Tuesday, October 21, 2008

pH in the Body - What's That?

We need to begin any serious discussion of diet with an explanation of the body's pH balance. The "p" stands for "potenz" (this means the potential to be) and the "H" stands for Hydrogen.

But what it means for us isn't really complicated.

Your body, all on its own, is constantly adjusting its pH balance to stabilize it (homeostasis). Normal blood pH should be slightly alkaline, or 7.365, according to Robert O. Young, PhD, DSc, author of The pH Miracle.

Anything above the pH scale of 7 is alkaline, below it is acidic. Below 6.8 or above 7.8 and cells stop functioning, and the body dies.

So as you can see, our bodies take its job of neutralizing the pH balance very seriously.

As long ago as 1931, Otto Warburg received the Nobel Prize for discovering that cancer cells thrive in an acidic environment. He stated clearly then that nobody could say we do not know the primary cause of cancer! Hmm. Oh well, I'll go after that one another time.

Processed foods (anything in a jar or a can, basically), high protein foods (all animal products, even otherwise healthy seeds and nuts), drugs (prescription and illegal), coffee, soft drinks, even air pollution, all contribute to the acidity level in our bodies.

How does the body achieve the balance it continually strives for, in the absence of proper diet, rest, a calm emotional state, etc.?

It pulls (or leaches) important alkaline minerals from the body itself, such as sodium, potassium, magnesium, and calcium. Calcium is taken from the bones and teeth, to neutralize the excess acid. So as a result of having safely removed the danger that we ourselves caused, osteoporosis occurs.

Dr. Theodore Baroody, author of Alkalize or Die, says that an acidic environment in the body is also conducive to the growth of health-destroying microorganisms. He says that as acidic wastes attack the joints, arthritis results (p. 20). As they attack the muscles, they cause muscle aches. As they attack glands and organs, they cause disease in those organs.

It's clear that we need to stop putting harmful, disease-causing foods into our bodies and start putting more healthful foods in, such as raw, whole, organic fruits and vegetables.

Phyllis Towse

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