Acid v Alkaline – why all the fuss?

Everywhere you look these days, from magazines to health journals, there seems to be debate about acidic food versus alkaline-producing food. Could an alkaline diet assist with weight loss? Could it even help prolong your life? Recent studies suggest it could, on both counts.
Connell University has found that the absence of alkaline-giving nutrients makes people prone to various degenerative diseases, including the US’ top two killer diseases – cardiovascular problem and cancer. Scientific studies have also shown that systemic weight gain or obesity results from the imbalance. If we could only eliminate cardiovascular-related diseases, then that immediately translates to an additional 9.78 years to a person’s life span, according to the U.S. National Center for Health Statistics.
What happens when we are out of balance?
If the pH balance is disrupted, the body reacts by trying to restore equilibrium, which leads to serious losses of essential minerals that make you feel sluggish and prone to catch various degenerative diseases in your later years.
The secret for optimal health using alkaline diet is not in eliminating all acid-producing foods in our diet, but rather in creating balanced acid and alkaline producing foods mix in our meals. This essentially means that you do not need to starve yourself to stay in shape. A generous mix of acid and alkaline producing food is what you need to sustain a healthy lifestyle.
And in this day and age of consumerism when what you consume is likely to be acid-rich meat and carbohydrates, then it helps that you veer your diet towards healthy alkaline producing food products consisting of fresh fruits and vegetables.
Connell University conducted studies back in 2003 on cancer cells and test tube tests revealed that cancer cells and tumors thrive and grow in a more acidic environment. When the level of acid is lowered, tumors grow much more slowly. If this occurs in the test tube, it stands to reason that cancer cells in the body would also be detrimentally affected by an overall alkaline environment. It would also make sense that if the body’s pH is acidic, then the growth of cancer cells and tumors would be encouraged. By eating mostly foods that make the body’s pH more alkaline, there would be less of a chance for cancer cells to develop and grow. So, by adjusting the diet, it is actually possible to create a less hospitable environment for cancer cells, thus improving a person’s chances of good health.

All study material sourced form Cornell University and the US Notational Center for Health
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