensuring your body’s pH is in balance both in your
blood and interstitial fluid is a pinnacle step in achieving this. Any
imbalance In the body’s pH will result in a gross change in metabolic function
and can lead to serious health concerns and/or death.
Some of the common conditions that may be attributed
to Acidity are:
§ Hormone dis-regulation
§ Cardiovascular weakness
§ Weight gain/loss
§ Bladder and kidney dysfunction
§ Immune deficiency
§ Acceleration of free radical damage
§ Structural system
weakness, including brittle bones, hip fractures and joint discomfort
§ Compromised liver function
§ Low energy
§ Slow digestion and elimination
§ Yeast/fungal overgrowth
§ Tumour growth.
In regards to cancer, malignant cells create an acidic
environment around themselves due to anaerobic respiration that inhibits immune
system detection and increases their potential for growth, angiogenesis and
metastasis. Therefore any person that is suffering from cancer is guaranteed to
be suffering from a more acidic milieu. The correction of this acidity will be
an uphill battle as cancer cells are constantly creating more acidity around
themselves. Therefore aiding the natural buffers is a key step to maintaining
pH homeostasis.
Evaluation
of acid- alkalinity status
So we’ve established that your pH equilibrium is
extremely important. To identify if you do have an issue with acidity it is
most important to firstly and simply look at your life and circumstances,
seeing if there are any factors that would encourage an acidic environment.
Remember that the common underlying causes of diseases are also the drivers of
an acid environment (infections, toxicity, deficiencies and stress). If these
are present take a closer look at your symptoms to see if there are any that
may be attributed to pH imbalances. Finally there are some tests that may be
utilized to directly measure the pH of certain areas in the body. I’ve
discussed some of these tests bellow and included the value and validity of
using them.
Urine pH
As we’ve learnt the kidneys are very efficient and the
blood pH rarely ever changes (except for extreme disease conditions). Therefore
the pH of urine changes as the kidney functions to maintain the bloods ph. This
means that the pH of the urine indicates how hard or well the body is working
to maintain the proper pH of the blood. The pH of urine can vary widely because
99% of excreted acid is in bound form. It does however tend to be lower though
in the morning and higher in the evening. Therefore tracking urinary pH is not
a clear indicator of acidosis, however charting it over a period of time can
help you identify your body’s ability to buffer and reaction to acidic
incidences. Although this is not an accurate science and definite parameters
have not been set it is my preferred way of assessing pH disturbances.
Measuring and charting your urinary pH at the same time of the day each day for
over a week will give us an idea of overall acidity or alkalinity. The results
are further amplified if a PRAL diet is followed so we can account for, or
reduce dietary influences. I’ve explained more about PRAL below.
Saliva pH
Saliva pH between 5.6-6.9 is desired for optimal
amylase enzyme function. Unfortunately salivary pH is impacted by such a wide
range of factors such as; food, drink, breathing, oral health, hydration,
toxins, lung health, stomach hypo/hyper-chlorhydria, etc. Therefore this is not
a reliable source to measure metabolic latent acidosis.
Estimation of dietary acid load
An evaluation of the acid/alkalinity of the food we
ingest is achieved by assessing the relative bioavailability of acid or
alkaline food constituents. PRAL-values of foods (potential renal acid load)
can be very helpful to estimate the total dietary acid load.
PRAL is a mathematical formula that looks at the
composition of protein, phosphorous, potassium, magnesium and calcium.
PRAL = 0.49 x protein
(g) + 0.037 x phosphorus (mg) - 0.021 x potassium (mg) -0.026 x magnesium (mg)
- 0.013 x calcium (mg)
Foods with a negative PRAL value exert an alkaline
effect; Food with a positive PRAL value an acidic effect – It is the Sulphur in
the concentrated protein of meat, fish, eggs and hard cheese and phosphorous in
meat and soft drinks that makes these foods so acidic. Foods with a 0.0 PRAL
value have a neutral effect.
There are many PRAL charts or calculators online where
you can assess your diet to determine if it is high in acidic foods. Remember
that unless we are trying re-balance an acidic system the aim of a PRAL diet is
to be natural or only slightly alkaline.
Treating Acidosis:
Please note that the treatment of acidity should only
be considered when the presence of acidifying factors might be influencing your
body. Furthermore indicators of acidity are manifold and the identification of
these should be completed before any treatment is undertaken.
Remove the cause
Naturally, if you have an infection, we must address
the infection otherwise you will always be fighting an uphill battle. Going
back to the basics and assessing the core underlying causes identified by the
TRULY HEAL methodology (infections, deficiencies, toxins, stress) will inevitably
lead to a reduction in acidity. I cannot stress this point enough, without
addressing the root cause we cannot proceed on to a path of true healing.
Therefore seek out the help of a TRULY HEAL practitioner, coach or other health
professional to begin addressing the root causes.
Sodium Bicarbonate
Sodium bicarbonate, also known as baking soda, has an
alkaline pH. It is a natural antacid and is a cheap but very effective way of
raising the pH (more alkaline).
Bicarbonate is our bodies own buffering system and the
kidneys control the release of bicarbonate to maintain the pH of the blood.
However supplementation is another way to increase your bicarbonate level
temporarily.
In some studies Oral NaHCO3 (bicarbonate) selectively
increased the pH of tumors and reduced the formation of spontaneous metastases
of breast cancer in experimental mice. NaHCO3 therapy also reduced the rate of
lymph node involvement and significantly reduced the formation of hepatic
metastases.
Although bicarbonate is an effective way to alkaline
the body, it does so artificially and with a cost. Firstly once you stop
bicarbonate supplementation the body immediately restores the acidic
environment it was previously in. Secondly the oral bicarbonate supplementation
strongly influences your digestive system’s pH. This results in a severe
reduction and stomach acid and enzymatic function needed to break down food.
Therefore bicarbonate supplementation must always be taken as far away from
food as possible and should not be used long term due to the disrupting effects
it has on the digestive system.
Putting aside oral ingestion of bicarbonate, Dr. Simoncini,
an oncologist in Rome, Italy, has pioneered sodium bicarbonate (NaHCO3) therapy
as a means to treat cancer. The theory behind his treatment is that the
formation and spreading of tumors is simply the result of the presence of a
fungus.
The basic concept is the administration of a solution
with a high content of sodium bicarbonate directly into the tumors. If it is
not possible to get the injection directly into the tumor, Dr. Simoncini places
a small catheter directly into the artery that nourishes the tumor and
administers high doses of sodium bicarbonate to the deepest recesses of the
tumor.
Alkaline minerals
Organic bound mineral citrates breakdown to form water
and carbon dioxide. The lungs exhale Co2 and leaving only water behind. Water
has a neutral pH and therefore reduces the body’s acid load. Mineral citrates
provide long lasting pH balance and bicarbonate sparing in the body. The use of
mineral citrates is the preferable long term solution to maintaining healthy pH
and for managing latent acidosis.
§ Potassium citrate
§ Magnesium citrate
§ Sodium citrate
§ Zinc citrate
§ Calcium citrate
Green powders / Chlorophyll
Green powders primarily made from spirulina or
chlorella algae and the juices of various types of grasses: barley, wheat, or
alfalfa help the body to alkalize. Likewise chlorophyll one of the active
constituents in all greens can be taken as a liquid to support alkalization.
Diet
Diet high in alkalizing foods such as vegetables and
fruits. A reduction in all kind of meats and protein as well as flours and
sugar helps the body to alkalize.
When meal planning it is important to combine highly
alkaline foods in a meal with foods that are acidic to create help your body
maintain a balanced pH. A diet that is modeled after Potential Renal Load will
ensure a balanced pH. Please note that when designed a diet with this, the aim
is to reach a PRAL value of zero (or close).
Digestive Enzymes
Supplementation with digestive enzymes helps to
balance the body’s pH and overcome acidosis. The pancreas is responsible for
producing most digestive enzymes and it also produces bicarbonate. If your
pancreas is not functioning properly, the quantities of natural enzymes can be
less than optimal.
Alkaline water
Similarly to bicarbonate, alkaline water can result in
an overall alkalization of the body. This water should be drunk on an empty
stomach so that it does not affect digestive function. Furthermore this therapy
like bicarbonate does not address the root cause. However as there is often a
complex combination of alkalizing minerals in this water it may support the
bodies innate buffering system.
Conclusion
An acidic pH is commonly caused by infections,
deficiencies, toxins and stress. Aggravated by an acidic diet acidity is one of
the most common denominators to almost all diseases. Hopefully through this
article you have learnt the importance of pH regulation, how to assess your
acidity and alkalinity and how to reduce acidity in your body. Regulating pH is
a key factor in any healing process and treatment for it lies mainly in the
hands of your lifestyle choices.
Comments
Post a Comment