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Dispelling the Myths of Alkaline Diet.

Dispelling the Myths of Alkaline Diet. 

The alkaline diet is a very, very simple and straightforward approach to health, but is backed by extensive science, pioneered by the blood microscopist and biologist Dr Robert Young PhD. 

Our body is designed to be alkaline. The pH of most of our important cellular and other fluids such as our blood is designed to be at a pH of 7.365, which is slightly alkaline. In just the same way that our body will do whatever it takes to regulate our temperature to stay within a very tight range, it does the same for the pH of our fluids. And while our body does create acids naturally through our bodily functions, we have a small alkaline buffering system that naturally keeps us alkaline. Your body HAS to keep the pH of your blood, cells and other fluids at just slightly alkaline (pH 7.365) and it will do ANYTHING it has to in order to maintain this pH balance.

 To do this, your body calls upon its store of alkaline buffers, which it draws upon to neutralize the acids we ingest or create through bodily processes. This store of buffers is very easily depleted because most of us eat and drink such strong acids. To put this in context, the pH scale is logarithmic – so pH 6 is 10x more acidic than pH 7, meaning pH 5 is 100x times more acidic than pH 7 and pH 4 is 1000x more acidic. Cola has a pH of between 2 and 3. So you can see how a diet filled with meats, dairy, fizzy drinks, alcohol etc would quickly deplete these buffers. And when we deplete these buffers and still ingest more acids… what happens? The body is forced into drawing upon the alkaline minerals it has to buffer which causes havoc in the body – for instance, if the body is constantly drawing calcium to neutralise the acids we consume then the symptoms of osteoporosis emerge (hence the recent research articles linking cola consumption with osteoporosis). However, as we have evolved and our diets and lifestyles have changed over the last century or so we have dramatically increased the amount of acidity in our lives. Diet, stress, emotions and no exercise contribute, in their own ways to the increased acidity in our body

Dispelling the Myths of the Alkaline Diet 

 1) “How can the alkaline diet be true - your stomach is acidic, so it doesn’t matter what you eat, it all ends up acid anyway” 

2) “Why bother, your body keeps your pH at 7.365 no matter what you do - you can’t make your body more alkaline with foods”   

 Your stomach is acidic, so it doesn’t matter what you eat, it all ends up acid anyway” 

Your stomach is acidic, so it doesn’t matter what you eat, it all ends up acid anyway. Yes, the stomach has the capacity to create hydrochloric acid (HCl) and it does this when we digest foods. HOWEVER, the stomach is not a pit full of acid, the HCl that is produced is produced as a by product of digestion.

 Upon consumption of food, the stomach produces sodium bicarbonate to alkalise the foods we eat as part of the digestive process - the stomach FIRST creates sodium bicarbonate, and then creates the HCl as a by-product of this. The issues occur when there is an OVER-production of HCl - more than the body can alkalise and handle. There are two situations that can occur:

1) We consume alkaline foods, which do not trigger the release of much sodium bicarbonate (because it’s not needed) and then the hydrochloric acid.

2) We consume acidic foods which lead to a big increase in sodium bicarbonate production and an overstimulation and overproduction of HCl which then cannot be eliminated and that’s where the issues start. It really does matter what you eat - the HCl production in the stomach is something we want to minimise at all costs! The more acidic foods and drinks we consume the more sodium bicarbonate is produced, in order to buffer the acids of the acidic foods we’ve eaten. What this leaves you with is that stomach full of the leftover acid - and this is where all manner of problems start. 

When we eat alkaline foods, digestion is easy - the stomach doesn’t need to consume sodium bicarbonate to alkalise these foods and so the HCl is not produced and left behind either! This excess of HCl in the pit of the stomach is the root cause of the problems of an acidic lifestyle. 

Why bother, your body keeps your pH at 7.365 no matter what you do - you can’t make your body more alkaline with foods”   

Your body stays at pH 7.365 no matter what you eat - you can’t make your body more alkaline. Let’s start with the facts. The body has to maintain a pH of 7.365 in the blood and other cells and cellular fluid - and it will do ANYTHING and EVERYTHING it takes to do that. If your pH deviates from that you die, pretty much. Just like with your temperature - your body will regulate at all costs. No matter what it has to do - it will keep your pH at 7.365. So if you eat a load of acid forming foods, your body will stay at that pH. If you drink a load of super acid drinks like soda, your body will keep that pH. If you do nothing but smoke cigars all day, your body will stay at that pH. 

Your body is amazing. It will protect you in the short-term no matter WHAT you do to it! It is this maintaining the pH, the regulating of the pH - the constant battle to stay at the slightly alkaline pH of 7.365 that is caused by our excessively acidic modern lifestyle, that causes the problem. 1 2 14 We fully know and understand that the body will ALWAYS keep this pH of 7.365 and our aim is not to change it! Our aim is to give the body the tools it needs so that maintaining this pH is as easy as possible. Putting lots and lots of acid-forming foods puts the body into a huge tailspin and the damage snowballs. The constant consumption of over-acidic foods and an over-acidic lifestyle leads to massive long term problems. 

The body will make all manner of long-term sacrifices to your health in order to maintain your short term health by keeping the pH of those cellular fluids at 7.365. Calcium is pulled from the bones, magnesium is pulled from the muscle, and yeasts, bacteria and microform overgrowths become highly present in the digestive system - clogging your intestines and causing all manner of problems. The alkaline diet is not aiming to change this 7.365 - it’s aiming to support the body, remove the stress of an acidic lifestyle and give the body the tools it needs to thrive.  

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