The Acid-Alkaline Diet for Optimum Health
written by Christopher Vasey, N.D.

Summarized by Bonnie Hunter

The human body is in a fragile state of balance and any changes require compensatory measures to regain that balance. One of the self-regulating systems is the pH, or acid-base balance. Excess acidity can lead to health problems such chronic fatigue, back pain, depression, arthritis, ulcers, minor skin irritations and osteoporosis.

Having recently learned of the dangers of an acidic body environment, I searched out an expert’s thoughts on how to correct this imbalance. Too much acid weakens the white blood cells, the work horses of the immune system, leaving us open to viral, fungal and yeast infections. The nervous system also requires a balanced environment and will pull Magnesium, Calcium and Potassium out of the cells to accomplish this. Stress, antibiotics, meat, refined foods and additives lower the pH (acidify) and allow for infections, such as Candida. The Candida itself then creates more acid and the cycle repeats. When the body is in an acidic state it will give up alkaline minerals to try to create balance. This leads to osteoporosis, dull hair, brittle nails and other symptoms.

The normal pH of the blood is between 7.36 and 7.42. The pH of the urine should between 7 and 7.5. The author advises that urine is the best measure of acidity and a specimen should be taken prior to meals. A one-time exception is the first void in the morning, done just once, which should be acidic. If it is not, the kidneys are not detoxing as they should. If this is the case, then most of the rules of re-balancing need to be revised on an individual basis. A second morning void, an hour later, should be neutral at the 7 to 7.5 range mentioned above. This author mentioned saliva testing in passing, noting that it should be taken 60 minutes after a meal, but he prefers the urine testing, I would assume because the variables, such as beverages and food, are fewer.

The kidneys, lungs and skin are the main organs that excrete acids. The kidneys through the urine, the lungs through the oxygen exchange and the skin by perspiration. One of the ways to detox acid is to increase the functioning of these organs. Exercise seems to help all three do their work. The increased blood flow through the kidneys encourages increased urine production, the lungs use the increased oxygen to excrete the acid in the form of carbon dioxide and the resulting increased perspiration is acidic. The author even mentions hyperthermic treatments, such a hot baths. However, the water should be body temperature at first so that the pores don’t close. Then the temperature can be increased as much as tolerated to make the skin perspire and thus dump acid.

There are alkaline supplements on the market that can facilitate the elimination of acids in the deep tissue. Unfortunately a lot of these supplements contain plant extracts that are banned on the Guaifenesin protocol. It is also unwise to use these supplements with meals since they will neutralize the stomach acids needed to digest food. Adding alkaline minerals like Calcium, Magnesium, Sodium, Cobalt and Copper will also help. Please note that Calcium constipates some people and Magnesium can cause diarrhea if used to excess. It is not advised to take Potassium supplements without a doctor’s supervision. Potassium helps regulate cardiac function and too little or too much can be harmful. Doctors frequently include a check on Potassium levels in routine bloodwork and any deficiencies are remedied with very specific amounts of Potassium prescribed based on the patient’s current deficit.

Obviously our diet plays a large roll in the acid-base balance. All fruits and vegetables are alkaline to varying degrees with tomatoes and eggplant being the only exceptions. The riper the fruit the more alkaline it is. Red meat is more acidic than white, grains are acidic with the exception of corn products. White rice, sugar and bread are acidic as well. Milk is alkaline UNTIL it is pasteurized! Harder cheeses are acidifying but large curd cottage is neutral if it is fresh. Eggs are slightly acidic, but their yolk is alkaline. Some fruits and vegetables are extremely basic in nature and they include bananas and potatoes for their potassium and dates and figs for their magnesium.

Sodas and commercial lemonades are highly acidic because of their sugar content. Diet sodas contain harmful ingredients and should also be eliminated from the diet. Coffee is extremely acidifying, black tea less so, but green tea is a better choice. Water is the preferred beverage for many reasons. The bottled waters in Europe are all labeled with their pH and the author pointed out Evian as being a 7.0. Any carbonated water is extremely acidic and dehydrating. Speaking of dehydration, if you happen to not take in enough fluids on a daily basis your body’s acidity will increase creating more problems. The author even commented on tap versus home filtered water noting that the filtered water tends to be slightly more acidic especially when a new filter is installed! I did not find this to be the case with my Brita faucet filter.

For more information you can go to the author’s website www.christophervasey.ch . pH test strips can be sometimes be ordered from you local pharmacy. I have confirmed this with CVS and they offer the continuous roll as well as separate strips. Unfortunately they cannot give you a price until the item has been ordered and arrives at the store. For online shoppers go to www.ph-ion.com or use their AZ phone # 480-556-0210 ext, 116.

In conclusion, here is another area of concern with regard to Fibromyalgia symptoms. I’ve always tried to fix whatever medical problems that might arise, no matter how insignificant because I knew that there is no cure for Fibromyalgia. Here is another example of how small changes just may improves your circumstances.