No matter what happens in the world, there will always be those who begin to carry to the masses the only true doctrine about anything. Don’t let the grass grow, but let these enthusiasts gather around them grateful listeners, turn them into followers and fans, and lead them into a bright future with enough gingerbread for everyone. Such revelations are especially often about lifestyle and nutrition. The First Doc. offers a “breakdown” of the idea of “acidification” and the need to alkalize the body.
Acidic foods
Adherents of the acidification theory are convinced that the usual dietary system for many people carries serious dangers because it alters the acidity of the body’s internal environment. And as a consequence, it leads to the emergence and development of many diseases, from all kinds of inflammatory processes to cancer and decreased bone density, i.e. osteoporosis.
Specifically, according to proponents of this theory, the body “gets sour” from eating the following foods:
- eggs, fish, and meat, especially red meat;
- all sweets, including not only sugar, but also its substitutes;
- all dairy products;
- coffee, cocoa, chocolate;
- cereals and cereal products, especially corn and rice.
A person who does not want brittle bones and cancer should immediately throw away all of the above from his kitchen, and switch to eating the right foods, that is, alkaline foods:
- vegetables, fruits and all kinds of greens;
- various legumes (as a source of protein) and nuts.
And also be sure to drink first on an empty stomach a glass of water with soda, hydrogen peroxide, etc.: there are discrepancies in this part.
As a result, the body will “alkalize” and thus become healthy and strong.
The Origins of the Acidification Theory
In fact, it is not so new: its roots are from the century before last, caught up in the research of biologist Claude Bernard. This scientist is famous for being the first to formulate the concept of homeostasis – the ability of a living organism to maintain a constant reaction, or pH of the internal environment, its acid-base balance.
But the advocates of acidification turned their attention not to homeostasis, but to the experiments conducted by the scientist on rabbits. Experiments showed that changing the composition of the diet caused a change in the urine reaction of the long-eared rabbits.
Somewhat later, other researchers determined the acidity of food by burning it and measuring the pH of the ash. The result was the assumption that food having an acid or alkaline reaction was capable of changing the acidity not only of urine, but also of the body as a whole.
The concept of homeostasis
They talk about homeostasis in biology classes at school, but who remembers those classes? But that is exactly what unscrupulous people use, wrapping their dubious ideas in a scientific wrapper. So let’s remember the basics.
In the internal environment of a living organism, the acid-base balance is maintained due to the “built-in” system of self-regulation. And this system is very stable and flexible. It can’t be disrupted by eating a plate of eggs and bacon, or a pile of popcorn.
The reaction of the medium is determined by the concentration of hydrogen ions, or pH. A neutral reaction is pH 7, above 7 it is acidic, below 7 it is alkaline.
If you measure blood pH, the result is in the range of 7.35 – 7.45, no higher and no lower. Within these limits, the body can function normally, but if the pH goes beyond this fairly narrow range, unpleasant things happen. Namely, acidosis if the pH drops below 7.35, or alkalosis if it soars above 7.45.
In both cases, the enzyme system malfunctions, the synthesis of ATP – the main source of energy, and nerve conduction “breaks down”. As a result, the well-being significantly worsens, up to coma. This can happen, for example, in diabetes mellitus, when ketoacidosis develops, or in poisoning with a large dose of alcohol, or in other cases where the pH of the internal environment of the body is outside the narrow limits of normal.
That is, the body is “preset” by nature with a well-functioning system whose job is to remove excess acids as well as alkalis.
How does the system of equilibrium work
In the course of life, various substances are constantly being produced in the body: hydrogen ions, carbon dioxide, lactic and carbonic acid, etc. All of them could upset the delicate balance, but this does not happen. Because the blood buffer system, the lungs and kidneys take care of it.
In the kidneys, hydrogen ions bind to hydrocarbonate and are converted to carbonic acid. This, in turn, splits into water, the excess of which is excreted in the urine, and into carbon dioxide, which is excreted outside by the lungs. With the urine is excreted in the form of an aqueous solution and excess acids and alkalis – depending on what is formed in excess.
And it’s absolutely true that the diet can affect the reaction of the urine, make it more acidic or more alkaline. But this does not mean that the reaction of the internal environment of the whole body is influenced in the same way. This is why urine changes its reaction, so that a stable pH is maintained in the body.
Abstracts and Critique of the Acidification Theory
As in many other cases, this theory is based on a murky mixture of facts and speculation. For example, the claim that cancer development is caused by a change in the body’s pH to acidic is based on the discovery of the oxygen-free type of nutrition of cancer cells, and the fact that such cells feel great in an acidic environment.
In fact, in an alkaline environment, they can also feel great and grow successfully. And tumor cells can produce acid themselves, because they feed on glucose and are able to convert it into acids. Yes, without oxygen, that is, through anaerobic processes. But this does not mean that the root cause of cancer is “acidification.
It is partly true that eating “acidic” foods leads to the development of many diseases. But only in part. It would be more correct to say that an unbalanced diet can lead to the development of disease. And from this point of view, a poor “alkaline” diet is no healthier, because it does not provide all the diverse needs of the body.
Incidentally, the main preacher of the acidification theory, Robert O. Young, was convicted after he persuaded several cancer patients to abandon classical treatments and begin “alkalizing” their bodies. As a result, some of them died, such as Kim Tinkham with breast cancer, whose story was most widely reported in the media. It then turned out that his “doctor’s” degrees had been obtained from dubious “diploma factories.”
One of the schools was not even accredited and soon closed down. However, in the United States, attitudes toward alternative medicine are very ambiguous and disturbing for doctors representing classical evidence-based medicine. California, for example, allows the licensing and practice of naturopathic specialists.
And here’s what the experts, the scientists who conducted the research, have to say about the acidification theory.
We analyzed more than 230 studies conducted to determine the effect of an “acidic” or “alkaline” diet on bone density levels and the degree of risk of osteoporosis. No causal relationship was found between acid load and diet and the presence or absence of osteoporosis. Nor was evidence found that a diet dominated by alkaline foods can protect bones from calcium loss.
A popular idea in the lay literature and media is that a diet high in acids promotes osteoporosis. And a diet based on “alkaline” foods, i.e., vegetables, fruits and legumes, protects the bone system. However, a number of studies related to dietary change and its effect on changes in bone density have found no correlation. Furthermore, in older adults, a lack of protein in the diet may be more dangerous than an excess of protein and associated acidity.
Sources:
- Does a high dietary acid content cause bone loss, and can bone loss be prevented with an alkaline diet / Hanley DA, Whiting SJ. // J Clin Densitom – 2013
- Causal assessment of dietary acid load and bone disease: a systematic review & meta-analysis applying Hill’s epidemiologic criteria for causality / Fenton TR, Tough SC, Lyon AW, Eliasziw M, Hanley DA. // Nutr J. – 2011
- Comparison of correlates of bone mineral density in individuals adhering to lacto-ovo, vegan, or omnivore diets: a cross-sectional study / Knurick JR, Johnston CS, Wherry SJ, Aguayo I. // Nutrients – 2015
- Acid/alkaline ash diets: time for assessment and change / Dwyer J, Foulkes E, Evans M, Ausman L. // J Am Diet Assoc – 1985
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