The Alkaline Body and pH Balance

Posts Tagged ‘Kidneys’

pH balance and it’s effect on weight loss is a well know mechanism. As  is well known, America has become one of the heaviest countries in the world, as Americans continue to have more and more health challenges. At present 2/3 rds of all Americans are overweight. pH balance can play a major factor in the body becoming more and more overweight.

Our bodies are constantly self-regulating to maintain balance. In the same way that our bodies maintain a body temperature of 98.6, they also strive to maintain pH balance. The pH of the blood needs to be maintained at 7.365, slightly alkaline. A major challenge to our bodies is the SAD diet or standard American diet which is 90% or more consisting of acidic foods. A condition called metabolic acidosis begins to occur.

When our bodies start developing metabloic acidosis it is a threat to it’s well being. So our bodies go into preservation or protection mode. One of it’s actions is to deposit the toxic acids into fat tissue becasue fat neutralizes acids. In this way the dangerous acids become isolated from the rest of the body and the major organs such as our heart, kidneys; liver and lungs are protected. The more the acid we are accumulating the more fat your body will need to maintain.

So are you overweight or are you over acidic? My own personal experience was that I lost 35 lbs. in 8 weeks simply by transitioning to an alkaline lifestyle. My wife also lost 35 lbs. in 8 weeks.  To learn more you can read “The pH Miracle For Weight Loss” by Dr. Robert Young. You can read my wife’s personal testimony and see her photos on page 109.

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Psoriasis and pH

You may not have though about pH since high school chemistry class. If you suffer from psoriasis or other inflammatory conditions, it may be critical to reeducate yourself with the knowledge. Numerous researchers have made a connection between pH and conditions like psoriasis, eczema and acne. Excess acids are known to irritate the tissues and deplete them of alkaline buffers. In fact, some believe that excess acidity in the body is  so detrimental to our systems that they are at the root of all disease.

What is pH?

The abbreviation “pH” simply refers to the measurement of hydrogen ions. Substances with a pH of less than 7.0 are considered acidic, and those with a pH of greater than 7.0 are “basic,” or alkaline. Humans need to maintain a pH ~ 7.365 in order to thrive. If your body has the alkaline reserves that it needs, a saliva pH test showing a pH reading of 7.0 to 7.50 will be measured. A lower saliva pH reading indicates that alkaline reserves are being used to buffer acids elsewhere in the body. Normal acid excretion through the renal system (kidneys) gives urine a pH that falls between 6.75 to 7.25. Urine pH helps to determine whether your body is eliminating a normal quantity of acids. Since pH test strips are not widely available at drug stores anymore, Essante Worldwide now sells pHHydrion Urine and Saliva test strips(100 strips for $7.00).

The pH balance of our system depends largely on the food we eat. The usual culprits – sugar, coffee, highly processed foods, some meats, and excessively fatty foods – raise acid levels (lowering pH). When foods are digested they leave an “ash”; this residue determines whether a food is considered acidic or alkaline. Additionally, stress, lifestyle, and lack of exercise can cause acid levels to rise even moreso then diet. As with many situations, a downward spiral of ill health begins with the person experiencing less energy and entering a cycle of imbalance. It can go on for years.

In her book Digestive Wellness, Elizabeth Lipski, PhD,CCN explains how consuming even one can of soda can drastically affect pH:

One can of cola contains enough phosphoric acid to significantly change our pH. The kidneys cannot excrete urine that is more acidic than about 5.0 without damaging them or the bladder. The pH of cola is between 2.8 and 3.2, about a hundred times more acidic than a pH of 5.0. To dilute this to an appropriate level, you’d need thirty-three liters of urine. So, the body has another mechanism – using buffering minerals from elsewhere in the body. If there are enough reserves, the body will pull sodium and potassium to do this. If not, it will pull calcium, magnesium and other minerals from the bones. One can imagine the effects of drinking several cans of cola or one Big-Gulp daily.

Consider a typical fast food meal, with a large soda, fries and cheeseburger, combined with the often high levels of stress experienced on a daily basis, and it’s easy to see how quickly imbalance can occur.

How may pH affect psoriasis?

As with many other conditions, pH imbalance can have multifold negative impacts on psoriasis. The filter organs work harder to balance the system, stored minerals are used up and toxins are filtered though the skin to compensate for the workload placed on other organs. Oftentimes people with a pH imbalance suffer from joint pain and arthritis as well as skin problems.

Increased acidity in the body may create an environment that aggravates psoriasis. When the system becomes too acidic, organs such as the kidneys, live and lungs work overtime to return the system to more alkaline levels. In order to achieve this, sodium, potassium and often calcium are utilized, depleting our alkaline buffers. These minerals are often leached from the bones, and unless foods or supplements such  Innerlight’s Organic SuperGreens and Prime pH drops which contain these minerals are consumed, mineral stores may remain low or depleted, which over time can lead to even worse health problems, including osteoporosis or other degenerative conditions.

Alternatively the body may create excess fat to buffer the acids. The body will then store the acids in the fat tissue in order to protect the more vital internal organs. The person will then be carrying excess weight and even create obesity. In essence the person is not overweight but overacidic and may loose weight naturally through balancing the pH levels of the body.

Increased toxicity from overtaxed organs can greatly impact inflammatory conditions like psoriasis. Just to quickly review, when organs like the kidneys and liver cannot effectively filter toxins from the blood, other organs like the skin and lungs take over the job of filtration. When this occurs, toxins, which usually are excreted through the urine, end up on the surface of the skin and exacerbate existing conditions like acne, psoriasis, and eczema.

Just as acid rain can destroy a forest, metabolic acidosis can rain havo on our internal environment and create a downward spiral of symptomologies which may degrade our quality of life and lead to ever greater challenges as the bodies alkaline reserves eventually become exhausted.