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BY KEITH HALPERIN BA, DC

When we were in school we learned that acids and bases were on a pH scale of 1 to 14. A neutral pH is 7.0. Below 7 is acidic and above 7 is alkaline. We now know that our bodies work best at a pH that is slightly alkaline. All of our physiological functions rely on over a billion chemical reactions every day. Enzymes, proteins that act as catalysts to allow all of these reactions to occur, are extremely sensitive to pH, each having an optimal pH in which to function. That is why we evolved to have a blood ph which is slightly alkaline. The pH of blood ranges from 7.36 to 7.37. Our bodies use a buffer system of minerals to strictly control the blood pH, keeping it within this range.

When we become too acidic and over tax our bodies’ ability to buffer any change in pH, we have a much greater chance of inflammation which may contribute to heart disease, obesity, diabetes, osteoporosis, kidney disease and a host of other conditions.

Although blood pH is kept as close to 7.365 as possible, different areas of our digestive system may vary in pH in order to digest food and extract the nutrients needed to support life. Digestion begins in the mouth, where food is chewed and mixed with saliva. Human teeth, adapted to chewing both plant and animal food, break food up into smaller pieces, increasing the surface area for enzymes to digest it. Saliva has a slightly alkaline pH, but varies somewhat with each person. Saliva has enzymes which begin the breakdown of food, especially starches, in the mouth. Food is then moved down the esophagus into the stomach. The stomach is a reservoir of acid, with a much lower pH than the rest of the digestive system. This acidic environment is perfect for the functioning of enzymes which specialize in the breakdown of proteins, into smaller, simpler proteins.

The stomach pH is critical to the digestion of many nutrients. It also helps prevent harmful bacteria from entering our digestive system. You may have heard that 75% of our immune system is within our gut walls. This is because most bacterial invaders enter through our mouth and nose. The stomach is our first line of defense, killing most bacteria with enzymes and stomach acid. A lower stomach pH is also crucial for the absorption of certain nutrients. One such nutrient, the mineral calcium, needs an acidic environment to allow for absorption into the bloodstream. If your stomach pH is lowered, as it is with aging, disease, antacid use (e.g. Tums and Rolaids), by increased stress, or a host of other factors, the ability to absorb calcium is greatly diminished. That is why calcium intake should accompany a meal, which increases the available acidic fluids needed for its digestion.

As we enter the small intestine the body exudes an alkaline (almost 8.0 pH) fluid from the pancreas and gall bladder to increase the pH of fluids delivered from the stomach. The slightly alkaline environment of the small intestine is optimal for these enzymes to function. The large intestine is slightly alkaline and the colon is slightly acidic. Our digestive system is relatively long, about thirty feet. When laid out flat they equal the length of a football field. This is an evolutionary advantage for eating plants and grains which require many steps for complete digestion of the nutrients they contain.

Remember that we survive best on a diet of predominantly fruits and vegetables which are alkaline when broken down and digested, replenishing our body with the nutrients to correct or buffer any changes to the pH of the blood. Our western diet is predominately acid forming and lacks much of the nutrition that supports an alkaline balance. When acid wastes build up in cells the body tries to get rid of them through the kidneys and lungs. When overwhelmed by too much acid, chemical wastes that would normally be excreted, are deposited in tissues throughout he body, including the heart, liver, pancreas, and colon, even the joints of the skeleton. They are also deposited in fat tissues. To counteract this imbalance our blood begins to pull precious alkaline minerals from our body to compensate. The minerals pulled from reserves within our body, including bone and other tissues , are mainly sodium, potassium, calcium and magnesium. When these minerals interact with acids they create a more alkaline environment.

The over-acidification of the body tissues significantly speeds up the “ aging process “, breaking down tissues and increasing cell damage through increased inflammation. It it takes 10 to 20 times as much alkaline to neutralize any given amount of acid. Therefore it is important to eat as many alkaline forming foods as possible.

After digestion food breaks down into alkaline or acid products. An alkaline forming food is one that creates a higher pH. This can be confusing because many acidic tasting foods break down to alkaline ash. Citrus foods such as lemons are a good example of this. The citric acid in fruits is metabolized in the body into an alkaline form. A rule of thumb is that vegetables and fruits are alkaline forming whereas most other foods are acid forming. There are very few exceptions. ( see attached lists ).

pH: OSTEOPOROSIS

In the U.S. half of all Caucasian women aged 65 and older, and at least one in 5 men, will experience one or more fractures due to osteoporosis. About 10 million Americans were diagnosed with osteoporosis. An additional 18 million have osteopenia, a loss of bone mass. Approximately 15 billion dollars is spent each year on medical costs related to osteoporosis.

A major factor in bone loss is a metabolic acidosis brought on by :

1. An acid forming diet low in fruits and vegetables and high in animal protein , grains and other acid forming processed food which robs bone of calcium and other minerals to buffer and neutralize excess acid

2. Decreased absorption of calcium, magnesium and potassium due to lack of stomach acid and enzymes

3. Adrenal stress which affects hormonal balance and increases the need for minerals and promotes an acidic environment within body tissues

4. The mineral deficits in our soils used for food production

pH: DIABETES

When the cells of the body are put in an acidic environment the function of the cells change due to a greater inability of these cells to absorb and use nutrients which require a more alkaline pH to function. This may be one of many causal factors in the pancreas’ ability to produce insulin and the cells of the body to properly use sugar.

ESTABLISHING A PROPER PH:

Eating large amounts of protein in the form of meat, dairy, poultry and fish contributes a overabundance of sulfur containing amino acids, creating a more acid environment within the body. Most meats are weakly acidic (5.1-5.5 pH )

Grains account for over 65% of the plant foods within our diet, and also increase the acid imbalance. There are a few grains such as quinoa which actually breakdown to and alkaline residue after digestion. Most grains are acidic (4.1-4.5), a range which is 100 times more acidic than meat!

There is a chart of alkaline and acid food groups at the end of this chapter

To change the pH balance, the dietary needs are simple- make sure you eat more alkaline foods than acid foods. The ideal diet would consist of at least 80% alkaline to 20% acid forming foods. An alkaline diet consists of vegetables, fruits and legumes, while avoiding an over consumption of animal products, most nuts—except filberts, and most grains. Remember that what determines the pH nature of food in the body is the metabolic end products when the food is digested.

Almost all processed grains and carbohydrates are strongly acidic and coupled with their low nutritional value, should be avoided.

Supplementation of minerals bound to citrate, carbonate and other alkaline compounds will help alkalinize the body.

In addition to highly alkaline mineral supplements many green foods such as spinach, kale, wheat grass, spirulina and chlorella promote a more alkaline pH control. There are many green drinks which provide a positive alkaline balance to the diet. Remember that an ideal diet would include 5-6 servings of highly alkaline foods each day, and would be in a ratio of 80% alkaline food to 20% acid forming foods. Start by adding more alkaline foods throughout the day and decreasing processed foods that are usually acidic. The phytonutrients ( plant derived chemicals and nutrients through ), found in the rainbow of colored fruits and vegetables are key components of an alkaline diet.

Supplements that promote alkaline balance, such as the minerals mentioned before can have a great effect, but supplementation without diet change will not have a long lasting effect.

Exercise has hundreds of benefits and also helps to alkalinize the blood through the exchange of carbon dioxide and oxygen in the lungs. By exercising you increase lung volume and increase blood flow which benefits this exchange. Another bonus is that exercise relieves stress, which in turn decreases the acid buildup in all cells of the body

pH and FATIGUE:

Perhaps the number one complaint that patients present to our clinic is overwhelming fatigue. An acid environment is probably the single primary cause of fatigue. Acidity in the gut and body, caused by physical, emotional, spiritual, and toxic stress combined with an acid forming diet cause fatigue.

1. The toxins produced in an acidic reduce the absorption of proteins, minerals and other nutrients. This weakens the ability to produce enzymes and hormones. If the environment of the gut is pH imbalanced—enzymes can not breakdown food properly. If food is not properly broken down for use within the body it can not supply the needed nutrients for rebuilding and supporting cells .

2. The normal gut flora consists of almost 400 different micro-organisms. The “ good guys “ in the flora, called probiotics, help digest our food and provide essential nutrients. When the gut environment becomes acidic due to NSAID use ( like ibuprofen or Tylenol) or antibiotic use, the “ good “ flora decrease in number and are replaced by other “ bad guys “ such as yeast. Acidity increases the formation of yeast and other “microforms” in the gut which further create their own acid environment and out-compete the good probiotics. Yeast overgrowth increases chronic fatigue and may even damage nerves and breakdown neurotransmitters in the gut and throughout the body. The mycotoxins- harmful acidic waste products of yeast—further destroy the lining of the gut creating a leaky-gut lining which allows large particles of food to pass through into the bloodstream and cause- an immune response, leading to allergy and asthma, and auto-immune diseases. The toxins produced in an acidic reduce the absorption of The toxins produced in an acidic reduce the absorption of proteins, minerals and other nutrients. This weakens the ability to produce enzymes and hormones. If the environment of the gut is too is pH imbalanced—enzymes can not breakdown food properly. If food is not properly broken down for use within the body it can not supply the needed nutrients for rebuilding and supporting cells.

3. Probiotics—the good bacteria in the gut, or the good gut flora, are also responsible for digestion of food and protect against disease. They also are required to make B vitamins such as B6, B12, and Folic Acid. Normally we have about 3-4 pounds of gut flora. An acid environment depletes the ability of normal gut flora to make and use vitamins and minerals needed for the body to function.

CHIROPRACTIC AND ALKALINE DIETS:

Within our practice we have always seen a beneficial result through dietary changes favoring an alkaline diet. These include: beneficial changes in muscle tone, adjustments lasting for a longer period of time, significant decreases in reported musculo-skeletal pain, decreased overall stress, faster healing, reversal of IBS and other gastrointestinal problems, and a host of other conditions.

In one study 82 patients with chronic low back pain were given a daily alkaline mineral supplement over a period of 4 weeks, in addition to their usual medication. Pain symptoms were quantified using a pain scale. After 4 weeks of supplementation the mean pain rating decreased by almost 49% and 76 out of 82 patients showed a significant reduction in low back pain.. This study shows that a disturbed acid/ alkaline balance may contribute to symptoms of low back pain and by correcting this imbalance can reduce back pain symptoms.

Think about how we get most of the nutrients needed for the function of our bodies: through our diet! A carrot has approximately 110 nutrients needed as cofactors for the biochemical processes throughout our body. We have successfully isolated only 15 of those nutrients and included them in our vitamin supplements! When we take a vitamin our body supplies the rest of these nutrients to make the cofactors necessary for those vitamins to work properly. We get those cofactors from our diet; most directly from fruits and vegetables or those animals that feed on those fruits and vegetation.

We now know, for example, that all calcium absorption is enhanced through eating calcium rich foods. Even when supplements are added to increase calcium intake, they too have an enhanced uptake in the cells when calcium rich foods are eaten as well. The examples are endlessly in favor of an alkaline diet. Plants supply us with an alkaline environment for our cells to properly function and the balanced nutrition for our bodies to thrive. We too are a direct product of the photosynthesis driven by the sun and the nutrients supplied by the earth.

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