Why You Need Acid-Alkaline Balance In the Body
Alternative and integrative cancer doctors understand that acid-alkaline balance is vitally important for achieving and maintaining good health. Acid-alkaline imbalances can lead to disease, including cancer.
The acid-alkaline balance refers to the balance between the amount of acids and non-acids (alkalis) that are found in your body’s fluids (blood, saliva, and urine) and tissues. This ratio of acids to non-acids is determined by measuring pH levels. In terms of your body’s health, pH is the measurement of the acid-alkaline ratio of your body’s fluids and 
tissues.
When this ratio is balanced, good health results. When it’s imbalanced- either too acidic or too alkaline- diseases can take hold. pH is measured on a scale of 0 to 14. A pH of 7 is considered neutral. A pH level below 7 indicates an acidic condition within the body, while a pH level above 7 represents an alkaline condition.
In order to thrive, your body’s blood chemistry needs to be slightly alkaline (ideally having a pH of 7.4). When your pH blood reading moves too far below or above this number and remains that way, you will inevitably become sick. Some people who are chronically ill have a blood pH that is overly alkaline. However, the majority of people suffering from chronic illness suffer from an unbalanced blood pH that is far too acidic. This is especially true for the vast majority of people with cancer. Chronic over-acidity causes the body’s blood stream to change to an environment that diminishes oxygen levels and supports unhealthy microorganisms, including cancer cells and tumors.
Harmful Effects of Acid-Alkaline Imbalances
When the body’s pH levels become imbalanced for prolonged periods of time, the internal environment will become either too acidic or too alkaline. In the vast majority of cases, over-acidity or acidosis is the problem.
When acid buildup occurs to the point where your body is no longer able to successfully eliminate or neutralize these
acids, a variety of problems can occur, including illness, and potentially even death. Other problems related to acidosis include accelerated aging, demineralization (loss of the body’s mineral stores), fatigue, impaired enzyme activity, inflammation and organ damage, and the proliferation of harmful microorganisms such as bacteria, fungi, molds, yeast (including Candida), and viruses.
Symptoms of Being Too Acidic
- Digestive Issues: Excess stomach acid, acid reflux, gastritis, ulcers, and saliva acidic
- Unhealthy Skin, Nails, and Hair: Nails are thin and break easily, dry skin, cracks at the corner of the lips, hair is dull with split ends, and falls out, hives, and very pale face.
- Teeth and Mouth Issues: Loose teeth, teeth sensitivities to hot, cold or acidic foods; teeth have a tendency to crack or chip; sensitive gums; mouth ulcers; infections in throat and tonsils; tooth nerve pain.
- Eyes, Head, and General Body: Headaches, low body temperature (feels cold), tendency to get infections, leg cramps and spasms, eyes tear easily, conjunctivitis, inflammation of the eyelids and corneas.
- Nerves and Emotions: Low energy, constant fatigue, being continually depressed with a loss of joy & enthusiasm, excessive nervousness.
| Mildly Alkaline Foods | ||
| Almond Milk | New Baby Potatoes | Pomegranate |
| Distilled Water | Peas | Almonds |
| Artichokes | Pumpkin | Fennel Seeds |
| Asparagus | Rutabaga | Lentils |
| Brussel Sprouts | Swede | Tofu |
| Cauliflower | Squash | Sesame Seeds |
| Comfrey | Watercress | Herbs & Spices |
| Kohlrabi | White Cabbage | Avocado Oil |
| Lamb’s Lettuce | Coconut | Coconut Oil |
| Leeks | Grapefruit | Olive Oil |
| Grapeseed Oil | Hemp Oil | Flax Oil |
| Moderately Alkaline | ||
| Fresh Coconut Water | Arugula | Beets |
| Basil | Capsicum/ Pepper | Cabbage Lettuce |
| Carrot | Chives | Collard/ Spring Greens |
| Coriander | Endive | Ginger |
| Green Beans | Leeks | Lettuce |
| Mustard Greens | Okra | Radish |
| Red Cabbage | Red Onion | Turnip |
| Zucchini | Lemon | Lime |
| Rhubarb | Butter Beans | Lima Beans |
| Soy Beans (fresh) | White (Navy) Beans | Chia/ Salba Seeds |
| Hemp Seeds | Quinoa |
| Highly Alkaline | ||
| pH 9.5 Water | Green Drinks | Himalayan Salt |
| Real Salt | Avocado | Broccoli |
| Cabbage | Celery | Cucumber |
| Endive | Grasses (alfalfa, kamut, straw, shave, wheatgrass, etc) | Kale |
| Parsley | Sprouts (alfalfa, bean, pea, soy, etc) | Spinach |
| Tomato | Soy Nuts | Soy lethicin, pure |
| Highly Acidic Foods | ||
| Alcohol | Cigarettes | Coffee & Black Tea |
| Fruit Juice (sweetened) | Cocoa | Honey |
| Jam | Jelly | Mustard |
| Miso | Rice Syrup | Vinegar |
| Yeast | Dried Fruit | Beef |
| Chicken | Eggs | Farmed Fish |
| Pork | Shellfish | White Rice |
| Cheese | Dairy | Artificial Sweeteners |
| Syrup | Mushroom |
| Moderately Acidic | ||
| Fresh, natural juice | Ketchup | Mayonnaise |
| Butter | Apple | Apricot |
| Banana | Blackberry | Blueberry |
| Cranberry | Grapes | Guava |
| Mango | Mangosteen | Orange |
| Peach | Papaya | Pineapple |
| Strawberry | Goat’s Cheese | Vegan Cheese |
| Brown Rice | Rye Bread | Wheat |
| Wholemeal Bread | Wild Rice | Wholemeal Pasta |
| Walnuts | Ocean Fish |
| Mildly Acidic | ||
| Rice, Soy, & Coconut Milk | Cantaloupe | Fresh Dates |
| Nectarine | Plum | Sweet Cherry |
| Watermelon | Black Beans | Garbanzo Beans |
| Kidney Beans | Seritan | Amaranth |
| Buckwheat Groats | Buckwheat Pasta | Millet |
| Oats/ Oatmeal | Soy Beans | Spelt |
| Cous Cous | Rice/ Soy/ Hemp Protein | Fresh Water Wild Fish |
| Brazil Nuts | Flax Seeds | Hazelnuts |
| Macadamia Nuts | Pecans | Pumpkin Seeds |
| Sunflower Seeds | Sunflower Oil |
Since urine pH values can change during the day in reaction to the foods you eat, the best time to measure urine pH is in the morning soon after you’ve awakened and before you eat breakfast. It’s easy to perform the test. A quick dip into your urine stream with a pH strip is all that’s necessary. As the acid content of your urine reacts with the pH strip, it will change color according to how acidic or alkaline your urine pH is.
A urine pH does not provide as accurate an indication of your body’s internal acid-alkaline balance, but it can help you get a better sense of how acidic or alkaline your body is. To get a better idea of the state of your body’s pH, it’s best to perform this test 5 mornings in a row. If your reading is consistently within the range of 7.0- 7.5, your body is in a fairly healthy state of acid-alkaline balance.
