Acid-Alkaline Balance and Your Health

Acid-Alkaline Balance and Your Health

Many healers are concerned with the level of
acidity or alkalinity of the body, from
orthodox medical doctors to alternative
practitioners like cancer doctor Emanuel
Revici, controversial test developer Dr.
Carey Reams or the sleeping prophet Edgar
Cayce. When these different healers speak
about acid-alkaline balance in the body,
what do they mean? Why is this important?
And how do nutrition and lifestyle affect
acid/alkaline balance? Our purpose here
is to explore this topic and to answer
some of these questions, particularly as
it relates to the research of Dr. Weston
Price.

First, let
us define the terms acidity and
alkalinity and get familiar with some
basic chemistry. In terms of chemistry,
when one talks about acidity or
alkalinity, one is talking about
hydrogen. An acid is a substance that
releases hydrogen into a solution and an
alkali or base is one that removes
hydrogen from a solution. The amount of
free hydrogen is measured on a scale
ranging from 1 to 14, called pH, that
denotes the exact level of acidity or
alkalinity. A pH value below 7 is
considered acid and above 7 alkaline.

Inside the
human body, the acid-alkaline balance is
important since many functions in the
body occur only at a certain level of
acidity or alkalinity. Many enzymes and
chemical reactions in the body work best
at a particular pH. A small change in pH
can have a profound effect on body
function. For example, muscle
contractibility declines and hormones
like adrenaline and aldosterone increase
as the body becomes slightly more acid.
In addition, different parts of the body
have different levels of acidity and
alkalinity. Some of these are shown in
Table 1. It should be noted that while
there can be a wide range of pH values
for the saliva and urine, the value for
the blood is maintained within narrow
bounds.

REGULATION OF ACID-ALKALINE BALANCE

Because of
the importance of the acid-alkaline
balance in the blood and tissues, the
body has a number of mechanisms for
regulating this balance (1) (2). These
mechanisms are shown in Table 2.

Many body
functions are involved in the regulation
of acid-alkaline balance including
respiration, excretion, digestion and
cellular metabolism. In the blood stream,
there are substances known as buffers
that act chemically to resist changes in
pH. The most important of these compounds
in the blood are bicarbonate, albumin,
globulin and hemoglobin. Other regulation
of blood pH is done chiefly by the lungs
and kidneys.

The lungs
aid in acid-alkaline regulation by
removing carbon dioxide from the blood.
Carbon dioxide combines with water in the
body to form carbonic acid, so that
removing carbon dioxide is equivalent to
removing acid. Respiratory rates can vary
depending on the acidity of the body,
speeding up under acid conditions to
remove carbon dioxide and reduce acidity
and slowing down under alkaline
conditions to retain acids and reduce
alkalinity.

The kidney
also responds to the pH of the blood. If
the blood is too acid, the kidney
excretes extra hydrogens into the urine
and retains extra sodium. Phosphorus in
the form of phosphate is required for
this exchange. The body obtains this
phosphorus from bone if it is otherwise
unavailable. When the bloodstream is
extremely acid, the kidney uses a
different method and excretes ammonium
ions, which contain four hydrogens, into
the urine. When the body is too alkaline,
the process is reversed, and hydrogen is
retained.

In the
digestive process, acid-alkaline balance
is affected by the secretions of the
stomach and the pancreas. These
secretions are absorbed into the
bloodstream and affect the rest of the
body. When food is eaten, the stomach
secretes hydrochloric acid. In response
to this acid, the pancreas secretes
bicarbonate which neutralizes the stomach
acid so that pancreatic enzymes can work
properly. Normally, after eating, there
are transient changes in blood pH, known
as the acid and alkaline tides, that
correspond to the stomach and pancreatic
secretions. Usually the pH of the blood
quickly returns to normal. However, if
digestive secretions are out of balance,
then the whole body can be affected. Some
physicians, like Dr. William Philpott,
feel that insufficient secretion of
pancreatic bicarbonate is a major cause
of over-acidity in the body. Other
digestive problems that affect the body’s
pH are diarrhea, which results in a loss
of bicarbonate, and vomiting, which
results in a loss of acid.

Just as
the pH of the bloodstream is kept under
tight control, the acid-alkaline
environment inside the cells is also
regulated so that it remains within
narrow bounds. One way that this
regulation occurs is by pumps in the cell
membrane that cause hydrogen to enter or
exit from the cell. Many of these pumps
require phosphorus and magnesium to
function so that micronutrient nutrition
is a factor affecting acid-alkaline
balance. Another way that cells regulate
the pH inside the cell is by changing the
chemical reactions that occur so that
more or less hydrogen is produced (1).

SYMPTOMS OF OVER ACIDITY OR ALKALINITY

When the
blood is too acid, symptoms include
drowsiness, progressing to stupor and
coma. Acute acidosis can result from
kidney or lung problems, dehydration,
ingestion of certain drugs, diabetes or
diarrhea, and is treated by giving an
alkaline solution such as bicarbonate of
soda. A particular form of acidosis is
ketosis that occurs in diets high in fat
and lacking in carbohydrates, as well as
in conditions of diabetes or starvation,
when the body burns fats rather than
carbohydrates. However, when normal
quantities of fat are consumed in a diet
containing carbohydrate, the fats cause
no problems in acid-alkaline balance for
the majority of people.

When the
blood is too alkaline, symptoms include
cramps, muscle spasms, irritability and
hyperexcitability. Acute alkalosis may be
caused by impaired kidney function,
hyperventilation, use of diuretic or
steroid drugs, vomiting or gastric
drainage. Acute alkalosis is treated by
giving an acid solution such as ammonium
chloride or by breathing expired carbon
dioxide from a paper bag (3).

HOW
BODY pH IS MEASURED

Most of
what is known and used clinically relates
to the acidity and alkalinity of the
bloodstream, since it is possible to
measure the pH of blood and difficult and
sometimes impossible to measure the pH of
other tissues. Medical doctors typically
try to determine the acidity or
alkalinity of the body and its cells by
analyzing the blood. Some of the elements
in blood that are measured are sodium,
potassium, chloride, carbon dioxide and
bicarbonate. A number known as the anion
gap can be calculated using the sodium,
chloride and bicarbonate measurement. The
anion gap, along with the other values,
are used to assess the acidity or
alkalinity of the body tissues (1).

Alternative practitioners may use systems
developed by Carey Reams, Harold Hawkins
or Emanuel Revici. All three measure
urine pH plus other factors to assess
metabolism. Drs. Reams and Hawkins also
measured saliva pH. None of these systems
claims that internal pH can be determined
by saliva or urine pH alone. As we saw
earlier, the kidney has several methods
for disposing of excess acid, and each
has a different effect on the urine pH.
Similarly, the saliva pH is affected by
bacteria and other microbes in the mouth
so that saliva pH is not a reliable
indicator of the internal environment.
Nonetheless, Dr. Reams felt that saliva
pH reflected the strength of digestive
fluids (4) (5) (6).

NUTRITION AND ACID-ALKALINE BALANCE

Before
World War II, there was considerable
interest in how the food we eat affects
the acid-alkaline balance of the body.
While today the subject is not receiving
much attention in orthodox circles, many
alternative practitioners place
considerable stress on the acid-base
balance characteristics of various diets.
In spite of a certain amount of ongoing
debate, it is generally acknowledged that
the food that is eaten is a major source
of acid and alkali for the body (7).

Some
confusion in terminology has resulted
because of the way that the discussion
evolved. In investigating how different
foods might affect the acid-alkaline
balance, various foods were burned to ash
in the laboratory, and the pH of the
resulting ash was measured. These foods
were then classified as acid, alkaline or
neutral ash foods as shown in Table 3
(8).

In
addition, various alternative
practitioners such as Edgar Cayce and
Bernard Jensen have referred to acid and
alkaline-forming foods, based on the
reaction of foods in the body. These
categories are shown in Table 4 (9).

The terms
acid or alkaline ash and acid and
alkaline forming are often used
interchangeably, but as can be seen from
these tables, the terms are not always
synonymous.

Using the
more scientific definitions, alkaline ash
foods are those that contain large
quantities of magnesium, calcium,
potassium and/or sodium, minerals that
form alkaline compounds. Most fruits and
vegetables are considered alkaline. Acid
ash foods are those that contain
chloride, phosphorus, or sulphur,
minerals that form acid compounds. These
acid ash foods include meat, fish,
poultry, legumes and grains, which all
contain high levels of phosphorus, and
mustard and eggs, which contain sulphur.
In addition, the fruits, plums, prunes,
cranberries, rhubarb and sour cherries
are also acid-forming since they contain
either oxalic or benzoic acid, organic
acids which are not completely broken
down in the body (5) (7) (8).

Individual
digestion and metabolism also plays a
role in determining whether a food leaves
an acid or alkaline residue. For example,
certain foods containing organic acids,
such as citrus fruits and tomatoes, which
normally leave no acid residues, may be
incompletely metabolized in some people
and are acid-forming for these
individuals. This is quite frequently the
case where stomach acid is low or thyroid
activity is subnormal (5).

There are
other metabolic and life style factors
which affect the acidity of the body and
the reactions of foods. Infection,
smoking and alcohol consumption tend to
make the body more acid (5) (10).
Conversely, exercise will tend to make
the body more alkaline, but if continued
beyond a comfortable level it can become
acid forming, as lactic acid levels build
up (1) (5). Furthermore, the dietary
content of trace elements also affects
acid-alkaline balance. Adequate magnesium
and phosphorus are necessary for cellular
pumps. Zinc is necessary both for
secretion of acid in the stomach and for
excretion or retention of acid by the
kidney. In addition, many other
nutrients, the B vitamins as an example,
are necessary to completely oxidize
carbohydrates and fats.

It has
been recommended by Edgar Cayce and
others that the diet be comprised of 80%
alkaline forming foods and 20%
acid-forming ones. In more practical
terms, the recommendation was four
vegetables and two fruits to one starchy
food and one protein food (9). It is not
clear whether these proportions apply for
all people. By contrast, Dr. Weston Price
found that the traditional diets of the
healthy primitives he studied were higher
in acid ash foods than in alkaline ash
foods. (See From the Archives, page 10.)
The traditional diets were higher in
minerals than the more processed modern
diets. (11). Dr. Price’s research
confirms the importance of
nutrient-dense, unrefined, properly
prepared foods.

Moreover,
genetic differences may play a role in
what constitutes an appropriate balance
in the diet. For example, it is known
that Eskimos handle fats far more
efficiently than other populations and do
not suffer from ketosis from very high
fat consumption as other groups do (12).
The fact that Cayce’s recommendations
seem at odds with those of Dr. Price can
be explained by the fact they were aimed
at a different population group, living
in a different climate with a different
level of activity.

In people
of European descent in the U.S.,
manipulation of the acid or alkaline
nature of the diet has been used along
with other measures to treat disease
conditions, particularly dental caries.
Dr. Harold Hawkins, a professor of
dentistry at the University of Southern
California in the 1940s, studied the
effects of foods on the pH and mineral
content of the saliva, urine and
bloodstream. Dr. Hawkins found that the
pH and mineral composition of the saliva
and urine were affected by diet, but that
the pH of the bloodstream was more
influenced by digestion and other
metabolic and lifestyle factors.

As a
result of his studies over many years,
Dr. Hawkins was able to construct a diet
that was adequate for most people and to
treat those with dental problems and
other disease conditions using primarily
diets adjusted to balance saliva and
urine chemistry. Like Dr. Price, Dr.
Hawkins stressed the importance of animal
protein and whole grains along with
adequate fat and vegetable intake (5).

CONCLUSION

The
acid-alkaline balance is an important
factor in the health and functioning of
the body. Diet is one factor that
influences acid-alkaline balance both
through the acid or alkaline forming
nature of the foods that are eaten and
through the nutrient content which
affects metabolism. Nutrient rich
traditional diets provide the essential
factors necessary for excellent
metabolism, good acid-alkaline regulation
and optimal health.

Editor’s
Note: A number of alternative
practitioners today advocate a diet based
primarily on fruits and vegetables, one
that minimizes “acid-forming” foods such
as meat, fish and grains. While the
inclusion of fruits and vegetables in the
diet is important for many reasons,
including the fact that these foods
provide alkalinizing minerals, for most
people it is not necessary to minimize
acid ash foods such as meat and whole
grains in order to maintain acid-base
balance. In fact, a diet in which these
acid ash foods are absent can lead to
deficiencies which undermine the body’s
ability to maintain the proper blood pH.
Meat and other animal foods provide
protein, red meats provide zinc, and meat
and properly prepared whole grains
provide phosphorus, all of which are
needed for the regulation of acid-base
balance. Fat soluble vitamins found in
organ meats, shellfish and good quality
butter help maintain the health of the
lungs and kidneys, the two prime organs
involved in acid-base regulation. Weston
Price’s research indicates a
nutrient-dense diet that supplies both
alkaline-ash and acid-ash minerals in
liberal amounts is key to the health of
the entire organism, including the
complex systems that regulate acid-base
balance.

REFERENCES

1. Bedani
   A, DuBose TD (1995). Cellular and
   whole-body acid-base regulation. IN:
   Fluid, Electrolyte and Acid Base
   Disorders (Arieff, AI and DeFronzo, RA,
   eds.). Churchill Livingstone. New York.
   p. 69-103.
2. Narins
   RC, Kupi W, Faber MD, Goodkin DA,
   Dunfee TD (1995). Pathophysiology,
   class and therapy of acid-base
   disorders. IN: Fluid, Electrolyte and
   Acid Base Disorders (Arieff, AI and
   DeFronzo, RA, eds.). Churchill
   Livingstone. New York. p. 104-198.
3. Berkow
   R, ed. (1982). Merck Manual (14th
   edition). Merck, Sharp & Dohme Research
   Labs, Rahwy, N.J. p. 945-52.
4. Beddoe
   AF (1984). Biological Ionization as
   Applied to Human Nutrition, Principles
   and Techniques. Agro-Bio Systems, Fort
   Bragg, Ca.
5. Hawkins
   HF (1947). Applied Nutrition.
   International College of Applied
   Nutrition. La Habra, California.
6. Shenker
   GR (1997). The Nutri-Spec Letter
   8(7):1-6.
7. Rector
   FC (1973). Acidification of the urine.
   Handbook of Physiology Section 8: Renal
   Physiology (Orloff J, Berliner RW and
   Fieger S, eds.) American Physiological
   Society. Washington D.C. p. 431-54.
8. 
   Ensminger AH, Ensminger ME, Konlande JE,
   Robsin JRK (1994). Foods and Nutrition
   Encyclopedia (2nd edition). CRC Press.
   Boca Raton, Florida. p. 6-7, 41.
9. Read A,
   Ilstrup C (1967). A Diet/Recipe Guide
   Based on the Edgar Cayce Readings.
   A.R.E. Press. Virginia Beach, Va..
10. Beisel
    WR (1990). Nutrition and infection. IN:
    Nutritional Biochemistry and Metabolism
    (Linder M, ed.). Elsevier. New York. p.
    507-42.
11. Price
    WA (1935). Acid-base balance of diets
    which produce immunity to dental caries
    among the south sea islanders and other
    primitive races. Dental Cosmos
    1935:842-46.
12. Guyton
    AC (1980). Textbook of Medical
    Physiology (2nd edition). W.B. Saunders
    Co.. Philadelphia. p. 457, 803, 853.

Dr.
Worthington has a Master of Science
degree in nutritional sciences from the
University of Maryland and a doctorate
in International Health with a
specialty in nutrition from Johns
Hopkins University, School of Public
Health. In addition, she has studied
herbal and nutritional medicine with
several herbalists and traditional
healers.

Dr.
Worthington has 13 years of experience
in various aspects of nutrition
including research, community
nutrition, nutrition education and
clinical work with individual patients
using nutritional and herbal therapies.
She is currently in private practice in
Washington, DC and writes on health
related subjects.

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