pH Levels and Cancer, Alkaline and Acidic Foods

TruthisTreason.net – Kevin Hayden

The human body is an amazing machine. One of the most important functions of this vessel is its ability to regulate its own acidity levels to a very fine degree.  Cells will only function normally within relatively narrow limits of pH.  The body regulates its pH by constantly adjusting physiological processes, such as kidney and lung function. 

However, the foods you eat can play a role in increasing or decreasing body pH, and some foods can be more alkalizing than others. An acidic body is a magnet for sickness, disease, cancer and aging.  Eating more alkaline foods helps shift your body's pH and oxygenates your system, keeping your body healthy and functioning correctly, preventing cancer, among many other diseases.

Definition

pH, or “potential hydrogen,” is a measure of hydrogen ion concentration; a measure of the acidity or alkalinity of a solution.

When a solution is alkaline, or has alkalinity, it means it has the ability to neutralize acids. Alkalinity is expressed as a pH number, on a scale of 0 to 14.  A pH of 7 is neutral; neither acidic nor alkaline.  A substance measuring a pH level between 7 and 14 is alkaline, and is called basic (or a base).  The closer a substance is to pH 14, the more alkaline it is.  Foods are substantially made of water, so they also have a pH that can be measured.  Because the human body is mostly liquid, it also has a pH, which is usually measured through blood.

Our blood pH has a very narrow range of around 7.35 to 7.45.  If our body's pH deviates from this range, we fall sick or begin to show symptoms of sickness.  If our blood pH falls below 6.8 or above 7.8, our cells will stop functioning and death will quickly follow.

An acidic pH can occur from emotional stress, toxin overload, immune reactions or any process that deprives the cells of oxygen and other nutrients.  Obviously, eating a diet that is very acidic can change your pH levels to a degree, as well.  The body will try to compensate for an acidic pH level by utilizing alkaline minerals it has stored.  If the diet does not contain enough minerals to compensate, a build up of acids in the cells will occur, starving it of oxygen.

This can decrease the body's ability to absorb additional minerals and other nutrients, decrease the energy production in the cells, decrease its ability to repair damaged cells, decrease its ability to detoxify heavy metals, allow tumor cells to thrive and proliferate, and make it more susceptible to fatigue and illness.

The American diet is high in acid producing products such as meat, cheeses, grains and alcohol and typically too low in alkaline producing foods such as green vegetables, fresh fruits, spices and pro-biotic cultures (such as those found in real yogurt).  Furthermore, we have become a society that is literally consumed with high fructose corn syrup, refined flours and coffee, cigarettes, pharmaceuticals and artificial sweeteners – all of which are extremely acidic to the human body.  One of the easiest and quickest ways to help correct an over-acidic pH level is by controlling diet and lifestyle choices.

To maintain health, the diet should consist of 60% alkaline forming foods and 40% acid forming foods.  To restore health, the diet should consist of 80% alkaline forming foods and 20% acid forming foods.

Healthy, Alkaline-Forming Fruits & Vegetables

Some fruits are highly alkaline

- including apples, apricot, avocado, bananas (high glycemic), blackberries, cantaloupe, fresh coconut, real cherries, dates and figs, pears, oranges, pineapple, peaches, raisins, grapes, grapefruit, honeydew melon, lemons and limes (citric acid? more on this shortly), nectarines, raspberries, tomato, tangerine, most tropical fruits, watermelon and strawberries.

Vegetables with high alkalinity

- include most green vegetables, such as asparagus, dandelions, wheat grass, alfalfa sprouts, seaweed, sea vegetables and salt, watercress, broccoli, spinach, celery, fresh green beans, sweet potato, pumpkin, peas, peppers, onion, lettuce, mushrooms, Brussels sprouts, green beans, eggplant, garlic, escarole, cucumber, cabbage, carrot, fennel, beets, chestnuts, almonds, chili pepper, tamari, ginger and cinnamon.

Additional high alkaline foods

Other food products are alkalizing or become alkaline once they are eaten.  Alkalizing sweeteners include rice syrup, unprocessed maple syrup and stevia.  Millet, whey protein powder, almonds, chestnuts and fermented tofu are alkalizing proteins.  Alkalizing beverages include pure or mineral water, almond milk, vegetable broth, non-sweetened soy milk, fresh vegetable juice, lemon water and herbal tea.  Lemons are naturally acidic, but they become alkaline after digestion.  Note that the opposite applies to meats; while they are alkaline before digestion they become acidic afterward.

Acidic Food Items

(Avoid or consume in moderation with plenty of alkaline)

Corn, cranberries, canned fruits, barley, all rice, almost all grains, including wheat and all flours (bread, most pastas, macaroni, etc), rye, oats, most beans and legumes (pinto, green, black, chick, etc), hard/processed cheeses, peanuts and associated items, almost all animal and fish protein, and of course, alcohol, sugars, pharmacuticals (including OTC medications), and tobacco products.  You can find a much more in-depth, longer list of alkaline vs acidic foods here. 

Coffee is an acidic beverage (having a pH of around 4), but in moderation, has been found to help prevent certain cancers and disease, along with having a detoxifying effect on blood.  So, be sure and have a glass of milk or orange juice with that morning cup of coffee and experience the health benefits of vitamins, minerals, protein, alkaline and coffee's acidity!

The principal sources of acid buildup are:

1.) The metabolism and/or incomplete breakdown (oxidation) of foodstuffs or metabolic “waste” produced as a by-product of cellular activity.  During normal cellular respiration and energy production , acids as produced as part or “waste” products. These acid must be “balanced”, neutralized, or removed by the body's buffering and detoxification systems through the kidneys, lungs, liver, and blood.

2.) The consumption of acid present in the food, air, and water supply. Nitrogen emissions from automobiles and industrial plants, food dyes, sprays, waxes, preservatives, additives, artificial sweeteners, fertilizers, water pollutants, and even chloride and fluoride in tap water are just some of the highly acidic chemicals are ingested by millions everyday. (Source: Michael Lam, MD, MPH – http://www.drlam.com/articles/acidosis.asp)

The Effects of an Acidic Environment

Acid buildup can lead to acidosis, which in turn affects the liver, kidney, heart, insulin regulation and cell health.  These problems can quickly lead to a stroke, heart attack, aneurysm, cardiovascular problems, osteoporosis, obesity and high blood pressure. 

Acidosis generally disrupts lipid and fatty acid, which are involved in nerve and brain function.  This disruption causes neurological problems such as MS, MD, as well as problems with hormonal balance within the endocrine system.

It is very likely that an acid pH, from an imbalanced diet, produces a condition which stimulates the predetermined genetic response to starvation and famine.  When this happens, the body begins to hoard every calorie consumed and store it as fat, fearing that it is being starved and does not know when or where its next meal will come from.  It does this out of survival.  To counteract this, many nutritionists and athletes recommend eating numerous small, healthy meals throughout the day in order to keep the body happy and confident that it will continue to be fed.  When the body is in this comfortable, worry-free state, it will gladly burn those calories (an increase in metabolism), helping to slim the waistline, create lean muscle and avoid many of the problems that are associated with acidosis, obesity and insulin regulation.

pH and Cancer

Two of the main factors leading to cancer are an acidic pH and a lack of oxygen. As such, are we able to manipulate these two factors so as to prevent and control cancer?

We know that cancer needs an acidic and low oxygen environment to survive and flourish.  Research has shown that terminal cancer patients have an acidity level of 1,000 times more than normal healthy people.  The vast majority of terminal cancer patients have a very acidic pH.  Why is this?

The reason is simple.  Without oxygen, glucose undergoing fermentation becomes lactic acid.  This causes the pH of the cell to drop to 7.0.  In more advanced cancer cases, the pH level falls further to 6.5 and can even fall to 6.0, 5.7 or lower.  The basic truth is that our bodies simply cannot fight diseases if our pH is not properly balanced.

Conclusion

Is it possible to minimize the potential of cancer?  I firmly believe so.  While pH levels are not the only answer, controlling acid and boosting alkaline levels will greatly improve your chances of fighting toxins, allowing healthy cells to thrive and prevent the low-oxygen environments where cancer proliferates.  By maintaining a healthy pH level, you'll realize that you're making a lot of healthy diet changes – avoiding high fructose corn syrup, abrasive sodas (Coca-Cola has a pH level of only 2.2!), increasing your intake of green vegetables and fresh fruits and making new lifestyle choices, such as avoiding pharmacuticals, cigarettes and too much coffee or alcohol.

Have a look at the table below to identify various foods' pH-level. Each one is assigned a number which mirrors its approximate relative potential of alkalinity (+) or acidity (-) existent in one ounce (28.35g) of food. The higher the number, the better it is for you to eat.

The idea behind this article is directly from conversations I've had with long-time reader ‘Emery.'  Here's to you, chick. 

Related posts:

1. Preventing Cancer – pH Levels, Sugars and Oxidation
2. Cancer ‘is man-made' say Scientists Who Find No Cancer in Mummies and Neanderthals
3. Eat to Defeat Cancer