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The Acid-Alkaline Myth: Part 1

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Many of you have probably heard of the "alkaline diet." There are a few different versions of the acid-alkaline theory circulating the internet, but the basic claim is that the foods we eat leave behind an "ash" after they are metabolized, and this ash can be acid or alkaline (alkaline meaning more basic on the pH scale).

acid alkaline, alkaline myth
Smoothies containing vegetables are alkali forming. Derkien/iStock/Thinkstock

According to the theory, it is in our best interest to make sure we eat more alkaline foods than acid foods, so that we end up with an overall alkaline load on our body. This will supposedly protect us from the diseases of modern civilization, whereas eating a diet with a net acid load will make us vulnerable to everything from cancer to osteoporosis. To make sure we stay alkaline, they recommend keeping track of urine or saliva pH using pH test strips.

In this two-part series, I will address the main claims made by proponents of the alkaline diet, and will hopefully clear up some confusion about what it all means for your health.d

Will eating an alkaline diet make you and your bones healthier? #alkalinediet #bonehealth

Foods Can Influence Our Urine pH

Before I start dismantling this theory, I want to acknowledge a couple things they get right. First, foods do leave behind acid or alkaline ash. The type of “ash” is determined by the relative content of acid-forming components such as phosphate and sulfur, and alkalis such as calcium, magnesium, and potassium. (1, 2) In general, animal products and grains are acid forming, while fruits and vegetables are alkali forming. Pure fats, sugars, and starches are neutral, because they don’t contain protein, sulfur, or minerals.

It’s also true that the foods we eat change the pH of our urine. (3, 4) If you have a green smoothie for breakfast, for example, your pee a few hours later will likely be more alkaline than that of someone who had bacon and eggs. As a side note, it’s also very easy to measure your urine pH, and I think this is one of the big draws of the alkaline diet. Everyone can probably agree that it’s satisfying to see concrete improvements in health markers depending on your diet, and pH testing gives people that instant gratification they desire. However, as you’ll see below, urine pH is not a good indicator of the overall pH of the body, nor is it a good indicator of general health.

Foods Don’t Influence Our Blood pH

Proponents of the alkaline diet have put forth a few different theories about how an acidic diet harms our health. The more ridiculous claim is that we can change the pH of our blood by changing the foods we eat, and that acidic blood causes disease while alkaline blood prevents it. This is not true. The body tightly regulates the pH of our blood and extracellular fluid, and we cannot influence our blood pH by changing our diet. (5, 6) High doses of sodium bicarbonate can temporarily increase blood pH, but not without causing uncomfortable GI symptoms. (7, 8) And there are certainly circumstances in which the blood is more acidic than it should be, and this does have serious health consequences. However, this state of acidosis is caused by pathological conditions such as chronic renal insufficiency, not by whether you choose to eat a salad or a burger. In other words, regardless of what you eat or what your urine pH is, you can be pretty confident that your blood pH is hovering around a comfortable 7.4.

A more nuanced claim has been proposed specifically regarding bone health, and this hypothesis is addressed somewhat extensively in the scientific literature. It supposes that in order to keep blood pH constant, the body pulls minerals from our bones to neutralize any excess acid that is produced from our diet. Thus, net acid-forming diets (such as the typical Western diet) can cause bone demineralization and osteoporosis. This hypothesis, often referred to as the “acid-ash hypothesis of osteoporosis,” is what I will discuss for the rest of this article. I’ll address some of the other health claims in part two.

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The Kidneys—Not Bone—Regulate Blood pH

While more reasonable than the first claim, the acid-ash hypothesis seems to completely disregard the vital role the kidneys play in regulating body pH. The kidneys are well equipped to deal with “acid ash.” When we digest things like protein, the acids produced are quickly buffered by bicarbonate ions in the blood. (7) This reaction produces carbon dioxide, which is exhaled through the lungs, and salts, which are excreted by the kidneys. During the process of excretion, the kidneys produce “new” bicarbonate ions, which are returned to the blood to replace the bicarbonate that was initially used to buffer the acid. This creates a sustainable cycle in which the body is able to maintain the pH of the blood, with no involvement from the bones whatsoever.

Thus, our understanding of acid-base physiology does not support the theory that net acid-forming diets cause loss of bone minerals and osteoporosis. But just for argument’s sake, let’s say that our renal system cannot handle the acid load of the modern diet. If bones were used to buffer this excess acid, we would expect to see evidence of this taking place in clinical trials. Alas, that is not the case.

Clinical Trials Do Not Support the Acid-Ash Hypothesis of Osteoporosis

At first glance, some of the studies may look convincing, because higher acid diets often increase the excretion of calcium in the urine. Some researchers assumed that this extra calcium was coming from bone. (8) However, when calcium balance (intake minus excretion) was measured, researchers found that acid-forming diets do not have a negative effect on calcium metabolism. (9) Some studies found that supplementing with potassium salts (intended to neutralize excess acid) had beneficial effects on markers for bone health, which would tend to support the acid-ash hypothesis. However, these results were only observed in the first few weeks of supplementation, and long-term trials did not find any benefit to bone health from these alkalizing salts. (10)

Finally, even though the hypothesis holds that higher intakes of protein and phosphate are acidifying and therefore detrimental to bone health, multiple studies have shown that increasing protein or phosphate intake has positive effects on calcium metabolism and on markers for bone health. (11, 12) Summarizing the clinical evidence, two different meta-analyses and a review paper all concluded that randomized controlled trials do not support the hypothesis that acidifying diets cause loss of bone mineral and osteoporosis. (13, 14, 15)

So, it appears that neither physiology nor clinical trials support the acid-ash hypothesis of osteoporosis. But again, just for argument’s sake, let’s suppose that these trials are imperfect (which they are, of course; no science is perfect!), and thus we can’t depend on their conclusions. If the acid-ash hypothesis of osteoporosis were true, we would expect to see an association between net acid-producing diets and osteoporosis in observational studies. Yet again, this is not the case.

Observational Studies Do Not Support the Acid-Ash Hypothesis of Osteoporosis

Observational studies have not found a correlation between dietary acid load and bone mineral density (BMD) or fracture risk, nor have they found a correlation between urine pH and BMD or fracture risk. (16, 17, 18) Additionally, higher protein intakes are correlated with better bone health in multiple studies, even though high-protein diets are generally net acid forming. (19) In fact, animal protein in particular (the most acid-forming food of all) has been associated with better bone health. (20, 21) Imagine that! One study included in a recent meta-analysis did find an association between higher protein intake and greater risk for fracture (22), but compared to the numerous more recent studies showing the opposite, this evidence isn’t very strong. Overall, the acid-ash hypothesis of osteoporosis is not supported by physiology, clinical trials, or observational data.

Hopefully I’ve given you a decent understanding of how our bodies handle pH balance, and have reassured you that you don’t need to worry about the acidity of your urine with regards to bone health. Click here for part two, where I tackle some of the other claims of the alkaline diet!

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1,191 Comments

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  1. There is one condition when the effect of food on urine pH need be factored in, and that is recurrent kidney stone formation. Urate stones are more easily formed if your urine has a pH of less than 6.5, while calcium phosphate stones are more easily formed in an alkaline environment, ie above pH 7. So recurrent stone formers would be wise to eat a balanced diet causing their urine to be between pH 6.5 and 7. This means eating both acid-forming and alkalising foods, in equal amounts.

  2. Thank you for debunking that absolute absurdity in a perfectly scientific way. Although you clearly have some rather emotional responses to your objective and well-evidenced article, this is a credible argument unclouded by paranoia, naiveté, or misrepresented data.

  3. I produce Uric acid stones and have been told by my Dr. to consider a low high alkaline diet and take baking soda everyday. The pain that comes when the stones start to move is debilitating. They are fun to pass also.

    • There is no such thing as a high alkaline diet. ALL foods get metabolized in to acids and diet does not regulate pH.

      Furthermore, ingesting baking soda everyday is a very bad idea, which can lead to numerous diseases and disorders including cancer, heart disease, immune suppression, hormones and neurotransmitter imbalances, etc. Read this thread:

      http://medcapsules.com/forum/showthread.php?tid=25527

      Ingesting baking soda does not alkalize anything other than the stomach acid, which again can lead to numerous diseases and disorders.

      That being said baking soda has been used to reduce uric acid levels, such as in gout. But NOT from neutralizing the acid. The sodium from the sodium chloride salt formed when the baking soda is neutralized in the stomach converts the uric acid in to a more soluble sodium urate, which is easier for the body to excrete. Potassium is even better as potassium urate is much more soluble than sodium urate. Therefore, one of the things I would recommend are high potassium foods such as oranges, mangoes, papaya, kiwis, and ripe bananas (potassium content of bananas increase with ripening as potassium gets pulled in to the fruit during ripening).

      Other things I would recommend include supplementing with nettle leaf and magnesium malate, which are both excellent for getting rid of uric acid. Juniper berries are also great at eliminating uric acid, but they can also really drop blood sugar so they have to be used more cautiously.

      You should also look for the cause of the increased uric acid. Caffeine use, diuretics, lack of water intake, high fructose intake, hypothyroidism, alcohols or high purine intake, etc. so the cause can also be addressed.

      • ALL foods do not get metabolized into acids.

        Minerals present in food are well… Minerals in food. Minerals are not metbolized into acids.

        Food does not regulate blood PH.
        No shit Dick Tracy. A high protein diet with all those Amino Acids, low in alkaline foods with alkalizing minerals affects blood PH.

        Your body then senses this and adjusts your mineral composition accordingly, excreting excess through the kidneys.

        I advise anyone and everyone to avoid this James guy at all costs as he seems to be ona mission to “prove he’s right” when he constantly does nothing more than provide misinformation in most cases.

      • How is a diet such as low carb an high protein apt to affect uric acid stones?

        • A high protein diet can increase uric acid load since the metabolism of amino acids forms highly alkaline and highly toxic ammonia. To protect itself the body converts the toxic ammonia in to uric acid, which serves several purposes including being a primary antioxidant for the body.

          Although diet is not the only reason for elevated uric acid or increased risk of uric acid stones. Some factors include hypothyroidism, alcohol use, high purine intake, some medications, dehydration, hemolytic anemia, some cancers, etc.

      • James, can you clarify for me please? A lot of people are saying that potassium should help ease the burden on the kidney’s, are you saying potassium is not recommended in large quantities?

        • What I said in my earlier post is that potassium can help make uric acid more soluble by converting it to potassium urate. And therefore I recommended high potassium foods.

          Can excessive levels of potassium be dangerous? Yes. Excess potassium can cause heart arrhythmias and even stop the heart. Unless retaining potassium for some reason though such as if on potassium sparing diuretics it would be pretty hard to overdo potassium rich foods like kiwis or mangoes.

  4. I am a type 1 diabetic, self-employed and work physically (brick-paving/limestone block-laying).
    Due my chronic illness, and the physical nature of work, I have been on a high protein diet for about the last 5 years.
    I have read extensively about reducing carbohydrate in my diet as the less carbs I consume, the less insulin I need. The less insulin I need, the less my blood sugar fluctuates and the better off I am (the headaches/muscles contraction/loss of memory/inability to concentrate caused by a significant low sugar level are debilitating, a long-term higher than normal sugar level leads to many significant complications. The balance between the two could not be achieved on a high carb diet).
    I would ideally be on a diet higher in fat, and lower in protein, except I need the energy from the extra protein for work.
    About 5 months ago, I started getting boils in the front of my nose.
    I didn’t stop work, because I had goals I wanted to achieve.
    I was treating the boils with hydrogen peroxide, which generally helped, but they continuously returned.
    Toward the end of the year, one would form as soon as the previous one had been treated.
    I started reading about possible causes on the ‘net.
    I decided to try alkalizing my diet.
    I added in significantly more green, but most significantly, drank water with sodium bicarbonate.
    A few days after starting to drink the water with sodium bicarbonate in it, my urine tests started to show a pH of 7-8, at the beginning, it was 5-6.
    Once my urine tests were in the higher range, several things happened.
    1) boils stopped forming (I have had one or two since, and these have coincided with lower pH readings).
    2) I have been able to relax, and sleep well. This is something I didn’t realise I hadn’t been doing. My heart rate and breathing, while lying in bed, just weren’t slowing down the way they should. Now good.
    3) Muscle soreness is significantly reduced. I do a lot of yoga, and, even though I was practising often, tightness (especially in my lower back and neck) was still nagging me. Once my urine pH was more alkaline, this greatly improved.
    4) A nagging cough I couldn’t get rid of is gone.
    Anyway, this is what I have found which is contradictory to the article above.

    • umm you just explained how kidneys worked. you changed the pH, the kidneys took out the extra pH. is why it went from 5-6 to 7-8. drinking the water made the pH higher value number.

      also you may have been slightly acidic. so rebalancing your ph may have helped. or its the greens you were eating.

      • ‘umm’ from the article: ‘…urine pH is not a good indicator of overall pH in the body, nor is it a good indicator of general health.’

    • Why didn’t you go see a dermatologist to get a definate answer?

      Reoccuring boils? Stress and high protein diet? Are you sure they’re not blisters?
      Sounds like you recently contracted herpes to me. It’s not uncommon for it to hang out near the nose, cheeks, and chin instead of the mouth. Herpes is fueled by high protein (specifically- arginine) diets. Herpes is worse when you first contract it, then gradually the immune system learns how to keep it at bay so the virus hides in nearby nerves where the immune system won’t attack it, but as soon as your immune system is weakened (either by stress or illness) and/or your diet is high in arginine again, a herpes outbreak will occur.

      You can get herpes from kissing or sharing eating utensils with a person who has herpes. It’s also possible that you contracted it in the past and it’s only now that you are developing symptoms, so don’t go casually blaming people for it. A lot of people can have the virus but never have an outbreak. Some only get them when they’re sick (hence “cold sore”). Unfortunately, it’s also possible for people to have the virus (possibly unknowingly) and shed it without obvious visible symptoms. This is called “viral shedding” and it can be just as infectous as a blister. This is why it’s still important to be cautious about who you kiss or share eating utensils with.

  5. I’d like to think that you are just wrong, because the alternative is quite nefarious. You will have sold you soul and abandoned your Hippocratic Oath by spreading such “alternative facts” on this subject.

  6. Because the maintenance of the blood pH is the highest good, the acid H + is transported into the tissue, stored there to the collagen (structural protein in the connective tissue) as well as the proteoglycans (particularly strongly glycosylated glycoproteins) and the glycosaminoglycans (carbohydrates in which a large Number of simple sugars are linked via a glycosidic bond), which act as a buffer. If more and more acid H + accumulate in the tissue over time, this is referred to as acid re-accumulation in the connective tissue “hyperacidity” or “slagging”. A bicarbonate deficit in the blood tries to balance the body by removing the bicarbonate from the bone. As a result, the bone structure breaks down, leaving calcium free. Is this correct Chris?

  7. Reading through these threads it is clear to me that most of the alkaline diet proponents are grasping at straws to keep their delusion alive.
    The body has mechanisms to maintain homeostasis. That is, pH, as well as blood levels of minerals, O2, CO2, temperature, heart rate, and bloody everything! needs to be in a narrow range for the body to operate properly. It has evolved mechanisms which do this regardless of most normal and abnormal influences from both within and without, including what we eat.
    Alkalosis can be caused by a number of different factors. Please see
    http://www.merckmanuals.com/home/hormonal-and-metabolic-disorders/acid-base-balance/alkalosis
    Please note that this happens when the natural balance is disturbed by something like renal failure, severe dehydration, low blood O2 levels. Interestingly, one thing that may cause it is an overdose of bicarbonate (baking soda). Why? In the absence of other problems, *the body has enough bicarbonate of its own.* Its called the bicarbonate buffer system. The equation looks like this:

    C O 2 + H 2 O ⇄ H 2 C O 3 ⇄ H C O 3 − + H + {\displaystyle {\rm {CO_{2}+H_{2}O\rightleftarrows H_{2}CO_{3}\rightleftarrows HCO_{3}^{-}+H^{+}}}} {\displaystyle {\rm {CO_{2}+H_{2}O\rightleftarrows H_{2}CO_{3}\rightleftarrows HCO_{3}^{-}+H^{+}}}}

    Too much acid? Excess H ions will react with bicarb ions. Too much base and the system works in the opposite direction utilizing carbonic acid. What’s more, each of the body’s cells does this all day.
    So. Fluctuations happen, they are normal and natural, and the body has its own very effective method of dealing with them. You CAN overwhelm the body’s homeostatic mechanisms by consuming a box of baking soda or NaOH (lye) drops in your water, but eating too much meat or not enough lemons is not going to do it. You cannot prevent all fluctuations, because the body is an open and organic system. The fluctuations, again, are inevitable, natural, and not an indication of “chronic acid damage” or whatever some of you are on about. Even if you could manipulate your blood pH with regular food, you could not do so with any precision. The above examples should show how this can get you into deep trouble.

    As for the alkalizing drops, they appear to sell for about 10 dollars for a tiny little dropper bottle. It would be way cheaper to buy a big bottle of Drano. At least some of them have the same active ingredient.

    I don’t think anyone is suggesting that healthy fruits and vegetables are useless in terms of health. The reasons, though, don’t have to do with this weird alkaline hypothesis.

    In addition, “resorption pits” caused in bone by osteoclasts are also natural and happen all the time. Your bones are being constantly remodeled in response to the stresses (or lack thereof) placed on them. Osteoclasts tear down some bone here, while osteoblasts will build some more over there. This is how broken bones get repaired, and it’s also how exercise and resistance training can actually increase the density of your bones and make you less susceptible to osteoporosis. Pretty cool, huh?

    Also, to the person whose acne resolved when the alkalizing pump was installed and he had to drink the tap water….um, you had to wash your face with it too, right? This would be a more likely factor for that change. Just saying.

    • Your argument is full of the subtle telltale signs that you are here to serve the cancer industry and their puppet masters who want to kill off as many humans in as many different slow and fast ways that they can, because they are not themselves human or secretly consider themselves superior to most humans and they want to keep the American citizenry defined as the enemy, as has been the case since 1871 when the real Constitution was suspended and THE CORPORATION OF THE UNITED STATES hijacked the Republic in a coup d’etat by the Satanists…. You all give yourselves away, because you are not half as bright as you think you are, and the Devil is a jealous imitator who wouldn’t know authenticity if it slapped him in the face, so he doesn’t know when he is giving himself away.

        • The sad part here is, this person clearly needs psychological medication, but is highly unlikely to seek help, or be talked into help because the condition prevents treatment…

      • I have a friend that is a doctor. Now we all know that a doctor can be wrong on an diagnoses. Now when they tell you about something that they learned in Med School, well that is different. My dr. friend told me that our kidneys have an amazing ability to keep blood PH at just above 7. there are definite benefits to eating healthy. lets try to keep the fact straight. Those of you who want to comment on his conspiracy. Well you are falling under a lie at this very moment. Also think who is going to pay the money to buy these supplements, Us! Or should we believe the doctors. they don’t have there hand. God Bless!

        • Whole food is not a supplement.
          But go ahead, fill your face with burgers, fries, cakes etc.. You know the classic America diet stuff.

      • I have a Doctor friend. I got caught up in this mass delusion. I spent way to much money. Then he enlightened me with the truth. That elusive thing the truth and it did set me free. He told me that our kidneys are AMAZING organs. They have the ability to keep our blood PH at just above 7. I know that eating healthy is important. As far as test strips go, you are urinating excess acidity in the blood because that is how we get ride of it. So it is going to be more acidic.
        So I think I would trust the doctors. They have nothing to gain from lying. Although this growing industry has plenty to benefit from eluding the truth. Which most have already contributed too. So for those who want to think someone is delusional. I think those who have fallen for this scam and spent money on this. Let’s try to keep it real. Oh wait maybe his blood is too acidic. LOL

        • Yes, your kidneys filter your blood getting rid of excess acidity or whatever else there may be in your blood.

          Your kidneys aren’t going to expel acid unless an excess is detected right!

          With the current American diet acid forming foods are eaten in excess, creating a never ending cycle of slightly acidic blood. Thus Low Grade Chronic Acidosis.

          How long when your blood increases is acidity does it take for your kidneys to get rid of the excess? 1 hour? 2 Hours? or more?

          It’s a never ending cycle that has some negative health consequences. Therefore eating healthy and alkaline forming foods to keep your blood in the optimal PH range, not putting as much pressure on your kidneys etc… Is a good thing. No matter how you look at it.

          • I teach physiology and therefore I believe that I know a little bit about how the body works. Let me try to dispel some of the erroneous notions you have about how kidney functions to maintain the pH balance and also explain how well the pH is maintained by the body utilizing the blood buffer system. The ability of our body to maintain the physiological parameters within a very tight range is called homeostasis. As for pH, the body maintains a pH between 7.35 and 7.45, the average being 7.4. Blood pH is primarily maintained by a buffer system called the bicarbonate buffer system. The bicarbonate system has the ability to move the reaction backward and forward mediated by an amazing enzyme called carbonic anhydrase. Acidity is caused by increase in the H+ ion or otherwise called protons. It is the amount of protons that determine the pH. When we talk about “physiological pH”, it means that the buffering system is capable of capturing the excess protons when they are produced in excess or release protons when the proton concentrations become lower. The capture and release of protons is mediated by the carbonic anhydrase enzyme. These reactions happen in microseconds because excess protons can be harmful. Your contention that urine is acidic because of excess acid in blood is not true. The excess protons produced as a result of metabolic activity is immediately neutralized in the blood by the bicarbonate buffer system. What the kidney does is to remove the excess protons bound to bicarbonate. In the same way, if blood pH turns slightly alkaline, the bicarbonate buffer can release bound protons to bring the pH back into the physiological range. The physiological pH does not usually go beyond the set range in healthy individuals. Blood acidosis and alkalosis occur due to diseases. Food alone will not contribute to the change in pH beyond the normal range. Therefore, as for the alkaline diet, I am not convinced that the diet will influence blood pH in any significant way. Trust in the ability of your body and eat healthy. As someone else mentioned in the thread here, if you see any industry resorting to scare tactics to drive their business, your skepticism antenna should go up immediately.

          • You are really talking about excessive oxidative damage. Even emotional stress does this. Eat foods that help support metabolic pathways and reduce oxidative damage. All this talk about pH is nonsense. The reason vaginal yeast and gut Candida over grow is due to lowered immune function. Destress, get good sleep, eat a variety of whole foods and move your lymphatic(exercise). It’s really not that freaking complicated. Telling people which nuts or fruits or meats are better than the other is ridiculous. Telling people to drink anything other than filtered mineralized water is bogus.

        • The biggest tell tale sign of this scam is how they use scare tactic. If you don’t become healthy and change your blood PH, you could get cancer or a million other health problems. But they can help you with all your health ailments with just a few drops of this magic alkaline drop. You won’t have to worry about pain any more. Sounds like those traveling wagon salesmen. Please search opposing arguments so you can really make an educated decision.

        • @Virgomind.
          Just to clarify a thought process you seem to fall on often: “…doctors. They have nothing to gain from lying.” Actually almost all doctors make a good portion of their income from recommending/prescribing products from the pharmaceutical & supplement industry. No, it’s not some conspiracy theory I’m buying into. I have doctors & nurses in the family & there have been several records showing these “commissions” if you will. However, a doctor who hesitates to prescribe or recommend anything beyond natural diet & excercise could very well be trustworthy enough for you to invest more heavily into their opinion. In the end, a good doctor will tell you no doctor knows your body better than you. It’s up to you to know what’s best, & up to doctors to simply be there as a resource if you have questions.

          • Oh yes and the people selling you on “alkalizing drops” and supplements have NOTHING TO GAIN?
            Don’t be stupid. My aunt is currently dying of cancer because she wasted all her time on bogus “natural” cures and now the tumors are out of hand.

          • “In the end, a good doctor will tell you no doctor knows your body better than you. It’s up to you to know what’s best, & up to doctors to simply be there as a resource if you have questions.”

            Um…no. Yes, a good doctor will tell someone that they can describe their symptoms best and know when something may be amiss…sort of. Regular laypeople have no real understanding of medicine or science. They just don’t. If you are somewhat knowledgeable, educated, intelligent, you can get some information from research and some from doctors…but if you have no basic education about how your body works, and you are consulting sources that are basically lies held together with bandwidth and duct tape, then you are going to end up drawing flawed conclusions. Eat all the veggies and fruits you want to; they are seriously healthy for you. This is not because they are alkaline or change the alkalinity of your blood. Your body can handle hard water (alkaline — usually above 8.4) because it has a bicarbonate buffer system to keep the blood at right around 7.4. It can handle soft water (acid — lower than about 6.5), again, because of the magical bicarb buffer system. So you can drink all the alkaline water you want to; the body is going to attempt to keep the blood at 7.4, and it will pretty much succeed at staying within the range of 7.35 to 7.45, barring any disease process.

  8. I think it has been established firmly that diet does effect urinary pH, due to the bi-products of certain foods….How do these bi-products get to the kidneys??? Through the blood. Although the shift in blood pH is negligible and short a lifetime of these microadjustments can have serious consequences! Nobody believes one glass of milk will give you osteoporosis, but an acid-based diet of animal products and processed food certainly might, and there is a significant amount of data that would point to this.

    • What data?

      And where is the evidence that food alters blood pH? Urinary pH IS NOT blood pH, and a change in urinary pH DOES NOT indicate a change in blood pH. In fact urinary pH can be altered by by things other than diet.

      Even though ALL foods metabolize in to acids this does not mean diet will change blood pH either. The blood pH is maintained within a very narrow range regardless of what you eat since pH IS NOT regulated by diet.

  9. well this is disheartening. my blood tests came back all normal/healthy with the exception of my PH coming in at 5.0. I find this alarming and am scared after reading the negative aspects of acidic blood…. but according to this article there is nothing I can do about it even if I eat nothing but fruit and vegetables. What is a person to do then?!?!?

    • blueskies: “well this is disheartening. my blood tests came back all normal/healthy with the exception of my PH coming in at 5.0.”

      If you had a blood pH of 5 you would be dead. Normal blood pH is 7.36-7.45. Anything slightly out of that range and you would be very ill. Anything more out of range such as a pH of 6 or 8 and you would be on your death bed if not already dead.

      You need to double check your lab report and see what they were testing the pH of. If it does say blood then there is a major lab error or you are a true zombie.

  10. What is the net effect of the body working hard to maintain blood Ph levels when it encounters a constant barrage of acidic foods. My body is pretty good at maintaining my blood sugar levels but that does not make it immune to the damage done carrying out this process

    • ALL foods are acid forming. Many of the so-called alkaline foods actually have acidic pH levels to begin with mostly due to beneficial acids. And again, ALL foods get metabolized in to acids. There is NO such thing as an alkaline forming food. The so-called alkaline diet is a myth.

        • Only if you want to ruin your health. Baking soda IS NOT alkaline in the body. When ingested it is neutralized by the stomach acid forming carbonic acid and sodium chloride salt. So it does not even make it past the stomach acid. If an excess of sodium chloride is formed then hyperchloremic acidosis can result.

          As for ingesting baking soda this can lead to all sorts of health issues including cancer and heart disease. Read this thread for a more detailed explanation:

          http://medcapsules.com/forum/showthread.php?tid=25527

    • Robert Mac: “You guys have to take a look at this study:http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0946672X0180064X?showall%3Dtrue%26via%
      You can change the ph of your blood… 0.007% …and something special happens… If you are lucky.”

      I see several problems with this study.

      First of all note how they say hypothesized. A hpothesis is an educated guess not backed by any real evidence. Same reason that at the bottom they say “disturbed acid-base balance may contribute to the symptoms of low back pain.” Emphasis on the word “may”.

      Secondly they mention the product used by name, which leads me to believe that the study may have been funded by the manufacturer, which would mean a conflict of interest.

      Then in their findings they don’t separate the results with the number of patients very well, which shows very sloppy research work. For example, did all of the 82 patients have exactly the same 0.007% change in blood pH? Also note they actually wrote “±0.0007”, which would indicate that change either up or down. Regardless, all the values are still in the normal ALKALINE range, not acidic. So where is this supposed latent acidosis they are referring to?

      And finally as the pointed out the only significant increase was in magnesium (11%) increase. Magnesium acts like a natural calcium channel blocker thus relaxing blood vessels and increasing circulation that aids with healing. So again there is no proof of any buffering of any “latent acidosis” as they hypothesize.

  11. Just start listening to your body….it’s ok to read stuff but seriously it’s all about listening to what your body needs. There are certain foods that really work for me and others not so much. Take the time to listen to your needs and not as much about what others are telling you to do?

    • So if your body says I really want some cocaine you are going to listen to your body?

      And what if you are a sugar addict? If your body says I want sugar are you going to load up on ice cream?

      What the body wants and what the body needs are not always the same thing.

        • OK Julia how do you listen to your body when it says it needs cAMP? Or increased methylation? Or acetylcholine?…….

          People often assume they need things based on cravings because the average person does not have the faintest clue how the body really works. Same reason so many people fell for the alkalize for health myth. Or the ingesting baking kills cancer cells myth. Or the parasites cause all cancer and AIDS myth………

          Let me give you a couple of examples and see if you can figure out what is missing.

          A person with asthma needs what?

          A person with osteoporosis needs what?

          A person with diabetes needs what?

          A person with heart disease needs what?

          A person with osteoarthritis needs what?

          A person with UC or Crohn’s needs what?

          A person with senile dementia needs what?

          A person with hypothyroidism needs what?

          A person with an aneurysm needs what?

          Let’s see how many if any of these you can answer properly to start with.

          • Natural magnesium sourced from foods is what you are all really looking for. I personally don’t believe pH levels is to blame for things going wrong in the
            body. I truely believe most ailments/diseases are caused or associated with magnesium
            deficiency. Nothing much works in the body without it like calcium absorption
            cannot occur without enough magnesium. And without enough magnesium the body takes calcium from the bones & when there is an excess of calcium, without magnesium, it goes to our soft tissues (arthritis). Magnesium levels need replacing every day but calcium doesn’t excrete & will build up over time often settling in the wrong places. I think with the right amount of Mg (not supplements) our pH levels will always be normal! 🙂

            • Thank you for being able to finally provide me with a very good explanation to the importance of Magnesium. I have been taking chemo therapy for the past 4.5 years and always test low in Magnesium, supplements don’t raise that value neither does the IV infusion of Magnesium.

              • Unfortunately what you were told is not exactly true.

                Magnesium is essential to many things. In fact about 300 processes in the body. But it is a calcium antagonist, which is why it works like a natural calcium channel blocker and is used for things like preventing migraines and calcium induced high blood pressure.

                Calcium absorption itself is actually dependent on silica and vitamin D, which aid in the absorption. Deposition of calcium and other minerals in the bones is also dependent on silica.

                A lack of magnesium DOES NOT take calcium out of the bones. Calcium loss from bones is most often due to hyperparathyroidism from benign tumors or pseudohyperparathyroidism from excess phosphorus intake. A lack of silica or exercise can also lead to mineral loss from bones.

                And none of the 120 forms of arthritis are from a lack of magnesium. Arthritis actually means inflammation of the joint, not calcium deposition. Bone spurs (osteophytes) can occur in some cases of arthritis, but this is not from a lack of magnesium. Osteophytes, which contain various mineral including calcium and magnesium, are formed from pressure on the bone. In arthritis from bones putting pressure on each other and in other cases from pulling of tendons on bone.

                Finally, magnesium does not regulate our pH. As pointed out previously our pH is regulated almost exclusively by respiration and kidney function.

                As for magnesium supplementation there are different forms of magnesium. The most often used is magnesium oxide because it is the cheapest for manufacturers to use. But the stuff is crap!!!! Magnesium oxide in water forms a caustic magnesium hydroxide. Same as Milk of Magnesia. It is very poorly absorbed, can adversely neutralize stomach acid leading to numerous health problems and is hard on the tissues due to its mildly caustic nature. I prefer acidified forms of magnesium. Magnesium malate is my first choice followed by magnesium citrate.

        • First intelligent comment on this post… and that James person surely has a very fulfilling life.
          Thank you Julia!

      • Jame, I don’t think this is what Julia meant, listening to your body is being honest with what you feel. If you eat a big meal at McDonalds and after feels a bit sick that’s listening to your body, if you ignore this feeling and just eat because your body wants this junk food that’s listening to only what your body wants (and not listening to your body)!

        And overall you might have a point in your anti-alkaline diet theory but I wouldn’t be so sure that foods can’t affect your blood ph. Since like you said not everything you want to eat is good for you then some things you eat quiet surely affect everything in your body, whether it’s sugar, fats, or ph levels it’s all part of the same system and affected by one another.

        I’m with Julia on the listening to your body and also to keep learning what could potentially harm you coz some foods defenetly do.

    • I’m also a believer. Paying attention to your body and using common sense, if you feel some tomato craving, go for it.

  12. Very interesting about the acid-bone connection. While it has always seemed logical that calcium from bone would be used as buffer, your article shed new light that makes me question this logic. Thanks.

    • Bones are only used as a buffer as a very last resort. This would require long term and extreme acidosis to break the bones down to any significance. Acidosis this bad is so rare that most doctors will never see such as case in their entire lives.

      On the other hand some bone cells do secrete citric acid to break down old bone for the bone remoldeling process. But this is a good thing as it is essential to maintaining healthy bone.

  13. I think there are more people that try to feed false info than you think and they start like this….. not on your band wagon kid…

    • Kathy it is the uninformed like you who spread such disinformation.

      I had a child die needing five major organ transplants. She was born in both liver and renal failure. She spent her life battling acidosis.

      I developed kidney disease more than a decade later.

      Trust me, if you were truly acidotic from your diet and what you eat, you would not be bopping to the store frequently to buy fresh produce to make your green smoothies!!! You would be sick in bed wishing death would just get it over with already!!!

      People who spread this bunk lack any basic comprehension of how the biochemistry of the body works.

      For one thing, the ph in your stomach thanks to hcl, kcl, NaCl is so caustically high…. You cannot humanly consume anything remotely close to those ph levels bc of the deeply painful burns and damage it causes in your mouth, throat, and esophagus. This is Why the stomach has a very special lining to protect it.

      Then…. After the acid breaks down the food into chyme, it passes into the duodenum where the body has a phenomenal buffering system where it bathes the chyme is such a profoundly basic (alkaline) solution that …. AGAIN!!! You cannot possibly consume Anything nearly as caustic and basic/alkaline as what your body produces to neutralize the foods you have eaten prior to them entering your intestinal tract where nutrients are absorbed into your bloodstream.

      This elegantly elaborate system of acids/bases, brought to you naturally by your body’s own natural design, without you needing to do a damn thing! has been keeping your blood pH in perfect balance since you first came into existence. No need for you or anyone else to manipulate your dietary intake one way or another.

      There are plenty of good reasons for ensuring your diet includes critical basics like fats, proteins, sugars (your brain lives on glucose alone, fyi), fibers, and a wide variety of nutrients and micronutrients and minerals.

      Blood ph manipulation is NOT one of them.

      You cannot alter your blood pH with anything you take by mouth.

      With my child and I being TRULY acidotic (death come take me!!) based on absolute kidney failures, I can tell you:

      Doctors do not give us squat to take orally to control our blood pH. Bc nothing taken orally can affect blood pH. When we are acidotic and at risk fo imminent death, drs give sodium bicarbonate thru an IV!!

      IV DELIVERY OF ACIDS/BASES IS THE ONLY WAY TO ALTER BLOOD PH LEVELS.

      That IS the way to treat acidosis.

      Nothing you eat can affect your blood pH. It just does not work that way.

      • Diet does affect the function of your body. So don’t discard the positive affects that diet can have on allowing your body to self correct. Diet, nutrition & lifestyle all have a positive or negative affect on your bodies function. You are correct that the food you take in does not usually have a direct affect on your bodies function. The critical part that most doctors leave out is how your diet affects your endocrine system, which controls your bodies function and its level of performance. Typically foods with a higher ph support a healthier endocrine system. Not just because they are a higher ph, but because these food are more nutrient dense. The whole concept is to minimize toxins (they have a huge negative affect on the endocrine system) increase you nutrient intake to allow the endocrine system to get back in balance. It’s very hard to address or improve the function of just one hormone. The hormones interact with each other at many different levels. There are no magic pills and not everything works exactly the same way for everyone. Some conditions can not be corrected, but that does not mean to discard the Single most powerful treatment for all diseases.

        • Yes, diet can affect health. But as you point out later in your post this is from the nutritional value, not altering pH since diet DOES NOT alter pH.

          • I think you missed my point. Nutrition affects body function. Maintaining ph is part of body function. Nutrient dense foods tend to be more alkaline and thus help control and maintain normal healthy body function. Nutrition affects or activates proper hormone function and proper hormone function creates a healthy body. Poor nutrition or less nutrient dense foods create dysfunction and disease. Theses foods tend to be more acidic and are not able to promote optimum health.

            • Steve: “Nutrition affects body function. Maintaining ph is part of body function.”

              That is a real stretch and is as ridiculous as claiming that plastic is natural because it comes from oil made by nature.

              Steve: “Nutrient dense foods tend to be more alkaline”

              Actually that is not true. Most of the healthiest foods, including many falsely called “alkaline foods” are actually acidic.

              Steve: ” Nutrition affects or activates proper hormone function and proper hormone function creates a healthy body. ”

              The discussion IS NOT hormone function or activation. The topic is blood pH regulation, which is carried out almost exclusively by respiration and kidney function. Not diet.

              Steve: “Poor nutrition or less nutrient dense foods create dysfunction and disease.”

              There are many reasons for dysfunction and disease.

              Steve: “Theses foods tend to be more acidic and are not able to promote optimum health.”

              And once again that is complete nonsense.

              By the way did you ever stop and consider what many of those nutrients are? For example ascorbic acid, folic acid, pantothenic acid, ascorbic acid, malic acid, chlorogenic acid, acidic polyphenols……….. Even beneficial fibers are fermented in a variety of health promoting acids.

      • Funny thing after all that *Theory* its been Scientifically proven that Sodium Bicarbonate has dramatic effects on weight lifters/endurance athletes through (you guessed it) buffering mechanism within the bloods PH http://www.ergo-log.com/mega-dose-of-sodium-bicarb-helps-bodybuilders-make-more-reps.html.

        So much for “Bunk” eh? I really wish people wouldnt take such lofty positions when they dont actually know what theyre talking about -_- feet cant taste good.

        • Yes, it is bunk. People are not using common sense or scientific facts and therefore are misinterpreting the study.

          Let’s start with common sense and chemistry. What happens to the baking soda when it is ingested? Simple, it is neutralized by the stomach acid forming carbonic acid and sodium chloride salt.

          So how is this supposedly helping to reduce acidity i the blood or muscles when it no longer has any buffering capacity?

          So why does it help? Simple, the sodium chloride is an electrolyte, which can help increase endurance.

          • Because “neutral” can be a buffer on acidity.. It doesn’t have to be basic to have a pull to neutral….

  14. I read that high acidity in body can cause cancer and so on… But when I read more about this, do not seem to be correct. So the next step was to Research about it more. I add this keywords on google ” high acidity body myth” and I found this website. Good and clear explanation. Thank you so much!

    • This is partly to mostly wrong and disinform(ed/ing) information….. Yes, it is a myth to overgeneralize into “a person is systemically constant acidic or base / only high or only low pH.”
      The human body, like much of life formations, is cyclical or biorhythmic….. One’s body is extremely unhealthy in a flat-lined pH level….. The average (and timing relative to digestion and other activity) pH between highs and lows is more important…. And of course the body system is generally healthier when the average is mostly in alkaline status outside of increases when one eats a meal. (Eating will increase acid level to help breakdown foods toward bioavailable components….. And the need to increase the pH will partly be determined by amount of 1- viable enzymes, acids, and nutrition profile (K17 type vitamins / oxidizing/anti-oxidizing ratios) and such in foods eaten. Noting that more enzymes are in fully raw foods, is very important 2- ability for one’s body to produce needed enzymes combined and dependent on the body’s health needed to let fluids flow unobstructed to get where needs to go…. much like metabolism functions that get hormones produced and delivered where and at right timing for called upon functions.
      Foods like raw vinegars and fermented foods / probiotic profiles of food and of digestive tract (Anti-biotics are very much unhealthy in this and other senses of protecting and defending healthy systems / body ecology!)….. are very important to / towards or maintaining health.
      Many food additives (seemingly often even the simple sounding ones, nevertheless the synthetic and high processed ones) like combos of high processed / bleached sugars / high fructose corn syrups, high processed / fractionated oils, caffeine, contemporary process alkali chocolate, and calcium carbonates are an example…. Basically a mix such as that is akin to putting cement or concrete into your systems, and the body tries to deal with this partly by increasing to more acidic levels (As well as trying to tell us not to eat much processed food and such additives as calcium carbonate…. Tells us through various discomforts and difficulties as result)

      • Craig, we are discussing blood pH, not the pH of the digestive system. What foods you eat does not affect your blood pH.

        And calcium carbonate IS NOT like putting cement in the body. Calcium carbonate reacts with stomach acid forming the absorbable salt calcium chloride.

        • You said I quote “No one is saying that food doesn’t affect your blood pH”

          I does without question and that’s a fact. If it didn’t why then do we have biological systems to keep it in check?

          Low Grade Chronic Metabolic Acidosis is real and it happens. Science doesn’t know the long term affects of it yet, but it happens. End of story.

          • Again, nobody claimed food does not affect your pH. But there is a major difference between “affect” and regulate”. Our blood pH is affected by diet since ALL foods metabolize in to acids, many of which are essential to our health, function and existence. But diet DOES NOT regulate pH.

            And again NOBODY claimed low grade metabolic acidosis does not exist. Yes, it does and there are many reasons for this such as kidney or respiratory issues since there are the main means of pH regulation.

  15. Hi, What a load of tosh your article is. I suffered from advanced prostate cancer which had become metastatic. i was on strong hormone treatment (Bicolutomide and Lucrin) to reduce my testosterone as I was told my cancer feeds on testosterone. Despite this, my psa started to rise dramatically from undetectable to 8.7 over a year. The future was bleak with the only real alternative being chemotherapy.

    After some research, I gave up all sugar (which is highly acidic) and hard cheese for the same reason and took baking soda every day. After an initial high dosage of up to three teaspoons a day in a glass of water, I now take a half teaspoonful in a glass of water morning and evening.

    After three months, my psa had reduced to 2.8, after a further 3 months it was 0.35, then 0.11 and last month was .06. I am off the hormonesand taking no other treatment and my oncologist has confirmed the reduction in psa is entirely of my own doing!

    Also, I have suffered with nasal polyps for 25 years and have had four operations to remove them. I have been told I am very good at growing nasal polyps and i would always have them and there is no known cause for them. By now (6 years after my last operation) i should be full of nasal polyps again, but guess what, I no longer have any nasal polyps.

    I have also lost about 8 pounds of belly fat and have more energy than I have had for years. But, I guess this is all a myth and I am dreaming!!

    • right on!!! His article demonstrates partial knowledge, which is even more useless than no knowledge at all.

    • I’m happy for you, man! But your anecdote is still explained by the evidence Chris posted and numerous scientific studies that help us understand how cancer cells work. Cancer cells thrive on sugar (which has a PH of 7–I’m not sure why you believe sugar is “acidic” when it has a neutral PH), so cutting it out of your diet was wise. It would also help to explain why the cancer stopped growing so quickly and (I’m assuming) went into remission.

      Your singular example doesn’t prove or disprove anything. Cutting all sugar out of your diet and focusing on a plant-heavy diet (as Paleo thought leaders push time and again) would obviously have a positive effect on your health. It’s not imaginary. It can be scientifically explained by Chris’s article and cited studies.

      If you have an emotional tie to the acid-alkaline diet myth, then keep it. But looking down your nose at a man who has helped thousands overcome chronic disease that conventional medicine gave up on is arrogant and childish.

      I hope your good health continues. 🙂

      • Caleb, food items are not considered acidic or alkaline. It is the metabolic effect that earns them the name acid or base forming. Sugar is considered acidic because it increase excretion of magnesium. Lemon is not considered “acidic” because the carboxylic acids are metabolized to water and CO2.

        • Carystus: “Caleb, food items are not considered acidic or alkaline. It is the metabolic effect that earns them the name acid or base forming.”

          ALL foods get metabolized in to acids. Proteins are broken down in to amino acids, then in to alkaline ammonia, which is then converted in to uric acid to protect the body from the highly alkaline and toxic ammonia. Fats and oils are broken down in to fatty acids, which are then metabolized forming carbonic acid. Simple sugars are metabolized in to carbonic acid. Insoluble fibers are enzymatically broken down by the flora in to simple sugars that are then fermented forming a variety of beneficial acids.

          Carystus: “Sugar is considered acidic because it increase excretion of magnesium.”

          No, once again sugars are used as a fuel source and when broken down for energy we end up with the byproducts carbon dioxide and water forming carbonic acid, which is essential to many functions in the body.

          Carystus: “Lemon is not considered “acidic” because the carboxylic acids are metabolized to water and CO2.”

          No, lemons are considered acidic because if you test their pH they are acidic due to a variety of acids present such as citric acid, malic acid, oxalic acid, ascorbic acid, etc.

          • Unfortunately, I think most of you are off the mark. It’s not diet that you should focusing on, although it does play an obvious role in many of the biochemical pathways in out body. James had mentioned earlier how to explain chronic conditions such as:
            A person with asthma needs what?

            A person with osteoporosis needs what?

            A person with diabetes needs what?

            A person with heart disease needs what?

            A person with osteoarthritis needs what?

            A person with UC or Crohn’s needs what?

            A person with senile dementia needs what?

            A person with hypothyroidism needs what?

            A person with an aneurysm needs what?

            They all need O2. It’s the delivery of O2 that is being altered – Bohr Effect – by the amount of CO2, or lack there of, in our blood. We’ve become a society of mouth breathers with and without sleep disturbed breathing, which decreases the availability of CO2 in our lungs and blood. Without it, O2 can not be released to our tissues. I won’t go into it further, but I would urge you to read Sleep Interrupted by Steven Park. Many of our chronic medical conditions are a result of or exasperated by our breathing, both at night during sleep and during the day. Lack of O2 creates a cascade of events that can explain virtually all of what James has stated.

            • Great comment Greg. Let me share my experience.
              I am 44 years old male with type II diabetes and I have an intermission between jobs and skin dived (spear fishing- apnea based) for the last two months. Here are the results.
              Increase muscle mass; much healthier eye lashes, nails, shiny skin, no sinus issues and no sinus related headaches. I become much more healthier in a period of three weeks. The place I stay has elevated levels of oxygen and I could achieve 7&1/2 hours non-stop swim based dives near the shore. Of course I get exhausted but for a guy with diabetes II 7&1/2 hours non-stop parcures is next to impossible.
              There is one trick though. I only got natural food during this time, which is also next to impossible in our urban prisons.

            • Greg,

              That is not the correct answer. What was being referred to is what was missing that led to these diseases and conditions, which IS NOT oxygen. If oxygen was missing then the cells would be dead, not in a disorder.

              All of our body’s cells need oxygen. But even with sufficient oxygen those diseases and conditions can still occur because oxygen is not the deficiency leading to those diseases and conditions.

              Finally, the answer to my questions IS NOT singular. There are different causes and/or deficiencies to many of the individual diseases and conditions and therefore not all cured by any one thing.

              But you are correct about the CO2, or more specifically carbonic acid. The release of oxygen (O2) from hemoglobin to tissues is dependent on carbonic acid. This is why alkalinity inhibits oxygen release from hemoglobin decreasing tissue oxygenation.

              James

          • I did read the article. Apparently you did not read it yourself or you simply did not understand what it said. Why don’t you quote the article exactly where it states that minerals in food have acid or alkaline attributes as far as influencing blood pH. Oh that;s right you can’t do it since they did not claim this.

            In fact, your own link clearly states:

            “Blood pH is mainly buffered via the CO2/HCO3 system. Additional buffering is contributed by the numerous histidine residues of hemoglobin and by plasma proteins. “. Hmmm, no mention of acidifying or alkalizing minerals at all.

            • It states. “A multitude of potential causes of systemic acidosis exist, in addition to renal and respiratory disease. These include anaerobic exercise, gastroenteritis, excessive consumption of protein or other acidifying substances,”

              “Our results may help to explain the pathogenesis of a wide range of bone disorders and emphasize the critical role played by the vasculature in bone health. Future therapies for treating bone loss disorders could be based on shifting systemic acid-base balance in the alkaline direction using diet (e.g., via fruit and vegetables and calcium salts) or drugs or by targeting H+-sensing receptors on osteoclasts. Our findings also provide further rationale for the promotion of vascular health via aerobic exercise, avoidance of smoking, and good diet.”

              Blood PH is “Mainly” buffered as explained. But diet is a factor.

              Then there is this study that concludes.

              “The simultaneous calcium balances averaged – 185 mEq, supporting the
              previous suggestion that bone mineral is an important buffer reservoir in the defense against chronic metabolic acidosis.”

              Then there are he conclusions of this study that show how diet is the cause of the many reasons for acidosis.

              http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0261561411000604

              https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC292842/pdf/jcinvest00268-0100.pdf

              • You are confusing acidosis with chronic metabolic acidosis.

                And yes, EXTREMELY SEVERE acidosis can lead to bone leaching. But acidosis itself is super rare to begin with and acidosis severe enough to lead to bone loss is significantly more rare since buffering by bones is only used as a very last resort for pH buffering from the body.

      • Why do you focus primarily on blood ph? What you eat does affect your body’s ph. The circulatory system is only one part of your body. You can not be objective if you do not look at the body as a whole being inside and out. Nutrition is the key and more alkaline foods tend to be higher in the nutrients needed to keep the body healthy. A balance is important and promoting that it does not matter what you eat is irresponsible.

        • The focus is on blood pH because when discussing the alkalize or die myth the alkalize refers to the blood, which is not affected by diet.

          And yes, the so-called “alkaline foods” are more nutritious, but this has NOTHING to do with altering the blood pH. In fact, many of these foods are highly acidic to begin with and ALL foods get metabolized in to acids. So the article is discussing the myth that diet can alter blood pH for health.

          To sum it all up NOBODY is claiming just to eat whatever. Again what is being pointed out is that it does not matter what you eat as far as blood pH goes since your pH IS NOT regulated by what you eat.

            • Again NOBODY claimed diet does not affect blood pH. But there is a major difference between affecting and regulating.

              Will diet affect blood pH? Yes because ALL foods get metabolized in to acids. And without many of those acids we would not exist. But there is always too much of a good thing so those acids that affect the blood pH have to be regulated. And they ARE NOT regulated by the diet, they are regulated almost exclusively by respiration and kidney function.

      • Bingo!! Caleb!

        The irony of those arguing that the author has only “partial knowledge” is that these accusations are being lobbied by people who don’t even comprehend the basics of human biochemistry and do not grasp what he’s saying… Bc they don’t have a foundational knowledge or understanding of how the body functions. Then they accuse him of having only partial knowledges… When it’s clear to anyone with an education, that they do not have one.

        They also equate anecdotal stories with scientific proof.

        It never once occurs to them that by taking charge of their WHOLE health and eating better as well as losing weight improves the naturally designed functions of your body… So it CAN fight off mutations and infections and long term damage.,,, as it was designed to do.

        We are trying to explain to people how the microscopic eggs that are laid in rotten food are connected to the larva worms which appear and later the bugs which soon will be seen surrounding the food source.

        Meanwhile they are arguing that life can spontaneously generate bc they saw a piece of fruit with “nothing” on it…. And suddenly flies are born!!! Therefore life can spontaneously generate from inanimate sources without any living fertilization or “parent” first to bring it forth

        Steve:
        As for why the author is focused on the blood pH…. BECAUSE THAT IS THE DEFINITION OF ACIDOSIS AND ALKALOSIS…. The subject you are so sure you understand better than those educated in the science of bodily systems.

        • Sorry. I was not trying to step on anyone’s toes. You are correct about the blood ph. I was only mentioning that the blood ph does not always control the ph of the body. I didn’t mean to be off topic. Sometimes you have to look at the whole body and not just one area in question.

          • Again when discussing the alkalize for health myth the reference is to blood pH, not the pH of other areas of the body, some of which that need to be acidic to be healthy.

      • The relationship between diet and cancer is well known. Dietary intake exists as the largest external or environmental epigenetic factor capable of driving the development or maintenance of cancer. The American Institute for Cancer Research (AICR) comprehensive global report has compiled numerous studies demonstrating associations between dietary habits and cancer risk. The findings recommend increased or regular consumption of vegetables, fruits, whole grains, and legumes, while discouraging excess consumption of sugary and energy-dense foods and drinks, red and processed meats, and salty processed foods (http://www.aicr.org).

        Acidity is a well known factor associated with cancer. Lower pH levels in the extracellular space promote the invasive and metastatic potential of cancer cells. Extracellular acidity is mostly generated by tumor cells due to upregulated proton [H+ and lactic acid production. This phenomenon is distinct from ‘acidity’ caused by a net-acid diet. A net-acid diet or acidogenic diet is determined by the balance between acid and base-forming dietary constituents. Most fruits and vegetables are net-base producing foods since the metabolized products are organic anion precursors such as citrate, succinate, and conjugate bases of carboxylic acids.

        The conclusion of this study is relevant. It does not say Chronic Low Grade Metabolic Acidosis is a direct cause of cancer, but does conclude that it plays a role.

        https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3571898/

        • First of all there are MANY forms of sugar.

          Secondly, a pH of 7 is neutral and thus not acidic. So a pH of 7 has a lower pH than a pH of 7.35-7.4 but still is not acidic.

          And none of this means sugar induces acidosis. So have no idea what your point is.

          • Of course you don’t.
            Lemons are acidic, right?
            Lemons are Alkaline when metabolized though aren’t they!

            Being neutral in pH means nothing to the net acid load on the body.

    • To: Jim Bagnall,
      Hi there, I too have metastatic prostate cancer, and am on the search for alternatives to chemo and hormone therapy. I have metatastasises in 4 places (identified by PSMA-PET scans). I would appreciate any other information re your diet etc that you may be prepared to share.
      Regards,
      John H

      • There are many different alternative therapies to treating a wide variety of different diseases. Cancer included. It is a serious condition and can not go untreated, if you are not willing to start traditional therapies, it would be in your best interest to see a Naturopathic Doctor who will be able to monitor you closely as even these natural remedies can have some nasty side effects if not followed closely.

        There are many different vitamins and minerals that can be taken that have shown to be helpful in treating cancer patients. Before taking any supplementation though you need to either talk a doctor.

    • That’s great news. It seems that no matter what people try to do to improve their health by alternative remedies or cures there will always be those that will attempt to dissuade them from doing so. If one is stricken with a sickness or ailment that has been determined by doctors to be inoperable or curable, why would you not try an alternative? If traditional cures are not working then what have they got to lose by trying another form of treatment. I know I would do exactly the same if I were in this position.
      I also can’t help thinking that some of these people that try to convince others that alternative cures or remedies do not work are in fact working for big pharmaceutical companies.

      • I don’t see the problem as being people trying to dissuade others from alternative therapies. The problem is that there are too many people with no education whatsoever in medicine or human physiology repeating proven BS such as you can alkalize the blood through diet or ingesting baking soda will cure cancer. When people keep promoting such nonsense they are a danger to other and a boon to big pharma who benefits because these people make holistic medicine look like quackery. That increases FDA power over holistic medicine and thereby increases profits and power of big pharma.

        • Dr. Sircus swears by baking soda/sodium bicarbonate. He has written numerous articles on the matter. So who are you again? Because Dr. Sircus is proven. Maybe mention your credentials here for everyone to see, instead of saying baking soda is worthless.

          • Dr. Sircus has no clue what he is talking about so I can care less if he swears by baking soda (sodium bicarbonate).

            Since you want to believe in this guy then read this and check the facts:

            http://medcapsules.com/forum/showthread.php?tid=25540

            If people would simply learn how things really work in the body instead of being gullible and believing any old crap they see on the internet like from Sircus then there would be a lot less time being wasted on debates.

    • John H
      APRIL 15, 2016 AT 4:10 PM

      To: Jim Bagnall,
      Hi there, I too have metastatic prostate cancer, and am on the search for alternatives to chemo and hormone therapy. I have metatastasises in 4 places (identified by PSMA-PET scans). I would appreciate any other information re your diet etc that you may be prepared to share.
      Regards,
      John H
      “Sorry, I just read this comment and I wasn’t sure you saw it, would you please help him!?”
      Liri

    • I just love your story Jim. Tony Robbins recommended a low alkaline diet to a very very sick guy in the audience. The guy was 19 and is now fully recovered and thriving in his mid 30’s. I am with you and Tony. As with everything, the proof is in the pudding. Xxx

      • Faye Triantis: “Tony Robbins recommended a low alkaline diet to a very very sick guy in the audience. ”

        ALL diets are “low alkaline” since ALL foods get metabolized in to acids.

        Robbins also promotes the caustic and disease forming ionized alkaline water. The water is caustic and alkaline due to the formation of mineral (metal) hydroxides. These can lead to numerous diseases by neutralizing stomach acid that increases risk of infection from pathogens and inhibits methylation. The hydroxides in the water also dissociate in to the dangerous hydroxyl radical linked to cancer and other disease formation.

        In my opinion Robbins has no clue about chemistry nor how the human body works, but is rather a sales pitch person reading from propaganda scripts.

        • If what you say about ionized alkaline water is true the coconut water( natures natural Kangen water would if dranked excessively lead to cancers. Ionized alkaline water has been the most effective in treating, gout for so many sufferers why down play and negate its benefits

          • Sharon,

            That is a ridiculous comparison. Coconut water is nothing like the caustic Kangen ionized alkaline water. Does coconut water contain the caustic mineral (metal) hydroxides of ionized alkaline water that are basically dilute versions of Drano and Red Devil Lye? Answer is NO!!!!!!!

            What you are doing is like comparing apples to rocks.

    • Doing all that eg baking soda, juicing, supllements, vegan diet etc and husband’s psa still increasing.

      • Priscilla, my own experience is that one must first remove fungus from the gut before taking sodium bicarbonate. Kefir (easily bought and creates a lifetime supply) will rebalance the gut with friendly bacteria and kill the bad stuff. There is some research extant that claims cancers are the result of fungal overgrowth in the body – candida albicans and the like – but you can google this and see if you think it correct.

        I then took a teaspoonful of aluminium free sodium bicarbonate (don’t use baking powder) with a spoonful of either honey or molasses, in 300 mil of mineral water three time a day for four months. It tastes quite disgusting, so tell your husband to hold his nose whilst drinking! My PSA had been 12 and is now down to 3. It should be reduced even further as I up the dose slightly to 4 tsps a day.

        The reason for taking the bicarb in molasses/honey is that cancers use sugars to grow. The sugars are taken into the cancer with the bicarb riding on them. The bicarb oxygenates the cancer – cancers prefer little oxygen – and the cancer shrinks and/or dies. That’s the theory.

        I have no idea if this will work for your husband, but it is worth a try. I hope it does.

        • JJ: “Priscilla, my own experience is that one must first remove fungus from the gut before taking sodium bicarbonate. ”

          What fungus? Did you personally do a colonoscopy to see if there is even fungus present?

          JJ: “There is some research extant that claims cancers are the result of fungal overgrowth in the body – candida albicans and the like”

          First of all there is NO research I have seen linking fungal overgrowth to cancer. There are some hypotheses based on the incorrect assumptions of Simoncini, but no research.

          There is some research showing other mycotoxins from molds can cause cancer. For example aflatoxins from Aspergillus that Simoncini falsely claims is the same thing as Candida, which is a yeast or fungus but not a mold.

          As for Candida, this is a dimorphic microbe that is a natural part of our flora. You cannot eliminate it. Candida exists in a benign yeast form in an acidic environment. In an alkaline environment Candida morphs in to a pathogenic fungal form. See:

          http://curezone.info/forums/fm.asp?i=1452732#i

          http://curezone.info/forums/fm.asp?i=1452739#i

          http://curezone.info/forums/fm.asp?i=1452747#i

          http://medproductreview.wordpress.com/2013/02/23/using-probiotics-to-treat-candida-yeast-infections/

          JJ: “I then took a teaspoonful of aluminium free sodium bicarbonate”

          ALL baking soda (sodium bicarbonate) is aluminum free. And it is dangerous to ingest. See my post to Priscilla.

          JJ: “The reason for taking the bicarb in molasses/honey is that cancers use sugars to grow.”

          Cancer cells can use glucose, fructose, lactate, ketones, fatty acids and some amino acids as fuel sources.

          JJ: “The bicarb oxygenates the cancer ”

          Wrong on several levels.

          First of all the bicarb DOES NOT even survive the stomach acid. It is neutralized forming carbonic acid and sodium chloride salt.

          Secondly, even if it did make it to the cancer cells, the cancer cells are already more alkaline internally than healthy cells. It is this alkalinity that allows cancer cells to survive and drives cancer glycolysis. When the proton pumps of cancer cells are blocked the cancer cells become acidic and die. On the other hand research has also shown that when healthy cells are made excessively alkaline the healthy cells morph in to cancer cells:

          Alkalinity driving cancer cell growth and malignant transformation:

          Role of the Intracellular pH in the Metabolic Switch Between Oxidative Phosphorylaiton and Aerobic Glycolysis-Relavance to Cancer. Cancer 2011;2(3):WMC001716

          Na+/H+ exchanger-dependent intracellular alkalinization is an early event in malignant transformation and plays an essential role in the development of subsequent transformation-associated phenotypes. FASEBJ 2000 Nov;14(14):2185-97

          Tumorigenic 3T3 cells maintain an alkaline intracellular pH under physiological conditions. Proc Natl Acad Sci USA 1990 October; 87(19): 7414–7418

          31P NMR analysis of intracellular pH of Swiss Mouse 3T3 cells: effects of extracellular Na+ and K+ and mitogenic stimulation. J Membr Biol 1986;94(1):55-64

          Extracellular Na+ and initiation of DNA synthesis: role of intracellular pH and K+. J Cell Biol 1984 Mar;98(3):1082-9

          How cancer cells maintain their internal alkalinity and evidence that blocking the proton pumps makes cancer cells acidic killing them:

          Vacuolar H(+)-ATPase in Cancer Cells: Structure and Function. Atlas of Genetics and Cytogenetics in Oncology and Haematology Sept. 2011

          Vacuolar H+-ATPase in human breast cancer cells with distinct metastatic potential: distribution and functional activity. Am J Physiol Cell Physiol 286: C1443–C1452, 2004

          Targeting vacuolar H+-ATPases as a new strategy against cancer. Cancer Res 2007 Nov 15;67(22):10627-30

          Vacuolar H(+)-ATPase signaling pathway in cancer. Curr Protein Pept Sci 2012 Mar;13(2):152-63

          JJ: “The bicarb oxygenates the cancer – cancers prefer little oxygen – and the cancer shrinks and/or dies. That’s the theory.”

          It is not a theory, it is a hypothesis ( an educated guess not backed by evidence), and a faulty one at that.

          First of all cancer cells are HIGHLY reliant on oxygen for growth and survival. So much that they have a higher affinity for available oxygen than healthy cells. In fact, cancer cells die in the absence of oxygen, which stimulates the process of angiogenesis, which helps surviving cancer cells to proliferate by increasing oxygen levels to the surviving cancer cells:

          Reliance of cancer cells on oxygen:

          Oxygen Consumption Can Regulate the Growth of Tumors, a New Perspective on the Warburg Effect. PLoS One 2009 Sep 15;4(9):e7033

          Choosing between glycolysis and oxidative phosphorylation: a tumor’s dilemma? Biochim Biophys Acta 2011 Jun;1807(6):552-61

          Comparison of Metabolic Pathways between Cancer Cells and Stromal Cells in Colorectal Carcinomas: a Metabolic Survival Role for Tumor-Associated Stroma. Cancer Res January 15, 2006 66;632

          Akt Stimulates Aerobic Glycolysis in Cancer Cells. Cancer Res June 1, 2004 64; 3892

          That cancer growth is inhibited by low oxygen levels an die in the absence of oxygen:

          Oxygen consumption can regulate the growth of tumors, a new perspective on the Warburg effect. PLoS One 2009 Sep 15;4(9):e7033

          Anoxia is necessary for tumor cell toxicity caused by a low-oxygen environment. Cancer Res 2005 Apr 15;65(8):3171-8

          Relationship between oxygen and glucose consumption by transplanted tumors in vivo. Cancer Res 1967 Jun;27(6):1041-52

          Death of cancer cells by lack of oxygen and angiogenesis stimulation to increase the growth rate of tumors by increasing oxygen levels to the tumor:

          Computational models of VEGF-associated angiogenic processes in cancer. Math Med Biol 2012 Mar;29(1):85-94

          Blood Flow, Oxygen Consumption, and Tissue Oxygenation of Human Breast Cancer Xenografts in Nude Rats. Cancer Res 47, 3496-3503, July 1,1987

          A Mathematical Model for the Diffusion of Tumour Angiogenesis Factor into the Surrounding Host. Tissue Math Med Biol (1991) 8 (3): 191-220

          The History of Tumour Angiogenesis as a Therapeutic Target. University of Toronto Medical Journal Vol 87, No 1 (2009)

          The higher affinity for oxygen by cancer cells than healthy cells:

          Utilization of Oxygen by Transplanted Tumors in Vivo. Cancer Res 1967;27:1020-1030

          Growth-related changes of oxygen consumption rates of tumor cells grown in vitro and in vivo. J Cell Physiol 1989 Jan;138(1):183-91

          In addition, alkalinity DECREASES tissue oxygenation by inhibiting circulation and preventing the release of oxygen from hemoglobin. Therefore, alkalizing the cancer cell would only increase the growth of the cancer if the cancer thrives with little oxygen hypothesis was true.

          • So why is HBOT used as a complementary method for getting rid of cancer cells if they in fact require oxygen to survive and cannot survive without oxygen? Why would a cancer patient expose themselves to more oxygen under pressure if less oxygen is what they should be seeking to stop the growth of cancer? Another thing is that cancer cells are metabolically inflexible so while it is true that they can use other sources to grow, they much rather prefer glucose as a fuel which accelerates proliferation vs. if they were only presented with ketones for example. So what say you about the ketogenic diet then? I don’t think I need to reference papers right? I’m pretty sure you’ve reviewed the evidence and the evidence currently points towards that ketones are not the preferred fuel source for cancer cells hence proliferation is reduced. Acidic vs alkaline, what a mess… Interestingly enough, high dose intravenous vitamin C (ascorbic acid) in an alternative medicine setting is used to treat cancer as well (also administered to athletes for performance enhancement and is effective). Generally for cancer and leukaemia especially, my recommendation would be to look into THC from medical cannabis (high THC:CBD strains) and for solid tumors like breast, prostate and colon, to alternate between both high THC and high CBD strains. Please let me know your thoughts, this intrigues me. Thanks.

            • RMA: “So why is HBOT used as a complementary method for getting rid of cancer cells if they in fact require oxygen to survive and cannot survive without oxygen?”

              I have addressed this so many times already. Hyperbaric oxygen therapy (HBOT) DOES NOT kill cancer cells!

              In fact HBOT is not a good idea in cases of malignant tumors since HBOT increases angiogenesis as well, which also helps to promote cancer growth. That is why angiogenesis inhibitors are used as one form of cancer treatment.

              RMA: “Why would a cancer patient expose themselves to more oxygen under pressure if less oxygen is what they should be seeking to stop the growth of cancer? ”

              HBOT can be used in some cases to help with infections and wounds associated with some cancers. For example, fungal infections can occur with some cancers and lead to further tissue breakdown. Again the HBOT is not used to kill cancer cells since it DOES NOT kill cancer cells.

              Furthermore you cannot reduce oxygen levels to the body in a healthy matter to fight cancer since all cells need oxygen. Again, this is why they use angiogenesis inhibitors to reduce the oxygen supply directly to the tumor by inhibiting blood vessel formation to and within the tumor. Although this also decreases the effectiveness of radiation therapy and many chemo drugs since don’t work on hypoxic regions of tumors.

              RMA: “Another thing is that cancer cells are metabolically inflexible so while it is true that they can use other sources to grow, they much rather prefer glucose as a fuel which accelerates proliferation vs. if they were only presented with ketones for example.”

              Your claim about being metabolically inflexible is nonsense. For example, lactate has also been shown to be a primary fuel for cancer cells. So can the amino acid glutamine, which is a substitute for glucose in cells. Here is some reading for you:

              https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/20818174

              https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC4167222/

              http://link.springer.com/article/10.1007/s00109-015-1307-x

              There is plenty more research if you look.

              RMA: “So what say you about the ketogenic diet then? ”

              There is obviously a lot more involved than you are realizing.

              RMA: “I’m pretty sure you’ve reviewed the evidence and the evidence currently points towards that ketones are not the preferred fuel source for cancer cells hence proliferation is reduced. ”

              Not preferred does not mean inhibits growth. Take for example lactate, which is also a primary fuel source for cancer cells yet also inhibits proliferation.

              RMA: “Interestingly enough, high dose intravenous vitamin C (ascorbic acid) in an alternative medicine setting is used to treat cancer as well ”

              Not that effective though. The main reasons that high dose IV ascorbic acid (vitamin C) may help are:

              1. At high doses the ascorbic acid becomes a pro-oxidant, and thus acts as a free radical instead of an antioxidant. Radiation therapy and many chemotherapy drugs work on the principle of forming oxygen radicals within the well oxygenated areas of the tumor. These oxygen radicals kill the well oxygenated cancer cells. Problem is that this does not work in the hypoxic regions of the tumors, which is why these types of therapies tend to fail in many cases.

              2. The high ascorbic acid content will form oxalic acid, which is what the excess ascorbic acid breaks down in to. The oxalic acid binds iron needed by cancer cells for growth.

              RMA: “my recommendation would be to look into THC from medical cannabis (high THC:CBD strains) and for solid tumors like breast, prostate and colon, to alternate between both high THC and high CBD strains.”

              No thinks there are many other things that are so much more effective such as ozone therapy, and that does not require a prescription and does not have other potential risks. And the research on cannabis for cancer is still basically in its infancy. Even if there were not better choices already available I would still prefer to wait until more and better research is available.

              Keep in mind that most of the studies were done in vitro with cell lines. Testing compounds in a Petri dish can have completely different results than in the body since the Petri dish does not have a metabolism nor a bunch of chemical compounds that can interact or interfere with the cannabis compounds. Therefore, many compounds that look effective in Petri dish studies are often found worthless or less effective in actual human studies. Oleander is a great example. It worked on some cell lines in Petri dish studies but every actual human study showed it to be a complete failure.

              • Dear James,
                I’d like to wish you the best of luck while waiting to eternity and beyond for double blind RCTs in cancer treatment research (especially in diet and nutraceuticals). Bear in mind, we and the coming generations will probably pass away while still waiting for “more and better research”. In fact, it begs the questions: How much more? And define: better? Because the way you sound like right now is that NIH’s budget of more than $30 billion a year for biomedical research and the 26 million citations for biomedical literature on PubMed would basically fit under your description of “insufficient and inferior”. If you choose to wait because you have the time to wait then others don’t have the luxury of waiting and will employ alternative treatment methods to treat their cancer and consistently report EFFECTIVE alternative treatments. One last thing, you haven’t really discussed your thoughts on GcMAF although this is currently a very hot topic in terms of cancer immunotherapy. What say you about this treatment? (P.S.: I have downloaded and read every single GcMAF paper since the 1990s.) Best.

                • I have all sorts of studies on holistic therapies, including herbs, showing their effectiveness against cancer. So I don’t have to wait, there are plenty of studies that already exist. People just need to actually look to find them instead of assuming they don’t.

      • Vegan diet is too high in grains, according to Bess Dawson-Hughes. Her work on chronic metabolic acidosis concludes you need a 1 to 1.5 ratio of grains, to vegetables/fruits.

        She is a Tufts University researcher and Ph.D.

        • Why are grains supposedly to high in a vegan diet when the grains don’t affect acidosis either? The blood pH IS NOT regulated by what foods you consume.

          By the way chronic metabolic acidosis is extremely rare.

      • Hi Priscilla,

        First of all PSA counts can go up for various reasons. Benign prostate hyperplasia, infection or inflammation or even caffeine can all raise PSA counts.

        Secondly, ingesting baking soda can increase the risk of cancer and if cancer is present this can promote cancer growth. Read this thread:

        http://medcapsules.com/forum/showthread.php?tid=25527

        And since the ingestion of baking soda interferes with methylation this is going to increase inflammatory homocysteine. And again inflammation can raise the PSA count.

    • Jim Bagnall, so glad your health is improving. That is fantastic! But gently, I have to point out that the foods you gave up (sugar, cheese/dairy) are highly inflammatory. Inflammation is what contributes to cancer and other diseases, not body pH.

      • Angela: “I have to point out that the foods you gave up (sugar, cheese/dairy) are highly inflammatory. ”

        Different James here.

        What you are posting is not true to misleading.

        For example, sugar is not inflammatory. Our bodies even generate sugar if we do not have enough and it is constant in our blood. If sugar was causing inflammation then we would all have chronic inflammation. Then there are complex sugars known as fibers that help build the flora for one, which can reduce some inflammatory conditions.

        Dairy does contain some inflammatory compounds so that part is true, but dairy also contains a lot of iodine that can help support the thyroid in some cases, which reduces inflammatory homocysteine. So there is so much more to the equation.

        At the same time inflammation is not necessarily evil. Do you know why inflammation is so vital to our health? The inflammatory process involves dilation of the blood vessels to increase oxygen and nutrients to an injured area to aid in the healing process. But again it is possible to have too much of a good thing.

        Angela: ” Inflammation is what contributes to cancer and other diseases, not body pH.”

        True, pH is not what leads to most diseases. Though inflammation plays a minor role in causing diseases as well. In most cases the inflammation is the result of the disease, not the cause. Even with cancer inflammation can increase the risk through the production of reactive oxygen species and reactive nitrogen species. But at the same time it is also free radicals that kill cancer cells in the body. So again there is so much more to the whole story that you are leaving out such as the role of pathogens in cancer and so many inflammatory diseases.

    • If as you say this article is “tosh” then you should be able to produce scientific evidence to challenge it! What worries me about all these “miracle” diets is that they all seem to originate from the US. The development of the internet has been a plus in many ways. However, the promotion of fad diets, fad medication and fad medical care has unfortunately sucked in the naive and the desperate. Before the advent of modern medicine the average life expectancy was around forty. Say no more!

    • Well done ! I cured myself with alkalising my diet no more cancer for me too ! And pancreatic cancer is usaually a death sentence ! Good on you for following your own instincts !!!

    • Jim Bagnall: “I suffered from advanced prostate cancer which had become metastatic. i was on strong hormone treatment (Bicolutomide and Lucrin) to reduce my testosterone as I was told my cancer feeds on testosterone. Despite this, my psa started to rise dramatically from undetectable to 8.7 over a year.”

      PSA levels can rise for a variety of reasons including prostate infection, BPH and even caffeine use.

      Jim Bagnall: “After some research, I gave up all sugar (which is highly acidic)”

      ALL foods get metabolized in to acids. Ironically healthy plants often contain a lot of acids and get metabolized in to more acids than you would get with just sugar.

      Jim Bagnall: “and took baking soda every day.”

      Did you know that baking soda is neutralized by stomach acid forming carbonic ACID and sodium chloride salt? And an excess production of sodium chloride leads to hyperchloremic acidosis.

      Jim Bagnall: “After an initial high dosage of up to three teaspoons a day in a glass of water, I now take a half teaspoonful in a glass of water morning and evening.”

      I guess you are also unaware of the fact that ingesting baking soda not only increases the risk of getting cancer but also promotes existing cancers. Read this thread:

      http://medcapsules.com/forum/showthread.php?tid=25527

      Jim Bagnall: “After three months, my psa had reduced to 2.8, after a further 3 months it was 0.35, then 0.11 and last month was .06. I am off the hormonesand taking no other treatment and my oncologist has confirmed the reduction in psa is entirely of my own doing!”

      Again the PSA elevation could have been from a number of things and resolved itself.

      And you are also forgetting the Bicolutomide and Lucrin you said you took, which may have simply kicked in finally since ingested baking soda is neutralized by the stomach acid so it does not even reach the bloodstream.

  16. Hi, I admit the acidosis argument is presented in general by people who don’t know the science behind it and yes like you say present ridiculous claims like being able to change the blood ph. However, acidosis is a very real phenomenon that does cause osteoperosis, kidney stones and possibly cancer. I suggest you update your view by reading these peer reviewed research papers (published by Cambridge University Press and NCBI): http://journals.cambridge.org/action/displayAbstract?fromPage=online&aid=7499708&fileId=S0007114509993047 and http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC4566456/

    Please read and update your info that is reaching 1000s.

    • Acidosis is real, good job, but it’s not caused by diet. Hopefully you’re smart enough to not state that acidosis is caused directly by a diet. Diet may affect it indirectly by altering your metabolism (bad diet –> diabetes/metabolic syndrome –> affecting your organs (kidneys, lungs, cardiovascular, etc)) but drinking “alkalized water” have an acute effect. Take a basic pathophysiology class.

      • Precisely.

        I struggle to remain out of acidosis. I cared for my child who was acidotic from birth.

        Acidosis is real.

        The article is not disputing that! What he is very correctly stating is: there is not one thing you can eat and have a direct impact on your blood pH.

        Blood pH IS the definition of acidosis.

        Now eating a nutrient poor diet that causes inflammation, metabolic syndrome, and diabetes…. Will increase your chances of having kidney stones, renal failure, and even developing cancer. But that is a long process.

        And no… Mixing sodium bicarbonate (which is not baking powder ftr) with honey or molasses won’t trick cancer into eating the honey and getting killed by the bicarbonate. Do you actually think that these food molecules in their whole state are absorbed directly into your blood???

        Try injecting food into your vein. See how well your blood can utilize the whole unbroken molecule.

        Your digestive process is specifically designed to break food into smaller elements which the body can then utilize. Protein is broken down into amino acids for the body to use. Starches are broken down into simple sugars. Not once has a dr wrapped chemo in sugar to trick the cancer!!

        Bc it simply does not work that way.

        Did you know that the reason some people are so sure that their favorite OTC headache treatment (excedrine, Motrin, tylenol, etc) works so well and kicks their headache in just a few minutes…. Is bc many run of the mill headaches are from dehydration! The pill had nothing to do with it, except for it being the reason you finally stopped and drank some water! Your OTC pill didn’t cure a headache…. The water you drank resolved your dehydration which gave you a headache.

        However, you can drink >3gallons of water a day and you never cure a migraine bc these are vastly difference things… Even though to an outside observer they appear to be the same problem.

        ^^and that’s precisely why all the anecdotal stories in the world cannot hold a candle to the actual science of the body. Those relating these stories do not understand the underlying issues that were at the root of their overall health problems to begin with. Such stories only served to validate peoples pre-existing bias in those who lack a fundamental education in pathophysiology, biochem, Ochem, and medical nutrition.

    • You have completely misread the article. What the published research was based on was diet-induced acidosis. This condition occurs when the kidneys fail to convert acid into alkaline. Of course the body would be acidic if the kidneys were not functioning!

    • Gabe: “However, acidosis is a very real phenomenon”

      Yes, but like the more dangerous alkalosis is EXTREMELY rare!

      Gabe: “hat does cause osteoperosis, kidney stones and possibly cancer.”

      I guess you do not know what osteoporosis is. It IS NOT a loss of bone minerals. Those are osteomalacia and osteopenia. Osteoporosis is a loss of collagen matrix leading to a decline in scaffolding for mineralization. The most common reasons for this are a lack of orthosilicic acid and/or ascorbic acid both essential to collagen formation.

      As for kidney stones you are wrong again. The pH of urine, which IS NOT blood, can influence stone formation. And there are about a dozen different forms of kidney stones. Some form in an alkaline environment and some in an acidic environment.

      And as far as cancer, the acidity causing cancer MYTH was disproven decades ago. Cancers always arise in an alkaline environment. Even in cancers that occur in normally acidic tissues like the colon it was found the risk of cancer increased with increasing alkalinity.

      Furthermore, cancer cells themselves have an alkaline internal pH more alkaline than healthy cells. It is this alkalinity that allows the cancer cells to survive and drives cancer glycolysis. When the cancer cells are made acidic this kills the cancer cells.

      It was also proven that when healthy cells were made excessively alkaline the healthy cells morphed in to cancer cells.

      Gabe: “I suggest you update your view by reading these peer reviewed research papers”

      That is good advice, you should follow it. Here, let me help you out:

      Alkalinity driving cancer cell growth and malignant transformation:

      Role of the Intracellular pH in the Metabolic Switch Between Oxidative Phosphorylaiton and Aerobic Glycolysis-Relavance to Cancer. Cancer 2011;2(3):WMC001716

      Na+/H+ exchanger-dependent intracellular alkalinization is an early event in malignant transformation and plays an essential role in the development of subsequent transformation-associated phenotypes. FASEBJ 2000 Nov;14(14):2185-97

      Tumorigenic 3T3 cells maintain an alkaline intracellular pH under physiological conditions. Proc Natl Acad Sci USA 1990 October; 87(19): 7414–7418

      31P NMR analysis of intracellular pH of Swiss Mouse 3T3 cells: effects of extracellular Na+ and K+ and mitogenic stimulation. J Membr Biol 1986;94(1):55-64

      Extracellular Na+ and initiation of DNA synthesis: role of intracellular pH and K+. J Cell Biol 1984 Mar;98(3):1082-9

      How cancer cells maintain their internal alkalinity and evidence that blocking the proton pumps makes cancer cells acidic killing them:

      Vacuolar H(+)-ATPase in Cancer Cells: Structure and Function. Atlas of Genetics and Cytogenetics in Oncology and Haematology Sept. 2011

      Vacuolar H+-ATPase in human breast cancer cells with distinct metastatic potential: distribution and functional activity. Am J Physiol Cell Physiol 286: C1443–C1452, 2004

      Targeting vacuolar H+-ATPases as a new strategy against cancer. Cancer Res 2007 Nov 15;67(22):10627-30

      Vacuolar H(+)-ATPase signaling pathway in cancer. Curr Protein Pept Sci 2012 Mar;13(2):152-63

  17. Could someone give me some advice. I’ve been on an alkaline diet since xmas so 6 weeks or so. I have mostly only eaten vegetables and nuts and seeds including coconut and it’s oils. Typical day. Green nutriblast, vegetables with cashews, avocado and some kind of curry or stew made of vegetables inc sweet potato or pumpkin. Maximum half pint milk on some days with coffee. Loads of fluids usually herb tea or water. I was expecting to feel better. Certainly I have no joint pains and no restless leg syndrome. However, I do have pain in my stomach. I’ve never had an ulcer so I don’t know what it feels like but I feel like I’ve got one! When I eat or drink I have pain high in my tummy. Any suggestions?

    • is it at the top of your belly? I’d say acid reflux. Generally, balance is key…when we radicalize anything, including veggies, it can cause problems. good luck!

    • You may eat too much nuts and seeds, we should eat those in moderation only. Casein from milk can also cause digestive problems, I also recall that some people had strong reaction to coconut oil. The best way for you to find out is to take out single foods for a couple of days and see if there will be any difference.

    • If your body is toxic you may have a hard time digesting healthier foods. Some of these healthier raw foods are harder to digest. Make sure your food is organic (less chemicals less toxins). Try doing a smoothly each day. Smoothies are easier to digest. Also try steaming some of your vegetables in the beginning of you diet change. You may be allergic to some of the foods you are eating too. You really should be doing this under the supervision of a wholistic health care professional that can help trouble shoot some of these issues. Changing your diet is only a small part of what you need to be doing to improve your health.

      • Eeek…I know you are trying to help but the things you are saying are so cringe-inducing. I think you should study more before you start giving out advice. You use of the word toxins is worrisome.

    • Dotty, you might want to look into a specific gut-healing diet–maybe something like “AIP” (the autoimmune protocol). Spend some time at http://www.thepaleomom.com because she explains why various foods can be detrimental to gut health and how to reverse the damage with a healing diet. She’s a scientist, so she backs up her information with references. Good luck!

    • Talk to a board certified pediatrician and ask them what they would do for an infant. Next follow the recommendations because I am pretty sure it will not involve big pharma. They usually advise the BRAT diet to calm the lining of the gut. Next get tested for food allergies. When you have calmed your gut and determined you are your own worst enemy, eat a balanced intake of the basic food groups except anything you are allergic to forever. Stop seeking advice and self diagnosing from what sensationalism is published on line and follow the rules for you and your gut.