The Importance of a balanced pH

It all began today while I was squeezing some fresh lime juice.....

I was in the process of making myself a nice refreshing frozen lime juice when a thought occurred to me. Actually quite a few thoughts bombarded me but the most obvious one was the one relating to the lime juice. It occurred to me that lime juice along with lemon juice and orange juice is very alkaline. Its also tradition to add a bit of salt and sugar to the lime juice to take the edge off. Now both the salt and lime juice combined makes for an interesting flavor. An acquired taste no doubt but this is the thought that came to me. If we can use copper wire salt water and lime/lemon juice to make electricity. Could the consumption of a lime juice with a pinch of salt increase electrical activity in the body?

We have iron and traces of copper in our blood, the digestive process transfers the salt and lime juice via the blood stream. Could they combine in our blood stream and produce minute traces of electricity?

In my quest for the answer I came across a very interesting site regarding the importance and implications of maintaining a healthy body included a balanced or slightly Alkaline PH. According to the information on the site bad bacteria, viruses and even cancers thrive in highly acidic bodies. I cant confirm or deny this so if somebody has further info to add please feel free to do so.

I will say this, I come originally from the country with a link to culture as old as 2 thousand years. They do believe that certain foods have heating or cooling effects on the body as they call it. In a picture I will post later I noticed all the foods we as kids were told was "heating" were acidic and the ones termed "cooling" were alkaline. There terms are local colloquialisms and have no actual bearing on temperatures.

Here is an exert from the article

Research has shown that the body in an alkaline state doesn’t support bacterial growth, viral growth and most importantly, cancer growth. Cancer cells thrive in an acidic environment (which most of us are from the foods we eat and the environment that we are exposed to) but cannot survive in an alkaline environment, showing the importance of putting our bodies into an alkaline state. Our body’s pH level is a gauge of how alkaline or acidic our bodies actually are. Acidosis is an abnormal increase in the acidity of body fluids, caused by the accumulation of acids. Doctors have attributed over 150 degenerative diseases to acidity including memory loss, osteoporosis, arthritis, diabetes and hypertension, viral and bacteria growth and most of all cancer. *Take this example: Most of us have been in a swimming pool before. Have you ever seen a swimming pool where the pH is out of balance? What happens to it? Right, it turns green and has all types of bacteria and foreign things growing in it! Well, our bodies are mostly water, like the swimming pool, when our pH is out of balance, our body systems no longer function properly (especially our immune system) and foreign cells start to grow.* Here's what happens to just our oxygen levels in the body - Blood cells have more space when the body is in an alkaline condition, allowing your blood to move freely throughout the body carrying more oxygen, giving you a more energized feeling. In an over-acidic state, it is just the opposite. Blood cells are clumped together and not able carry oxygen efficiently, preventing the proper cellular metabolic process. The ideal pH balance for a human being is between 7.1 and 7.5 (it is even preferred to be slightly alkaline). At this balance all of systems work

Link to entire article

Good stuff...thanks for posting...I needed the reminder..

I've heard of keeping your ph balanced but....

This is the part I need to work on...

Knowing that the pH balance is the key to cancer prevention and cancer fighting, the question becomes, “how do we keep our body in an alkaline state?” There are two ways to accomplish this. The most obvious road to alkalinity is adjusting the body’s intake and building a diet of more alkaline foods. The other way it to remove these elements in our bodies that push our bodies to the acidic side of the scale like toxins, heavy metals and other environmental pollutants.

*HOW TO DO THE pH TEST*

FIRST:
The pH TEST of the SALIVA using simple pH test tape should be done around 2 p.m. (mean time for pH based on normal waking and sleeping hours---adjusted accordingly if different); having eaten at least ONE MEAL that day, but NO FOOD OR BEVERAGES ONE HOUR BEFORE testing time---water being the exception, but no sooner then 15 minutes prior to the test.
SECOND:
The pH test needs to be done on TWO SEPARATE DAYS in order to establish validity of the pH finding. If it is NOT CONSISTENT, then the test will need to be done on a third or fourth day. If still not found to be stable, this also has meaning and you should refer to the UNSTABLE pH RANGE recommendations.

THIRD:
To do the pH test with pH tape take about a 1 inch piece of pH test tape and dip directly into a cup with some of your saliva for 5 seconds, remove and compare the color the tape takes (after about a minute) with the pH test color chart to find out your pH balance reading.

NOTE:
All calcium, vitamin C and D supplements need to be DISCONTINUED 1 to 2 DAYS PRIOR TO THE TEST, so as not to influence the outcome of the pH READING, as these have the biggest influence on pH balance. Medications you are taking involving controlling acidity would automatically indicate that you are already too acidic, and thus following the pH dietary directions regarding an acidic pH of 6.0 or less would be indicated.

Source

Originally posted by relocator
Good stuff...thanks for posting...I needed the reminder..

I've heard of keeping your ph balanced but....

This is the part I need to work on...

Knowing that the pH balance is the key to cancer prevention and cancer fighting, the question becomes, “how do we keep our body in an alkaline state?” There are two ways to accomplish this. The most obvious road to alkalinity is adjusting the body’s intake and building a diet of more alkaline foods. The other way it to remove these elements in our bodies that push our bodies to the acidic side of the scale like toxins, heavy metals and other environmental pollutants.

*HOW TO DO THE pH TEST*

FIRST:
The pH TEST of the SALIVA using simple pH test tape should be done around 2 p.m. (mean time for pH based on normal waking and sleeping hours---adjusted accordingly if different); having eaten at least ONE MEAL that day, but NO FOOD OR BEVERAGES ONE HOUR BEFORE testing time---water being the exception, but no sooner then 15 minutes prior to the test.
SECOND:
The pH test needs to be done on TWO SEPARATE DAYS in order to establish validity of the pH finding. If it is NOT CONSISTENT, then the test will need to be done on a third or fourth day. If still not found to be stable, this also has meaning and you should refer to the UNSTABLE pH RANGE recommendations.

THIRD:
To do the pH test with pH tape take about a 1 inch piece of pH test tape and dip directly into a cup with some of your saliva for 5 seconds, remove and compare the color the tape takes (after about a minute) with the pH test color chart to find out your pH balance reading.

NOTE:
All calcium, vitamin C and D supplements need to be DISCONTINUED 1 to 2 DAYS PRIOR TO THE TEST, so as not to influence the outcome of the pH READING, as these have the biggest influence on pH balance. Medications you are taking involving controlling acidity would automatically indicate that you are already too acidic, and thus following the pH dietary directions regarding an acidic pH of 6.0 or less would be indicated.

Source

Awesome stuff thanks for the tip on how to do the ph test.

I was actually blown away by how obvious it is and yet how little it is mentioned in the media.

What a surprise that the doctors like it when we are sick.

hi op

15 yrs ago my father died of stomach cancer
since that day i vowed not to get it (im a spit of my father even attitude wise)

any way i swear by this:
1 half a teaspoon a day of bicarbonate of soda (borwicks is best over 100 yrs old)
clears the stomach, levels ph and absolutely brill for indigestion
i have lots stocked up, dont underestimate the power of bicarb
as well as cleaning teeth also..moderate measures though
cheers
dave

Originally posted by davesmart
hi op

15 yrs ago my father died of stomach cancer
since that day i vowed not to get it (im a spit of my father even attitude wise)

any way i swear by this:
1 half a teaspoon a day of bicarbonate of soda (borwicks is best over 100 yrs old)
clears the stomach, levels ph and absolutely brill for indigestion
i have lots stocked up, dont underestimate the power of bicarb
as well as cleaning teeth also..moderate measures though
cheers
dave

Thats so weird that you mentioned Bicarbonate of soda, my pop used to take that once everyday and he was a fit as a fiddle. never got sick and he used to drink like a fish. He did die of a heart attack but that was probably more to do with his drinking and smoking. But he lived into his late 80's

reply to post by TiM3LoRd


Actually, the juice of citrus fruit is quite acid. Not alkaline.

Your kidneys, if working properly, will balance the pH of your blood by excreting protons into the urine and by retaining sodium bicarbonate and releasing it into the blood. Bicarbonate is a buffer, and will tend to hold the pH of a solution containing it around neutral.

Originally posted by Bedlam
reply to post by TiM3LoRd

 

Actually, the juice of citrus fruit is quite acid. Not alkaline.

Your kidneys, if working properly, will balance the pH of your blood by excreting protons into the urine and by retaining sodium bicarbonate and releasing it into the blood. Bicarbonate is a buffer, and will tend to hold the pH of a solution containing it around neutral.

Even thought it would seem that Lime juice and all citrus juices contain citric acid when ingested they do seem to have an Alkalizing effect. And since we are discussing the effects of the juice on the body I suppose as far as the body is concerned its an Alkaline, and a strong one at that.

reply to post by TiM3LoRd


Or that web site's wrong? I don't buy the entire detox thing. It would be interesting to see if that information is backed by any objectively correct data.

i.e. a proton donor's a proton donor

Originally posted by TiM3LoRd

Originally posted by Bedlam
reply to post by TiM3LoRd

 

Actually, the juice of citrus fruit is quite acid. Not alkaline.

Your kidneys, if working properly, will balance the pH of your blood by excreting protons into the urine and by retaining sodium bicarbonate and releasing it into the blood. Bicarbonate is a buffer, and will tend to hold the pH of a solution containing it around neutral.

Even thought it would seem that Lime juice and all citrus juices contain citric acid when ingested they do seem to have an Alkalizing effect. And since we are discussing the effects of the juice on the body I suppose as far as the body is concerned its an Alkaline, and a strong one at that.

I've also gone to a few different websites, and there were a couple that explained the process of how an acidy fruit, when digested, turns alkaline. I don't have a link, I just remember this from researching previously.

For those that cannot stomach the taste of bicarbonate - a lemon juiced into water, and sweetened with stevia sounds like it would alkalize the body, and taste much better.

I've also noticed that if I get too much acid reflux, from improper eating (weight gain), lemon juice works better than ant-acid medication. It's like it eats up the food in your stomach, digesting it faster. Even the reconstituted concentrate works, although it's preserved with sulphites, so anyone sensitive to them should use fresh lemons.

I've recently started mixing one tablespoon extra virgin olive oil, and one tablespoon lemon juice, and drinking this daily. My skin is less dry, I feel better, and both of those are alkaline. It's quite the show to watch someone drink this back also The lemon juice sinks to the bottom, so you get a good blast of lemon at the end. DO NOT SWEETEN.

Originally posted by snowspirit

Originally posted by TiM3LoRd

Originally posted by Bedlam
reply to post by TiM3LoRd

 

Actually, the juice of citrus fruit is quite acid. Not alkaline.

Your kidneys, if working properly, will balance the pH of your blood by excreting protons into the urine and by retaining sodium bicarbonate and releasing it into the blood. Bicarbonate is a buffer, and will tend to hold the pH of a solution containing it around neutral.

Even thought it would seem that Lime juice and all citrus juices contain citric acid when ingested they do seem to have an Alkalizing effect. And since we are discussing the effects of the juice on the body I suppose as far as the body is concerned its an Alkaline, and a strong one at that.

I've also gone to a few different websites, and there were a couple that explained the process of how an acidy fruit, when digested, turns alkaline. I don't have a link, I just remember this from researching previously.

For those that cannot stomach the taste of bicarbonate - a lemon juiced into water, and sweetened with stevia sounds like it would alkalize the body, and taste much better.

I've also noticed that if I get too much acid reflux, from improper eating (weight gain), lemon juice works better than ant-acid medication. It's like it eats up the food in your stomach, digesting it faster. Even the reconstituted concentrate works, although it's preserved with sulphites, so anyone sensitive to them should use fresh lemons.

I've recently started mixing one tablespoon extra virgin olive oil, and one tablespoon lemon juice, and drinking this daily. My skin is less dry, I feel better, and both of those are alkaline. It's quite the show to watch someone drink this back also

The lemon juice sinks to the bottom, so you get a good blast of lemon at the end. DO NOT SWEETEN.

hya
ive not heard of that one
i may give a try (though nothing will deter me from bicarb lol)
just recently i got some magic cream from abroad for my severe eczema
severe as in blankets sticking to your bloody arms and legs
anyways its nearly gone, and ive also been eating a tin of tuna a day followed by...
a bit of bicarb lol
my skin is brilliant now, my confidence increased, and a couple of interviews in the following days...
lets i/we enjoy it before TSHTF haha

Yes, I've heard of this. I'm taking a class on alternative healing modalities and in our discussion of cancer this topic came up. There is a guy, I'm sorry I can't remember his name right now, who hypothesizes that cancer is actually caused by an overgrowth of the fungus candida albicans, the same one that causes yeast infections. Candida thrives in an acidic environment which is promoted by many of the crappy processed foods we eat. He claims to have cures cancer by saturating the tumors in sodium bicarbonate (baking soda) which has an alkaline PH. I haven't done any further research so I don't know if there is any truth to these claims but it is interesting nonetheless. A tablespoon of apple cider vinegar a day also helps balance the body's ph even though it's an acid. Also, I came across this product called BLK, it's water fortified with volvic acid and has a ph around 9.0. Tastes a bit odd but my psoriasis improved after drinking it.

Originally posted by Erowynn
Yes, I've heard of this. I'm taking a class on alternative healing modalities and in our discussion of cancer this topic came up. There is a guy, I'm sorry I can't remember his name right now, who hypothesizes that cancer is actually caused by an overgrowth of the fungus candida albicans, the same one that causes yeast infections. Candida thrives in an acidic environment which is promoted by many of the crappy processed foods we eat. He claims to have cures cancer by saturating the tumors in sodium bicarbonate (baking soda) which has an alkaline PH. I haven't done any further research so I don't know if there is any truth to these claims but it is interesting nonetheless. A tablespoon of apple cider vinegar a day also helps balance the body's ph even though it's an acid. Also, I came across this product called BLK, it's water fortified with volvic acid and has a ph around 9.0. Tastes a bit odd but my psoriasis improved after drinking it.

You are thinking of Dr Simoncini www.curenaturalicancro.com...

Here are some things to consider...

Your stomach is like a toilet bowl when it fills. As long as the stomach is full with enough chyme and stomach acids, the flap to your esophagus stays closed. When there is not enough, it stays open, same as if you held the handle on a toilet. This is what causes heartburn and indigestion; not from having too much acid. Too much acid will cause ulcers. When the flap is open, it signals your stomach that you are eating (even when you aren't) and so you continue to produce acid, even though it's emptying out of your stomach, leaving the mucosa vulnerable. When the acid comes in contact with mucosa that is not producing enough bicarbonate, the acid will burn you. This doesn't apply to everyone, but I've found about 90% of people who suffer, this is true (some people have more complex diseases where this does not apply). The stomach cells produce bicarbonate, which is alkaline, and acts as a buffer to neutralize the area where the stomach acid makes contact with the lining of the stomach. This is why taking an alkaline substance during an upset stomach will almost always help, but doesn't mean you can eat like crap every day for the rest of your life.

The pH in your stomach is very low because it's acid, and it's supposed to be in order to break down food. Your body produces bicarbonate, which is why baking soda seems to quell stomach problems as well as lemon, because they both raise the pH, thus creating a less acidic environment when you have an abundance of acid. TUMS does NOT do this, it does not produce bicarbonate, it uses calcium as a buffer, which does nothing for the problem long-term, so it's very misleading and a scam. People who use TUMS and Prilosec or other medications like them often notice no improvement because the drug companies want your money.

The acids in the stomach combine with enzymes in foods to produce different levels of acidity and alkaline buffers. Lemons and limes are alkaline when converted, and therefore, not only raise the pH of the stomach, but also help to produce the bicarbonate, which soothes the areas of the stomach lining that are irritated by the acid. This then travels through the rest of the blood and creates an environment that is not suitable for bacteria and viruses. If you've ever taken a chemistry or biology class, there are certain substances that will destroy just about any human bacteria or virus, and almost all of them are alkaline substances.

Sugar, high fructose corn syrup, processed ingredients, do not contain any enzymes that stimulate food digestion. In fact, they inhibit them, which is why if you eat enough junk food, you will die. Acidosis can kill you. Rather than kill you fast, food companies know what they put in the food, and they know that little by little, it chips away at your immune system. How convenient then that the same people who run the food companies also run the drug companies.

People with horrible acne, skin diseases, digestion problems and a host of other ailments all have a similar thing in common - low pH and a highly acidic diet. Most of the western diet is acidic, which is why America (and any other country that eats like us) is rampant with disease, obesity and why diabetes is one of the largest epidemics we face today besides cancer.

I've personally seen many people cured naturopathically. Whole foods contain the enzymes needed to digest themselves when you eat them so your stomach doesn't have to work as hard and therefore, uses less acid to digest food, which in turn means as you get older, you'll have more acid to eat normal foods instead of depending on drugs that don't really help you. High pH MINERALIZED water is key. Not only does it increase your pH and keep your body clean, it contains trace amounts of calcium, magnesium and silica, all of which are essential and what humans drank for thousands of years in the runoff from streams and mountains. Stay as far away from sugar, and even further from high fructose corn syrup as they lower your pH a ridiculous amount.

I used to eat every processed food, drink and dinner you could think of. I live off of microwave dinners in college. I started to get very ill with things that no doctor could explain. I had my blood tested and it was like syrup because of the amount of acid in my body, and I was dangerously close to not being able to reverse the damage. I switched to whole foods, organic whenever I could, nothing processed, nothing fake, Fiji or Eternal or Iceland Springs bottled water (or high pH water if I could find it) and avoided anything with sugar in it. It took a year, but I reversed everything and have learned a life-long lesson that I have thankfully passed on to my children.

Sugar kills you. This video explains it ALL if you're interested in the biology and chemistry coming from a world-renowned expert.



Great post. I'd love to see more like this one to raise awareness. S&F

~Namaste

I'd also like to add that as a gardener, just about anything you grow (except blueberries and a few others) prefers to be neutral on the pH, and usually thrive a lot better when they are 6.8-7.1, which is about where the human body also functions best.

To the point that the OP made about the "heating" and "cooling" foods, the association to pH is a good one. The theory around the hot and cold foods is that if you eat a bunch of hot foods, you're supposed to eat a similar amount of cool foods to keep the body in balance. Too much of one or the other can be bad, but it is very hard to get your body to a high enough alkaline state to do damage. Not the same with acidity. It's very easy to become acidic enough to develop acidosis. In fact, acidosis is similar to ethanol poisoning (alcohol poisoning) as far as the effects on the body.

Next time you crack open that can of Coke, look at how much SALT is in it (sodium) and then you'll know why there is so much sugar. The sugar is to conceal the salt. The salt is to "wash" and neutralize the horrible chemical tastes and smells that come from the crap ingredients they use.

Just a few extra bits to consider...

~Namaste

Originally posted by TiM3LoRd
It all began today while I was squeezing some fresh lime juice.....

I was in the process of making myself a nice refreshing frozen lime juice when a thought occurred to me. Actually quite a few thoughts bombarded me but the most obvious one was the one relating to the lime juice. It occurred to me that lime juice along with lemon juice and orange juice is very alkaline. Its also tradition to add a bit of salt and sugar to the lime juice to take the edge off. Now both the salt and lime juice combined makes for an interesting flavor. An acquired taste no doubt but this is the thought that came to me. If we can use copper wire salt water and lime/lemon juice to make electricity. Could the consumption of a lime juice with a pinch of salt increase electrical activity in the body?

We have iron and traces of copper in our blood, the digestive process transfers the salt and lime juice via the blood stream. Could they combine in our blood stream and produce minute traces of electricity?

I don't know about electricity OP, but I do know that when you have a less acidic gut, you have more friendly bacteria. The friendly bacteria produce hydrogen peroxide. As you know, it acts like a disinfectant, and not only does it work inside of your gut, killing the bad bacteria and keeping them at bay, but it also gets into your blood, which helps to prevent other sickness and disease.

Your digestive system is also known as the "second immune system" because if it's in bad shape, the rest of you usually is too. This is why taking probiotics helps a LOT of people, but you have to take so much because of how acidic our diets are, that it's rare that people benefit from them without taking enough of the right kinds and eating foods that promote their growth. Candida is one of those bad bacteria that probiotics fight off, so if you have Candida overgrowth, chances are, you have a highly acidic diet and don't eat foods that promote growth of friendly bacteria, such as yogurt, keifer, sauerkraut, etc.

Eating whole foods that are alkaline will help kill the bad bacteria because they will feed the good bacteria what they need, which will produce peroxide in the intestines. But this might not be enough if you've eaten badly for a long time.

A very high fiber diet will help clean out the garbage and waste from the intestines and also feed the beneficial bacteria nutrients that help them thrive and multiply. High fiber, low or no sugar, good clean water....

Just think... how did we eat to evolve? For thousands of years, we didn't have sugar or distilled/chlorinated/flouridated water, sprayed foods, foods grown in fertilizers containing petroleum... you get my drift. Prior to this century when all of these things were introduced, we didn't have even a fraction of the disease types or numbers we have today. Diabetes? Good luck finding cases of it that weren't isolated until about 100 years ago. ADD and ADHD? Do you recall your grandparents talking about it? Probably because it didn't exist.

Sorry to go on a rant OP... not trying to steal your thread thunder. This is just one of those subjects that I have a soft spot for and a gigantic amount of knowledge and personal experience with and I like to help people who sometimes, "just don't know".

~Namaste

Here's a question, as there is a lot of mixed ideas about acidic or alkaline foods and their effects on the body.

How is it that a highly acidic compound (such as apple cider vinegar for instance) could make the body more alkaline? Is there an intermediate chemical process that I'm not seeing discussed? If there is not, then this makes no logical sense to me.

But I see over and over again people claiming apple cider vinegar (which is highly acidic) makes the body more alkaline.

What gives here?

Originally posted by pirhanna
Here's a question, as there is a lot of mixed ideas about acidic or alkaline foods and their effects on the body.

How is it that a highly acidic compound (such as apple cider vinegar for instance) could make the body more alkaline? Is there an intermediate chemical process that I'm not seeing discussed? If there is not, then this makes no logical sense to me.

But I see over and over again people claiming apple cider vinegar (which is highly acidic) makes the body more alkaline.

What gives here?

My problem with the whole thing. Well, the major one. I hear it a lot, but I only hear it esposed by websites selling detox or colon cleansers or iffy cancer cures.

reply to post by SonOfTheLawOfOne
nice to see there are others that have a clue.


I have had a PH average of 7.0 for the last 2 years and i have never felt better
I have also givin up fluoride, which i will say, since i did, i no longer have a foggy head.
lots of greens people.. and clean water.. will do your body great.. also,, and acid stomach
come from improper food combos.. like meats and fruits, thats not a good combo.
some people may get indigestion from spaghetti, well a tomato is actually a fruit,, and doesnt
digest well with meats,.. or pasta for that matter..
If you get heartburn often,, really look into what food combos you are eating. And dont just reach
for the antacids. The Previcids, the prilosecs and other acid pump inhibitors are not your cures to
resolving your heartburn problems,, in fact stay on them too long and you will reach an old age well
before your time,and possibly acquire osteoporosis.
Also,, those heartburn pills actually make it so you have to keep using them.. nice marketing ploy.
Nice OP

wiki.answers.com...

"Does drinking water with lemon juice in make your pH level more alkaline?"

In fact yes. Although it is pretty obvious lemon is acidic, a weak acid. The response that it creates in the body, however, is extremely alkaline. Lemon and lime juice promote the release of sodium bicarbonate from the pancreas to support enzyme activity. As well as this, lemon is converted to potassium citrate in the intestine which is also alkaline. So... drink away!!

Originally posted by snowspirit
wiki.answers.com...

"Does drinking water with lemon juice in make your pH level more alkaline?"

In fact yes. Although it is pretty obvious lemon is acidic, a weak acid. The response that it creates in the body, however, is extremely alkaline. Lemon and lime juice promote the release of sodium bicarbonate from the pancreas to support enzyme activity. As well as this, lemon is converted to potassium citrate in the intestine which is also alkaline. So... drink away!!

edit on 7-4-2012 by snowspirit because: removed link, not working

I recommend using real lemons and washing them before you cut into them. try to remember all the people that dont wash their hands after they use the bathroom are touching your lemon before it gets to you..