Ph Perhaps the Cause of Disease

Have you ever wondered if the diseases raging through our society have a common cause? Many doctors, herbalists and nutritionists believe that the explanation may come down to three words;

Acid - Alkaline Imbalance

Over acidity can become a dangerous condition that weakens all body systems and unfortunately is very common place today. When out of balance it gives rise to an internal environment which can be conducive to disease, fatigue and ill health. Those of us with the correct pH-balanced environment allows their bodies to have normal body function necessary for the immune system and helps us to resist disease. A healthy body requires adequate alkaline reserves to meet emergency demands and when excess acids must be neutralized our alkaline reserves are depleted leaving the body in a weakened condition. An Acid Alkaline Balanced diet, according to many experts, is a vital key to maintaining optimum health and vitality, two energetic states of being that I would think all of us require as a must to have an enjoyable and fulfilling life.

The concept of acid alkaline imbalance as the cause of disease is not new. In 1933 a New York doctor named William Howard Hay published a ground-breaking book, A New Health Era in which he states that all disease is caused by autotoxication (or "self-poisoning") due to acid accumulation in the body. Although Dr Hay was not known for his eloquence he was certainly on the ball when it came to the human pH levels.

Now we depart from health in just the proportion to which we have allowed our alkalize to be dissipated by introduction of acid-forming food in too great amount... It may seem strange to say that all disease is the same thing, no matter what its myriad modes of expression, but it is verily so. William Howard Hay, M.D.

More recently, in his remarkable book Alkalize or Die, Dr. Theodore A. Baroody says essentially the same thing:
The countless names of illnesses do not really matter. What does matter is that they all come from the same root cause...too much tissue acid waste in the body! Theodore A. Baroody, N.D., D.C., Ph.D.

So how can we understanding our bodies pH

Well pH (potential of hydrogen) is a measure of the acidity or alkalinity of a solution. It is measured on a scale of 0 to 14—the lower the pH the more acidic the solution, the higher the pH the more alkaline (or base) the solution. When a solution is neither acid nor alkaline it has a pH of 7 which is neutral. It is important to understand that we are not talking about stomach acid or the pH of the stomach. We are talking about the pH of the body's fluids and tissues which is an entirely different matter.

Test Your Body's Acidity or Alkalinity with pH Strips:
It is recommended that you test your pH levels to determine if your body's pH needs immediate attention. By using pH test strips, you can determine your pH factor quickly and easily in the privacy of your own home. If you’re urinary pH fluctuates between 6.0 to 6.5 in the morning and between 6.5 and 7.0 in the evening, your body is functioning within a healthy range. If your saliva stays between 6.5 and 7.5 all day, your body is functioning within a healthy range. The best time to test your pH is about one hour before a meal and two hours after a meal. Test your pH two days a week.

So what problems are we likely to be exposed to if we do not control our pH level.

Most people who suffer from unbalanced pH are literally acidic, we have a term for these people in the UK and we say they have a “Acid Tongue”, generally meaning they are very bad temperted never see the joy in life and usally simply love to be negative about everyone and everything I am sure each one of you have met these types of people. The unbalance condition forces the body to borrow minerals—including calcium, sodium, potassium and magnesium—from vital organs and bones to buffer (neutralize) the acid and safely remove it from the body. Because of this strain, the body can suffer severe and prolonged damage due to high acidity—a condition that may go undetected for years.

Mild acidosis can cause such problems as:
• Cardiovascular damage, including the constriction of blood vessels and the reduction of oxygen.
• Weight gain, obesity and diabetes.
• Bladder and kidney conditions, including kidney stones.
• Immune deficiency.
• Acceleration of free radical damage, possibly contributing to cancerous mutations.
• Hormone concerns.
• Premature aging.
• Osteoporosis; weak, brittle bones, hip fractures and bone spurs.
• Joint pain, aching muscles and lactic acid build up.
• Low energy and chronic fatigue.
• Slow digestion and elimination.
• Yeast/fungal overgrowth.

Keeping the Balance Right for Excellent Health
Your body is able to assimilate minerals and nutrients properly only when its pH is balanced. It is therefore possible for you to be taking healthy nutrients and yet be unable to absorb or use them. If you are not getting the results you expected from your nutritional or herbal program, look for an acid alkaline imbalance. Even the right herbal program may not work if your body's pH is out of balance.

Essentially, the alkaline diet is opposite the high protein, high fat, low carb diets that are currently in vogue. Most people have never heard of alkaline-acid balance but many holistic doctors and nutritionists consider a properly balanced diet to be important to optimal health and preventing diseases such as cancer.

The theory behind an alkaline diet is that because our body's pH level is slightly alkaline, with a normal range of 7.36 to 7.44, our diet should reflect this and also be slightly alkaline. An imbalanced diet high in acidic foods such as animal protein, sugar, caffeine, and processed foods tends to disrupt this balance. It can deplete the body of alkaline minerals such as sodium, potassium, magnesium, and calcium, making people prone to chronic and degenerative disease.