"Spiritual fasting is a mystical sacrifice of body and mind that opens the heart to G.o.d."
-Gabriel Cousens, M.D.
Preview of Chapter 11.
THIS INFORMATION ABOUT ACID-BASE BALANCE is relatively new for the general health-conscious public. A proper acid-base balance of the system is intimately and critically related to good health. Although for some this may seem like complicated material, I have tried to compensate by ill.u.s.trating the difficult and important concepts with pictures that capture the main points. In this chapter you will get a practical education on acid-base theory the role of alkaline and acid food balancing, alkaline and acid foods and supplements, symptoms of excess acid and alkalinity, and how to correct these imbalances. If you are not scientifically inclined, then go to the end of the chapter where a simple home approach for measuring and correcting your acid-base balance is offered. Spending time on this chapter so that you do understand is another way of taking responsibility for your health and learning to individualize your diet. Are you ready to a.s.sume this part of the responsibility?
I. Importance of acid-base balance for health II. Acid-base research findings A. Vegetarians are not always alkaline B. Meat-eaters are not always acid III. Acid- and alkaline-forming foods and supplements IV. Symptoms of excess acidity or alkalinity V. What is a healthy body pH?
VI. How to measure your own pH.
VII. How to balance acid or alkaline conditions.
VIII. Summary of three easy steps for achieving acid/alkaline balance.
Acid-Base Balance, A Basic Key to Health.
THE ACID-BASE BALANCE OF THE BODY is critical to good health. One cannot seriously think about individualizing a diet without considering how the diet affects one"s acid-base balance. The key understanding about all acid-base approaches is to remember what I pointed out in Chapter 3, "A Revolutionary Breakthrough in Personalizing Your Diet"- the way our body responds to a protein or fruit or vegetable depends on our dominant const.i.tutional type. If our dominant type is the oxidative system, then fruit and vegetables will move our body toward the acid side, and proteins will make us more alkaline. If we are autonomic nervous system (ANS)-dominant, then protein will make us become more acid, and fruits and vegetables will shift us toward the alkaline. As you read this chapter keep this understanding in mind. The principles in this chapter more appropriately apply to ANS-dominant people than oxidative-dominant people. We are constantly generating acid waste products of metabolism that must be neutralized or excreted in some way if life is to be possible. Humans, therefore, need a continual supply of alkaline food to neutralize this ongoing acid generation. Our very life and health depend on the body"s physiological power to maintain the stability of blood pH at approximately 7.4. This process is called homeostasis.
The term pH means the "potential" of "Hydrogen." It is the amount of hydrogen ions in a particular solution. When there are many hydrogen ions, the pH indicates an acid solution. When the amount of hydrogen ions is small, the pH will indicate an alkaline solution. The pH is measured on a scale from 0.00 to 14.00. Anything above 7.0 is defined as alkaline and anything below 7.0 is considered an acid pH. A pH of 7.0 is defined as neutral. The pH of pure water is 7.0.
The normal pH for all the tissues and fluids in the body, except the stomach, is alkaline. The following diagram shows the approximate pHs in the digestive system. In addition, the digestive secretions from the liver and liver bile range between 7.1 and 8.5. Bile from the gallbladder ranges from 5.0 to 7.7. If any of these pH systems are not at the optimal pH range, the digestive and metabolic enzymes in those areas and organs will function sub-optimally and we will suffer from decreased health. With the exception of the blood, all of these systems have a wide range of pH, in part so they can shift pH to maintain a balance of the blood pH, which must be kept between the narrow range of 7.35 and 7.45.
Because the healthy pH of the blood exists in such a narrow range, the body gives a very high priority to maintaining the homeostasis of the blood pH at 7.4. Although all these tissues and fluids have their optimal enzymatic functioning in the alkaline part of their range, they will shift to less optimal acid range if they need to release alkaline minerals to keep the blood from becoming too acidic. For example, if the system becomes too acidic, the blood will take alkaline-forming elements from the digestive enzyme systems of the small intestine. What may happen then is that the pancreatic and liver digestive enzymes-which are designed to function maximally at the proper alkaline pH of the small intestine-do not have an alkaline pH environment in the small intestine where they are secreted that is strong enough for them to function properly and our digestion suffers. A balanced blood pH, therefore, is intimately and critically related to good digestion.
The second priority of the delicate homeostasis system is to maintain the digestion so that nutrients will be a.s.similated and transported to various parts of the body to maintain the proper acid-base balance of the blood and body in general. Proper digestion supplies the essential electrolyte and other nutrients needed for optimal balance in the fluid surrounding the cells. This important fluid is called the extracellular fluid (ECF). If there are digestive imbalances, there will usually be electrolyte imbalances, particularly of sodium, pota.s.sium, magnesium, and calcium ions. These electrolyte imbalances affect the fluid transport system, which can be likened to ECF "inner oceans" that carry nutrients and wastes in and out of the body Electrolytes and other nutrients are necessary to carry on cellular oxidation and other metabolic functions critical for the life of the cell. The ECF is able to absorb acid and other waste products from the cells. Poetically speaking, this inner ocean of the ECF reflects the outer ocean which once surrounded the single-cell organisms that first lived in the Earth"s oceans. Once organisms became multicellular and more complex, they had to develop an inner ocean to continue to cleanse and supply oxygen and other nutrients to the cells no longer in direct contact with the outer ocean.
The total fluid in our bodies is approximately 70% of our body weight, about the same percentage of water to land as planet Earth. The fluid within the cells of our body accounts for 55% of our body weight. The ECF accounts for approximately 15% of the body weight. Five percent of the ECF is blood and 10% is the fluid in the tissues that bathes the cells.
If the fluid transport system or ECF has unbalanced concentrations of minerals, insufficient nutrients, or insufficient oxygen, then the cells cannot function appropriately and they begin to die. A basic teaching of modern physiology is that for the cells of the body to function properly and to thrive, there is an important requirement: the extracellular fluid that bathes the cells must have its composition controlled exactly throughout the day so that no single important element of the ECF varies by more than a few percentage points. Maintaining correct acid-base homeostasis in the blood and the extracellular fluid is another key to health.
A healthy ECF is supported by properly functioning eliminative organs, such as the kidneys, liver, large intestine, and skin. These organs not only eliminate waste products and toxins, but are a main way the body eliminates excess acid or alkaline elements in its quest to maintain the blood pH and ECF pH in their normal ranges. By studying what is eliminated in the urine, one can see a reflection of the body"s electrolyte and acid-base buffering mechanisms. For example, if the system is too acid, the kidney will eliminate acid through the urine in an effort to make the blood more alkaline. In this case, the urine pH is acid. The urine is a preventative health indicator. Its pH may vary from 4.8 to 8.4 on a day-to-day basis. The urine pH values guide us in the direction we need to go to maintain health. Significant blood pH changes are usually an indication of disease.
Importance of Diet for Balancing Acid-Base.
THERE is A LIMITATION TO HOW MUCH THE BODY can compensate for acid-base imbalances if we do not change our diet to balance the acid and alkaline components coming into the system through our food. Therefore, food intake plays a critical role in acid-base balance of the body. If the body is not able to adequately compensate for an unbalanced diet, the body"s internal environment becomes sub-optimal and eventually reaches a condition in which the cells cannot live. Many diseases are the result of the body"s attempt to rebalance this internal environment. Some people think that cancer is a condition that is accelerated by an acid condition of the body fluids. Cancer cells are able to live better than normal cells in an acid and low-oxygen ECF.
There is a variety of causes of acid-base imbalances, but the diet is the major factor in either balancing or unbalancing the pH. Generally, if our dietary intake includes too many acid-forming foods, such as high amounts of flesh foods, grains, pasteurized dairy, most beans, lots of fats, white sugars, and excess proteins in general, we will become acidic if we are ANS-dominant. If we eat too many alkaline foods, such as mostly fruits, vegetables, sea vegetables, and miso, we may become alkaline if we are ANS-dominant. Researchers around the world have suggested that the optimal ratio of alkaline-acid intake of foods is approximately 80% alkaline-producing foods and 20% acid-forming foods. This generalization is misleading in view of the variations of const.i.tutions and my research detailed below, which indicates that each individual must find his or her own proper balance of acid and alkaline intake of food. In other words, there is no single ratio of acid to alkaline foods which applies to everyone. This is further complicated by the awareness that what is an alkaline food for one person is an acid food for another.
I used to have the impression that all animal-product eaters were acid, and vegetarians-especially raw-food vegetarians-were alkaline. However, preliminary research I have conducted on one hundred and seventy-two new clients did not support this generalization. It more accurately supports the theory of const.i.tutional dominance, which I explained in Chapter 3. It is not the food which determines if it makes us acid or alkaline. It is how the body responds to the food. Much to my surprise, I found that 28.5% of the vegetarians had acid urines, and 17% of the flesh-food eaters had alkaline urines. Closer to my hypothesis was the finding that 46% of the flesh-food eaters had acid urines, and 28.5% of the vegetarians had alkaline urines. A higher percentage of vegetarians than flesh-food eaters had what is conventionally considered a balanced urine pH between 6.3 and 6.9.
The system of urine pH that I use is the 24-hour urine collection. I use this as the standard for this research and as my reference for discussion of urine pH values in general. This approach has two advantages. The first is that random urine pHs taken through the day are quite variable since the body pH usually cycles over 24 hours. The 24-hour urine gives the total amount of acid or alkaline elements that are eliminated in 24 hours, so it gives an average. The second advantage is that everyone can do this test on their own urine. The results of the measurement of the pH of these patients" 24-hour urine samples before beginning any treatment are shown on the chart on the facing page. Alkaline was considered 7.0 or above. Acid was considered 6.2 or below. The flesh-food eaters with a pH between 6.3 and 6.9 were often those people who ate meat just one or two times per week rather than daily. It seemed that the pH status of those who ate flesh foods less than one time a week resembled vegetarians more than flesh-food eaters. My impression is that daily flesh-food eaters generally have a higher percentage of acidity than the occasional flesh-food eaters. Due to the way my data were collected, I was not able to sort the actual difference in pH between occasional flesh food eaten and daily ingestion of flesh food.
These results suggest, regardless of the diet, that there are other variables operating. One possible explanation is that some people have a const.i.tutional tendency to be either acid or alkaline in their metabolism regardless of their diet, as I have pointed out in an earlier chapter. Rudolf Wiley, Ph.D., in his book BioBalance, has doc.u.mented the same thing. Wiley"s research also suggests, as does my preliminary work, that acid or alkaline levels of a person may vary with the cycle of the day. In women, Wiley reports that acid-alkaline cycles may vary either way during the premenstrual, preovulatory, and menses cycles. Much research needs to be done in this area. This means that females especially need to check their pH values during these three times to understand how to vary their diets to balance their rhythmic pH changes. The idea of a genetic predisposition to become either acid or alkaline is also supported in the Ayurvedic system, which has three physiological body types. The pitta type particularly tends to go into acid imbalance.
I suspect that some of the meat cravings that occasionally are observed when a person makes a transition to a vegetarian diet are a result of the person having an alkaline const.i.tutional tendency, is ANS dominant, and the vegetarian diet accentuating this tendency. The craving for flesh food is the organism"s effort to bring the system into balance by acidifying the body. The flesh food supplies the strong acids that bring the pH back to the familiar zone.
The critical point for those committed to a vegetarian diet for health, social, moral, economic, ecological, political, and spiritual reasons is that it is simple to acidify the system with vegetarian foods, apple cider vinegar, or with the specific use of live plant digestive enzymes. One does not have to resort to extreme measures like eating flesh foods to balance out the body. It is possible on a vegetarian diet to bring the body into the proper acid-alkaline balance no matter what one"s const.i.tutional acid-base tendency is.
The other major explanation for my results is one cannot a.s.sume that complete digestion simply occurs automatically. For example, if a vegetarian has an acid pH on a diet of alkalinizing foods, it suggests that the person"s body is not properly breaking down the complex carbohydrates, so that alkalinizing minerals are not able to be released into the system. If the digestion of the person were normal, these alkaline minerals would be making the system alkaline. An ANS-dominant vegetarian who has poor protein digestion would tend to be more alkaline than another vegetarian who has good protein digestion and who is eating the exact same diet. This is because effective digestion of protein acidifies the system.
The mental state of the person also plays an important role in the pH observed in the urine. I"ve noticed vegetarians whose diet would normally make them alkaline, but because of their negative thinking their urine is acid.
All of the above explanations help us understand why we cannot automatically a.s.sume that all vegetarians will be alkaline and all flesh-food eaters will be acidic. One"s const.i.tutional tendency to be more acid or alkaline can be balanced by paying attention to one"s mental state and ability to digest protein or complex carbohydrates. This, of course, cuts through the argument that there are some people who "just need to eat meat." More correctly, they just need to have the right plant enzymes, or take apple cider to stimulate protein digestion and to directly decrease the alkalinity to help them reestablish proper digestion and release of acids from their adequate protein sources originating from a vegetarian diet.
Acid Production is Normal.
OUR NORMAL BODY METABOLISM is always producing acids. In the animal kingdom, alkaline is changed to acid and almost all of our waste products are acid. In the plant kingdom, acid is changed to alkaline in that primarily acid soil conditions produce primarily alkaline plants, some of which humans use as food. This symbiotic relationship completes one of nature"s most exquisite natural cycles.
The human organism produces lactic acid and carbon dioxide whenever one exercises. In the extracellular fluid, the carbon dioxide released as a waste product from the cells is converted to carbonic acid. The sulphur and the phosphorus in our acid and protein foods are converted by oxidation to sulfuric acid and phosphoric acid. The complete digestion of protein foods makes hydrogen ions available to the system, which makes the body more acidic. The metabolic breakdown of proteins also produces uric acid, which further acidifies the system. Urea is another protein by-product. It increases the fluid excretion of the kidneys in a way that causes the loss of much-needed, alkaline-forming minerals.
Fats as a general cla.s.s are slightly acid-forming or neutral because fat slows digestion, which makes for more putrefaction and hence more of an acidifying effect. Fat metabolism also produces acetic acid. The incomplete breakdown of fat produces ketones, which also make the body acidic. Diabetic acidosis is an example of a severe form of this type of acidic condition.
Simple carbohydrates, such as white sugar, are slightly acid-forming for those with oxidative dominance because they enter the system too quickly and metabolize too rapidly. This includes both monosaccharides (glucose) and disaccharides such as sucrose (cane sugar), lactose, and maltose. The result of this is the production of lactic, butyric, pyroracemic, and acetic acids. Due to their processing, these refined, simple carbohydrates are devoid of alkaline minerals. This further increases the acidity because the body must use up its alkaline minerals to buffer the slight acidity of the organic acids produced by the fast-burning, simple sugars. The complex carbohydrates, such as the grains, metabolize more slowly and evenly and do not produce these organic acids. Complex carbohydrates with more alkaline minerals than acid minerals create an alkalinizing effect in the ANS-dominant person. Millet and buckwheat are examples of slightly alkalinizing grains for ANS-dominant people.
Definition and Discussion of Acid-and Alkaline-Forming Foods.
IT IS IMPORTANT TO UNDERSTAND that one cannot tell which foods are acid or alkaline by the taste. There are several factors that determine whether a specific food renders the body more alkaline or acid. For example, a ripe organic lemon, which is a food that contains high concentrations of organic acids, tastes acidic, and is cla.s.sified as an acidic fruit, is actually an alkaline-forming food. This is because its high concentration of alkaline minerals has an overall effect of increasing the alkaline reserve of the body, thereby making the body more alkaline. The lemon"s mild organic acids act as cleansing agents in the stomach. In the process of digestion these acids are oxidized into carbon dioxide and water, and therefore do not create an acid condition in the system.
Calcium, magnesium, sodium, pota.s.sium, and iron are the main alkalinizing minerals. Foods that have high concentrations of these minerals are considered alkaline-forming foods in ANS-dominant people. Foods that are high in sulphur, phosphorus, iodine, and chlorine are acid-forming foods for ANS-dominant people. Most natural foods have both acid- and alkaline-forming minerals in them. If the acid-forming minerals are greater in concentration, then the food is considered acid-forming and vice versa. One major way to determine the degree of the acid- or alkaline-forming power of a food is through chemical a.n.a.lysis in a medical laboratory. To determine the acid- or alkaline-forming potential of a food, it is first burned to its mineral ash and then dissolved in neutral pH water. The pH of this water is then tested to see if it is alkaline or acid. Because we can measure the exact alkalinity or acidity of a solution, we are able to rate just how acid-forming or alkaline-forming a particular food is (see the following chart). Using the above system, scientists have made tables of acid- and alkaline-forming foods.
It is important to be aware that these charts apply primarily to auto-nomic-dominant people since it is how our bodies respond to the food that makes it alkalinizing or acidifying, yet these principles can help us even if they work in reverse for the oxidative-dominant people.
The following acid-alkaline chart was compiled by me and Dr. Harold Krystal, an experienced clinician in this specific area. It applies directly to ANS-dominant people and in reverse to oxidative-dominant individuals. It was developed from a wide variety of sources, including our clinical experience of how food actually affects people. Flesh foods are acid-forming for the autonomic-dominant people. Most grains are acid-forming, except millet and buckwheat. Most dairy products are acid-forming, especially if they are pasteurized and soured such as yogurt. Raw goat, human, and cow milk are slightly alkaline-forming. Hard cheeses are acidic. b.u.t.ter is neutral to acidic. Most oils are slightly acid-forming or neutral. Most nuts, beans, peas, simple sugars, and vegetarian proteins are acidic to some extent. Soybeans are slightly alkaline, as is tofu. String, lima, and azuki beans are also slightly alkaline-forming. Almonds, Brazil nuts, and sesame seeds are slightly alkaline. Peanuts are strongly acid-forming.
There is considerable confusion about the acidity or alkalinity of fruits. Almost all vegetables and fruits that are ripe are alkaline-forming. Fruits and vegetables grown in inorganic, commercially prepared soils are less alkaline-forming because they are grown in mineral-depleted soils. Prunes, plums, and cranberries have benzoic and other acids which make them acid-forming.
Most fruits which are not ripe are acid-forming. One can even test these ripe or unripe fruits or vegetables with a special type of pH meter and see a difference between the two stages of the same fruit. For example, in a freshly ripened banana with a moderate amount of black spots, the pH was 64. On an almost ripe banana with few black spots, the pH was as acid as 5.7. The acidity of cranberries is due largely to the fact that they are typically harvested and prepared in an unripe, sour state. Cranberries that are left to ripen are sweeter and alkaline-producing.
Generally, one can say that fruits and vegetables and certain herbs will be the most alkalinizing of all food substances. Proteins, especially flesh foods, are the most acidifying. Fats, which are slightly acidifying, increase their acidifying effect because they clog the arteries and decrease circulation so that cells do not get enough oxygen. Decreased oxygen to the cells causes increased cell toxicity and death. Dead and dying cells further acidify the system.
Generally speaking, the yin acid and yang acid foods create the most acidity. These, unfortunately, reflect the high-protein flesh food, high-fat, high-sugar, low-complex-carbohydrate, all-American diet. Fortunately, the various Congressional reports, such as the McGovern Committee on Diet and Health, brought some awareness regarding the hazards of such a diet. The general tendency in Western cultures is to eat an acidic-producing diet for ANS dominants. This is perhaps becoming true of the affluent cla.s.ses of other cultures who want to mimic the United States by adopting a high flesh-food diet as a sign of prestige and wealth.
Other foods that have some acidifying effect are the yin acid foods such as white sugar, white flour, synthetic vitamins, saccharin, chemical additives, colorings, preservatives, refined and heavily processed foods, prescription and psychedelic drugs, soft drinks, and other synthetic drugs. These products are acid-forming because they either never contained alkaline-forming minerals or the minerals were leached out during chemical processing and refining. Compounding the acidity is the fact that most of these foods have a slight acidifying effect of their own. The net result is that the alkaline mineral reserves of the body are used up in the remineralizing of these refined foods and chemicals for a.s.similation. This depletes the body stores of alkaline-forming minerals and thus creates a shift toward acidity in the body.
In order for the body to excrete metabolic acids, such as sulfuric or phosphoric acid, from the system without hurting the kidneys or the bowels, it neutralizes them with the alkaline-forming mineral salts such as calcium, magnesium, sodium, and pota.s.sium. When these alkaline reserves are diminished or used up in the system, the body shifts toward becoming more acidic. The body then begins to draw the calcium, magnesium, sodium, and pota.s.sium from the nerve cells to help buffer the blood. The result is that the nervous system begins to malfunction. Mental clarity diminishes. The mind slows and eventually coma occurs below an acid blood pH of 6.95. A slow mind and decreased mental clarity are typical of those whose diet is too acidic. This is why it is important to maintain high alkaline mineral salt reserves to neutralize emergency situations in which the body becomes acidic. This is done by eating a diet high in fruits and vegetables.
In my clinical observations on myself and my clients with closely monitored urine pHs, the sprouting of nuts, seeds, beans, and grains turns them closer to a neutral or alkaline pH. Most sprouted seeds and grains eventually become alkaline because they turn into vegetables, which are alkaline. There still is not sufficient data on the effects of sprouting on seeds and nuts to make a definitive statement.
Effects of Supplements and Medicines on Acid-Base Balance.
ANOTHER COMMON CAUSE OF ACID-BASE IMBALANCES is the supplements or medicines people take. The same principle applies here: Whether a supplement or medicine is acidifying or alkalinizing depends on a person"s const.i.tution. Less research has been done in this area in terms of how the different const.i.tutions respond to medicines. Most synthetic vitamins are acidifying. One of the most acidifying of all is as...o...b..c acid. Its very name reveals that it is acid by nature. People who are acid and taking as...o...b..c acid (the synthetic form of vitamin C separated from its natural components) should consider switching to another, more balanced form of vitamin C if their urine pH is less than 6.3. This is because this form of vitamin C will tend to make them even more acidic. Vitamin C in the form of calcium or sodium as...o...b..tes, or in the form of buffered C on the market, are all alkalinizing. Vitamin A, whether synthetic or not, is also acidifying. This does not seem to be true for beta-carotene. If someone needs to become more acid, one could use as...o...b..c acid C and vitamin A in moderation to achieve this effect. Vitamin K is alkalinizing and helps to keep calcium, one of the main alkalinizing minerals, in its ionizable form in the blood serum. The ionizable form of calcium is the utilizable form in the blood. The intelligent use of supplements requires a thorough understanding of their effects on the acid-base balance of the organism. The point again is one of awareness. My clinical impression is that the principles I have shared in this paragraph apply directly to ANS-dominant people and less clearly to oxidative dominants.
Symptoms of Excess Acidity.
MOST AUTHORITIES AGREE that an overacid body is a precondition for the onset of either acute or chronic disease. The world-famous nutritionist Paavo Airola believes that acidosis is one of the basic causes of all disease. An acidic system is fertile ground for disease for several reasons. The more acidic a system becomes, the less the alkaline biochemic buffers are able to maintain the blood"s healthy pH of 7.4. One way the system compensates in order to preserve the blood pH is to deposit excess acid substances in the tissues and joints. This is one reason Airola believes that an acid body greatly contributes to the development of arthritis.
As the cytoplasm (protoplasm of a cell surrounding the nucleus of the cell) becomes more acidic due to an acid ECF and acidic blood, there is a decrease in the bioelectric potential that exists between the naturally acidic cell nucleus and the alkaline cytoplasm surrounding it. These two poles serve essentially as a cell battery that maintains the bioelectric potential needed to drive cell function and life force. The degree of bioelectric vitality is a measure of cell vitality. The less bioelectric potential, the less vitality and function. When there is no bioelectric potential left in a cell, cell death occurs. The more acidic we get, the less bioelectric potential there is in the cells and the less life force there is. It is interesting that raw foods seem to be exceptional in their ability to restore the bioelectrical potential to the cells.
There are several contributing factors that make us acidic aside from flesh foods and/or grains, simple sugars, fats, and highly processed and refined foods.
The major consequence of systemic acidosis is a depression of the central nervous system. An acidic person often experiences dulled mentality, slower thinking processes, headaches, and depression. Fatigue and muscle stiffness are other major symptoms. Pain in the lower back and generalized muscle stiffness are secondary to a low calcium state. Calcium and other alkalinizing minerals are used up in buffering the acidity. The more acidic a person becomes, the more irritable he or she becomes as the calcium, magnesium, pota.s.sium, and sodium are lost from the muscle and nerve cells. Tension in neck and shoulders, arthritis, and osteoporosis are also typical problems. Muscle spasm and twitching can occur from the low calcium. There is a general sense of fatigue and weakness from a toxemia that develops because the kidneys are working so hard to excrete the acids that they do not function as well in eliminating other types of systemic toxins that continue to build up in the course of everyday life.
Stomach aches, nausea, vomiting, and chest pain are also common in overly acidic people. Such people may have an irritation in the gastric linings of the small and large intestines. Gastritis and ulcers occur more frequently. Even the urethral lining may begin to burn from too much acid irritation. Because of the irritation of the mucous linings, food moves through the digestive system too quickly for the body to fully absorb and a.s.similate the necessary nutrients. This rapid and incomplete digestion may leave undigested food coating the intestines, which has the effect of impairing a.s.similation. Minerals are often leached out because of the increased gastric motility Constipation is another symptom that sometimes occurs. Fat, protein, and carbohydrate digestion are often compromised because the body is not able to maintain the level of alkalinity needed for the pancreatic enzymes to function properly in the small intestine. As mentioned earlier, some researchers think that cancer growth is stimulated by an acid system, since cancer cells, and not normal cells, are able to thrive in an acidic, anoxic ECF.
If the urine pH of a 24-hour urine collection drops below 6.3, the body can be said to be abnormally acidic. It is at this point that the acidity begins to negatively affect the function of the body"s enzyme systems.
Symptoms of Excess Alkalinity.
THE MAJOR SYMPTOMS OF ALKALOSIS IN VEGETARIANS that I have observed directly is an overexcitability of the nervous system. Usually the peripheral nerves and muscles are affected first. An initial sign of this is muscle twitching, especially in the face or forearm. There is an increased general tendency for muscle spasm and cramps. Although I have never seen it happen, this supposedly can progress to a full-scale spasm of all the muscles, which is called tetany Some osteopaths and chiropractors report that muscle and joint adjustments do not hold when the body is too alkaline. Central nervous system dysfunction may also manifest as extreme nervousness. Another tendency of excess alkalinity is to become "s.p.a.cey," with its accompanying decrease in one"s ability to concentrate. One can also become slightly euphoric with a high alkaline pH. Many people enjoy this effect, but for some it may be threatening. In people susceptible to epilepsy, simply overbreathing or hyperventilating can increase their alkalinity and predispose them to convulsions.
One reason for this increased nerve sensitivity is that there is a decrease in ionized calcium. The acid-forming, hydrogen-positive ions from the protein are used to try to buffer the alkaline system. The positive ions of the calcium then are drawn out of their ionic state in the ECF and become protein-bound. In this protein-bound state, calcium is much less available to the nerve and muscle cells. This tendency toward hypersensitivity and a euphoric s.p.a.ciness are the two symptoms I have seen in vegetarians who become too alkaline. In my clinical experience, these symptoms may happen more often at urine pHs of 7.5 or higher. Fortunately, these symptoms and the excess alkalinity are relatively easy to correct with intelligent dietary changes that take into account acid/alkaline factors.
Slowed intestinal peristalsis and constipation are other symptoms that have been reported. This may occur in both types of alkalinity, but I do not see it commonly in vegetarians who have a urine pH of 7.2 or less. Because of the increased alkalinity, acid is taken away from the stomach"s secretions in an attempt to buffer the alkaline blood. This results in a consequent decrease in protein digestion in the stomach because there isn"t enough hydrochloric acid (HCl) available for this purpose. If the pH of the urine goes above 8.0, it is possible to have more acute indigestion and an inflamed descending colon because of the incomplete protein digestion and clogging of the colon. (Such symptoms may also occur when the system is too acid and when there is ammonia in the urine.) With a high alkalinity there may also be a decreased a.s.similation of protein. This contributes to problems with hypoglycemia because, normally when there is adequate digestion of protein, 56% of all digested protein is slowly metabolized to glucose in a way that helps balance the blood sugar. Decreased protein a.s.similation has also been a.s.sociated with bleeding gums and pyorrhea.
A lack of hydrochloric acid may also compromise part of the immune system because there is not enough HCl in the stomach to digest parasites and bacteria. As in acid conditions, there is an increase in colds and flus with excessive alkalinity. My very consistent clinical observation is that people on a high percentage of raw food in their diets become strongly resistant to colds and flus if their urine pH stays equal to, or less than, 7.2.
What is a Healthy 24-Hour Urine pH?
IT SEEMS POSSIBLE THAT VEGANS AND RAW-FOOD VEGETARIANS whose diets tend to make them more alkaline may undergo a slight physiological shift in what const.i.tutes normal pH values as compared with a mixed sample of flesh-food eaters. I believe, based on preliminary research on clients, that vegans and raw fooders may undergo a physiological shift of .1 to .2 urine pH points toward more alkalinity and still have normal physiological functioning and good health. This hypothesis is suggested because those who have stabilized on a primarily raw-food, vegetarian diet are usually in excellent health, without any symptoms of excess alkalinity even though their urine pH may be 7.2. This is a hypothesis based on my own self-observation and clinical monitoring of some of my clients who fit into this category of nondairy vegetarian and raw-fooders. My general observation is that many 80-95% raw-food vegetarians feel, and are, healthy at a pH of 7.2.
Dr. Morter, another researcher in this field and author of Correlative Urinalysis and Your Health, Your Choice, in a personal communication with me stated that the average urine pH range compatible with optimal health is approximately between 6.8 and 7.2. He has even seen people be quite healthy at pHs of 7.8. He does not feel it is possible for people to have too much alkaline reserve. This is because the body is always producing acid, which balances the excess alkaline reserve built up from a vegetarian diet. The body, on the other hand, does not produce alkalinity. Alkaline mineral reserve comes from a dietary intake of alkaline foods. Dr. Loomis, who has much clinical experience in this area, in a personal communication supported the idea that between 6.3 and 6.8 for non-vegetarians or lactovege-tarians seemed within normal range, and that around 7.0 was safe for vegetarians eating mostly fruits, vegetables, or raw foods.
One of my long-term, 90% raw-food clients who keeps close watch of her urine pH has noticed becoming s.p.a.cey and suffering from a lack of concentration at a urine pH of 7.57.8. Just taking some acid food for her ANS-dominant system, like a piece of bread, is enough to bring her closer to a urine pH of 7.27.3, where she feels healthy and strong. At a 24-hour urine pH of 7.27.3 she is feeling healthier and more vital than she has in years. The fact that she feels excellent at a urine pH of 7.3 raises the question as to how alkaline can one become and remain healthy. I had another patient who had been chronically ill, weak, and mentally confused for more than five years. Her initial 24-hour urine was acidic. When her pH reached 7.1 in the treatment program, all her symptoms went away and she felt filled with her old energy. Some vegetarians, especially raw-food vegetarians, feel excellent at pHs as high as 7.2. Above 7.2 seems to be the area in which the pH starts to become too high for optimal health. It"s pivotal then, to find the 24-hour urine pH that makes one feel the best, and then to determine the correct ratio of protein, carbohydrate, and fat foods to keep it at the right pH for you.
I believe that it is possible for some people to become too alkaline and to develop symptoms at urine pH levels of 7.5 and above. Urine pHs of 6.8 to 7.2 seem to be quite healthy, particularly after the person has spent a period of time on a vegetarian diet in which the body has slowly shifted its physiology toward a more optimal state of health. The final determination is how one feels and whether there are any symptoms of "alkalosis" after an extended period of time at a particular alkaline pH.
A 24-hour urine pH below 6.3 is generally considered acidotic by most researchers using the 24-hour urine system.
How to Measure Your Own Acid-Base Balance.
MEASURING THE ACID-BASE BALANCE OF THE BODY at your own home is done most easily by collecting all urine produced in 24 hours- usually the second urine of the morning through the first urine of the next day Then shake the total collection a few times and dip in some pH paper and read it. Don"t be shy, get to know yourself-test your urine; it"s sterile! The least expensive and most accurate pH paper I"ve found for my clients is pHydrion paper by Micro Essential Laboratory Inc., in Brooklyn, NY (phone 718-338-3618; fax: 718-692-4491). The range is from 5.5 to 8.0.
For nonvegetarians and lactovegetarians (vegetarians who eat dairy), a generally good pH range is 6.3 to 6.9. For vegetarians who do not eat dairy and for raw-food vegetarians, 6.3 to 7.2 is within a safe range.
In addition to the urine pH, I also like to have a saliva pH. It is thought that the saliva pH is an indicator of alkaline reserve in the body and the condition of the pH of the cells. A normal saliva pH taken before eating in the morning and before meals is 6.8 to 7.2. It should become more alkaline after meals, up to a pH of 7.2. Dr. Morter"s clinical research indicates that if the morning saliva pH is below 6.2, it suggests an acid system with an inadequate amount of alkaline minerals, but with some alkaline reserve. If the saliva pH is between 5.5 and 5.8 with no rise in pH after a meal, it means the body is extremely acid and there are no alkaline reserves left.
Although more research needs to be done on this question of optimal body pH for vegetarians, and especially raw-food vegetarians, there are guidelines that go beyond laboratory results. Perhaps the best way to ascertain whether one is functioning at an optimal pH for oneself is by the following characteristics.