The Acid Diet

Until recently, the importance of dietary influences on pH has been grossly underestimated. Our diet is fairly heavily weighted towards the acidic and the health implications of a consistently acidic diet now appear to be broad ranging. In the British Journal of Nutrition study mentioned above, it was demonstrated that among more than 1,100 young women, there was a strong association between a more acidic diet and a greater risk of being overweight. New evidence suggests that being more systemically alkaline may help prevent cancer. An acidic diet appears to promote oxidative stress (the kind caused by free radical molecules) and inflammation, draws calcium and magnesium from the bones, promotes the production of stress hormones and encourages fat storage. No wonder it’s suspected of influencing many chronic conditions, from cardiovascular disease to osteoporosis, from obesity to the visible signs of aging. 

Acidosis

If our cells are constantly exposed to an acidic environment, we are in danger of developing a condition known as acidosis, in which our arterial pH falls below 7.35. Studies have shown that an acidic, anaerobic (oxygen deprived) body environment encourages the breeding of fungus, mould, bacteria, and viruses. It is a lot of hard work for our body to neutralize and detoxify these acids before they can act as poisons in and around the cells, ultimately changing the environment of each cell. If the body can’t keep up, our inner biological terrain shifts from a healthy oxygenated, alkaline environment to an unhealthy acidic one and begins to set up defence mechanisms to keep the damaging acid from entering our vital organs. Here are some symptoms that you may be surprised to learn can stem directly from the root cause of acidosis:

Overweight

It is known that acid is stored in fat cells. As a defence mechanism, the body may protect itself from potentially serious damage by creating fat cells to store the acids and keep these wastes at a safe distance from the vital organs. Many people have found that a return to a healthy alkaline biological terrain helps them to drop excess fat.

Joint pain and arthritis

All substances left by the metabolizing process are acidic and toxic; therefore these have to be neutralized by alkalizing elements such as calcium ions, sodium ions and lithium ions, of which calcium is the most important. Calcium ions are positively charged ions that are constantly looking to combine with acids to form calcium carbonate. Calcium carbonate is harmless and will be moved out of the body if our body fluid pH is alkaline. Otherwise, the calcium carbonate is deposited around skeletal joints, leading to numerous health problems such as pain or arthritis.

Osteoporosis

Many people think they can eliminate osteoporosis by increasing their consumption of milk and dairy products. But in fact the incidence of osteoporosis is low in countries where the consumption of dairy products is low. Osteoporosis is actually an acidosis problem. As the body becomes more acidic, our body tries to remain healthy to protect us against heart attacks, illness, strokes or even cancer. To do so, it takes calcium from the teeth, bones and tissues, making them weak and brittle.

Underweight

Yeast and fungus produced in an acidic environment can feed on our nutrients and thus reduce the absorption of everything we eat by as much as 50 percent. Without adequate protein the body can’t produce the enzymes, hormones and other chemical components necessary for cell energy and organ activity. We can become very thin as a result and this is no healthier than being overweight. As alkalizing and oxygenating takes place, the body naturally begins to seek its own ideal weight.

Low energy and chronic fatigue

An overly acidic environment causes our biological terrain’s oxygen level to drop, leaving us tired and fatigued. This will allow parasites, funguses, bacteria, mould and viral infections to flourish and gain a hold throughout the body.

Heart attack

If bacteria and/or fungi and/or viruses attach themselves to the inner walls of arteries under the influence of an acidic body environment, this can attract white blood cells, causing proteins and cells to clot forming a plaque in the artery that narrows it and restricts the flow of blood, nutrients and oxygen to the tissues. Should that happen to a coronary artery, a heart attack can occur.

Allergies

The toxins produced within an acidic, oxygen-deprived environment coupled with the absorption of undigested proteins can be a major cause of allergy conditions. When the digestive system is weakened, a wide range of allergic reactions can occur, e.g., food allergies, and the overall susceptibility to allergens is increased.

Acne

There are many different forms of acne, and not a few are linked to an unhealthy diet, especially diets that are highly acidic.

Frequent colds, bronchitis, infections, headaches

Only when our pH level is fairly balanced can oxygen bind efficiently to the hemoglobin protein of our red blood cells in the lungs. If the pH is too acidic, microbes in our respiratory systems can grow far more easily, causing bronchitis, pneumonia and sinusitis, and invading our cell system. The result can be chronic cough, bronchial spasms (asthma), colds, infections and headaches.