Note: again my work is appearing plagairised across the web on some highly respected sites (surprising). Please let me know in the comments below if you see this article used elsewhere without attribution to me as the author. Thanks, Ross.

This one single, simple mistake you could be making with your health could be the biggest mistake you can make:

Not consuming enough alkaline minerals on a daily basis could be the single most damaging thing you could possibly do to your health. And yet 99% of us never get enough.

The good news is that in this article I am going to outline exactly how you can guarantee you will get enough, every day.

Plus, as you will know if you’re a regular reader of my blog, I am big on finding scientific proof to back up health claims. And as you read this article in full you will see how my research uncovers the scientific proof that alkaline minerals are critical to your health, and that an absence of sufficient alkaline minerals will not only lead to symptoms such as fatigue, weight gain (or unhealthy weight loss), poor skin and depression, but also insufficient alkaline minerals can certainly lead to cancer, arthritis, osteoporosis and more.

Background: why alkaline minerals and your pH matters

Just as your temperature absolutely has to stay at 38.5 degrees (and your body will do whatever it takes to keep it at that level) your body has to maintain a pH of 7.365.

If you eat, drink and live an lifestyle that is over-acid, the stress it puts on your body to maintain this pH of 7.365 directly leads to sickness and disease. Your body is naturally acid forming – your natural bodily processes, metabolism and the body’s removal of wastes and toxins leads to small amounts of acid by-products. To neutralise this we have a small alkaline buffering system that keeps this 7.365 pH level in our blood and other cells.

And this buffer used to be 100% adequate…until our modern lifestyle kicked in.

Now a diet of pizza, coffee, chips, chocolate, soda, alcohol, white bread, cheese, microwave meals, trans-fats and take aways plus a lifestyle of stress, pollution, chemicals and toxins means that we are constantly pushing our body to the max to try and deal with this constant, overwhelming attack of acids.

To put this in context, the pH scale (that runs from 1-14) is logarithmic. This means that 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.

Coke has a pH of between 2 and 3 – pH 2.5 is almost 50,000 times more acidic than neutral water, and you need 32 glasses of neutral (pH 7) water to counteract the consumption of one glass of Cola.

So you can see how a diet filled with meats, dairy, fizzy drinks, alcohol etc would quickly deplete these buffers.

The Scientific Proof That Alkaline Minerals Are Critical To Your Health

Recent scientific research into human health, sickness & disease has shown with increasing evidence that living an acid-lifestyle is extremely detrimental to health & that by living alkaline you can increase your health, energy, vitality, immune system, youthfulness and protect yourself from disease.

As recently as October 2009, a Cambridge University study published in the highly respected British Journal of Nutrition stated:

The concept of diet-induced ‘acidosis’ as a cause of disease has been a subject of interest for more than a century. The present article reviews the history of our evolving understanding of physiological pH, the physiological support for the concept of ‘acidosis’, the causes of acidosis, how it is recognised, its short-term effects as well as the long-term clinical relevance of preventative measures, and the research support for normalisation of pH.

The available research makes a compelling case that diet-induced acidosis…is a real phenomenon, and has a significant, clinical, long-term pathophysiological effect that should be recognised and potentially counterbalanced by dietary means.¹

The researchers, Pizzornoa, Frassettoa and Katzinger have clearly identified that acidosis (increased acidity in the blood – pH below 7.365) is a very real threat to our health.

Furthermore, my research has shown that the effects of acidosis can directly contribute to various cancers^{2, 3, 12}, arthritis⁴, osteoporosis⁵, cardiovascular disease⁶, diabetes⁷, depression/psychological disfunctions⁸, Crohn’s disease⁹, kidney disease¹⁰. Yes, all of the top five killers in Western society and a whole heap more. Furthermore, my experience and the experience of those who have used my twelve week Alkaline Diet Course have given me significant proof that living alkaline also leads to weight/fat loss, muscle gain (also scientifically proven¹¹), energy increases, libido increases, skin improvements and more.

Sound interesting?

Earlier in this article I mentioned that scientific references and proof are very important to me, and I know they are to you too so here are a few extracts and sources for the claims I’ve made above. You can see a full reference list at the bottom of this page.

Alkaline Diet & Cancer

Alkaline Minerals Prevent Cancer Growth
In March 2009, Robey, Baggett, Kirkpatrick et al published a paper in the American Association for Cancer Research Journal proving that alkaline minerals (in this case NaHCO3 – sodium bicarbonate) that raise the extracellular pH of cancer tumor cells and prevent metastasis. Their research shows that the pH of the tumors are always acidic and by using highly alkaline minerals to raise the pH – the growth of the cancer (and involvement of lymph nodes) is prevented.

Source: Cancer Research 69, 2260, March 15, 2009

Cancer Thrives in an Acidic Environment
Also in Cancer Research Journal, in 2006, Gatenby, Gawlinski et al researched and discovered that “chronic exposure of normal tissue to an acidic microenvironment produces toxicity by: (a) normal cell death… and (b) extracellular matrix degradation”. They proffer that glucose imbalance (an acid lifestlye) leads to a chronically acidic microenvironment (the normal cells and molecules that surround a tumor cell) which provides the perfect base for cancer.

Source: Cancer Research 66, 5216-5223, May 15, 2006

Acidosis & Osteoporosis

Alkaline Minerals Prevent Osteoporosis

A recently published study in the Journal of Clinical Endocrinology and Metabolism (Vol 94, No 1 96-102, 2009) has provided further evidence that the consumption of and supplementation with alkaline minerals is essential for good health. The objective of the study was to understand the effect of alkaline minerals (potassium bicarbonate, sodium bicarbonate and potassium chloride) on bone health – specifically, the ability of these alkaline minerals to slow the bone resorption rate and calcium excretion.

The participants who were taking the bicarbonate supplements had significant reductions in urinary N-telopeptide and calcium excretion when compared to the control group. This means that when taking the alkaline minerals, bones remained stronger and healthier.

Source: Journal of Clinical Endocrinology and Metabolism (Vol 94, No 1 96-102, 2009)

Cardiovascular Disease & the Alkaline Diet

Alkaline Minerals Critical to Prevention of CVD

In the Journal of Orthomolecular Medicine, Joseph Campbell provides a thorough review of the scientific literature surrounding minerals and disease and highlights that the alkaline minerals, magnesium and calcium, are critical to the prevention of cardiovascular disease (CVD). He also highlights that “Excessive consumption of acid producing foods, results in metabolic acidosis. When this occurs, the parathyroid hormone stimulates the removal of calcium from the bones and teeth (osteolysis), to buffer or neutralize the excess acidity. After many years, such calcium loss results in depleted bone, bone weakness and structure.”

Source: Journal of Orthomolecular Medicine Vol. 10, No. 3 & 4, 1995

Arthritis & Alkalinity

Alkaline Mineral Supplementation Decreases Pain in Rheumatoid Arthritis Patients

This incredible study from Institute for Prevention and Nutrition (Germany) provided clear and unquestionable evidence that using an alkaline mineral supplement (30g daily) reduced pain and increased movement in patients with moderately active Rheumatoid Arthritis over a 12-week period.

Source: The Open Nutrition Journal, 2008, 2, 100-105

Do you want to safeguard yourself from degenerative diseases while living with more energy, a lean, fit body, great skin, youthfulness and vitality?

How You Can Guarantee Your Health With Alkaline Minerals

The above studies prove, without question, that having sufficient alkaline mineral buffers to neutralise dietary, lifestyle and metabolic acids is critical to maintaining excellent health, energy and vitality and to the prevention of degenerative disease.

It is also highlighted in several of these studies that using an alkaline mineral supplement is an effective way of guaranteeing your daily intake of alkaline minerals is sufficient.

The efficacy of using a mineral supplement (and these supplements providing a usable form of these minerals) is further supported by this June 2009 study published in the Nutrition Journal, “Effect of a supplement rich in alkaline minerals on acid-base balance in humans”. The study concluded “that the ingestion of a multimineral supplement is associated with both a significant increase in blood and urinary pH”.

If you want to guarantee you have sufficient alkaline minerals then supplementation is a smart choice

My Favourite Alkaline Minerals

I’ve been working and researching in the alkaline diet field for five or six years now and have seen a lot of supplements come and go, and the one thing that determines whether a supplement will be successful or not is: does it work.

Poor quality supplements get found out very quickly.

With that in mind, these are the two alkaline mineral supplements that I personally recommend to you. I have been using these personally for at least four years now and I truly believe that they are incredibly effective.

pHion Balance: Alkaline Minerals

Almost instantly neutralises harmful acids. pHion Alkaline Minerals contains all five primary alkaline minerals: calcium, magnesium, potassium, manganese, and iron. Once these mineral buffers hit the system, they quickly neutralise excess acids. This is my personal #1 choice for an alkaline mineral supplement.

Another bonus of this supplement is that it makes green drinks taste better when mixed together!

Click here for more information on Alkaline Minerals

Jarrow: Mineral Balance

A comprehensive multi-mineral formula that will aid your pH balance and gives your body at least 100% RDI of all of the most essential alkaline minerals.

Click here for more information on Mineral Balance

Diet Comes First

You should always aim to get an abundance of nutrients from whole foods – there are no shortcuts here. This is just essential.

To make sure you’re getting plenty of alkaline minerals in your life I believe you should both consume good quality (pref organic) fresh, vibrant, healthy, high-water content, often raw foods PLUS I believe that you should supplement this to ensure that you always have a safety net. It is SO important to get enough of the right minerals every day that I fully believe in supplementation in this case.

This is particularly important if you have been out of balance, because there will be a lot of repair, detoxification and tidying up to do in your blood and other cells, so providing your body with an abundance of alkaline minerals is one of the very best things you can do.

Here’s the whole food sources:

1. POTASSIUM:
• Avocado
• Spinach
• Soybeans
• Lentils
• Swiss Chard
• Tomatos
• Broccoli
• Squash
• Cucumber
• Sweet Potato
• Beetroot
• Greens
• Carrots
• Kidney Beans
2. MAGNESIUM:
• Pumpkin Seeds
• Spinach
• Soybeans
• Swiss Chard
• Salmon
• Broccoli
• Cucumber
• Sunflower Seeds
• Navy Beans
• Pumpkin
• Tomatoes
• Celery
• Quinoa
• Almonds
• Brown Rice
3. CALCIUM:
• Basil
• Turnip
• Thyme
• Spinach
• Greens
• Kelp
• Broccoli
• Swiss Chard/Silverbeet
• Romaine Lettuce
• Kale
• Celery
• Cabbage
• Squash
• Green Beans
• Asparagus
• Brussel Sprouts
• Garlic
4. SODIUM:
• Avocado
• Carrots
• Cabbage
• Cauliflower
• Kale
• Lettuce
• Greens
• Parsley
• Peppers
• Radish
• Sunflower Seeds
• Sweet Potato
• Turnip
• Beets

Note on Sodium:

We are talking about proper, pure sodium, not table salt or the salt added to refined foods. According to Dr Young:

Today’s common table salt is a poison that has nothing in common with natural liquid colloidal salt. Most common table salt is made up of chemicals that pollute your body and wreak havoc on your health. Your table salt is actually 97.5% sodium chloride
and 2.5% chemicals such as moisture absorbents, and iodine. Dried at over 1,200 degrees Fahrenheit, the excessive heat alters the natural chemical structure of the salt causing the potential for a myriad of health challenges in your body. [see the full article here]

Sodium is essential in the body, and the above listed alkaline vegetables provide you with a good, clean source of this important salt.

SUMMARY

In this article I have proven that consuming sufficient alkaline minerals is essential to good health. Your body really needs you to minimise the acids you consume and keep putting alkali in. When we consume acids, your body uses the alkaline substances in your body (calcium from bones, for example) to neutralise these acids which causes havoc. The body only has a very tiny supply of alkaline buffers and so by giving the body an abundance of alkalinity we not only ease this burden but also give the body the tools it needs to work optimally.

The four main alkaline minerals are calcium, magnesium, potassium and sodium (clean, not refined table salt). These are abundant in fresh vegetables (particularly greens), and we advise you to eat plenty each day!

We also recommend two supplements. In the short-medium term these will help undo any previous damage and assist in detoxifying the body of acids, molds and fungus and in the long-term will help to maintain this alkaline balance, giving you a daily safety net to ensure you get enough of these minerals day-in-day-out.

Sources & References:

¹ Diet-induced acidosis: is it real and clinically relevant? British Journal of Nutrition Cambridge University Press; Joseph Pizzornoa, Lynda A. Frassettoa and Joseph Katzingera
²Acid-Mediated Tumor Invasion: a Multidisciplinary Study; Cancer Research 66, 5216-5223, May 15, 2006; Robert A. Gatenby, Edward T. Gawlinski, Arthur F. Gmitro, Brant Kaylor and Robert J. Gillies
³The Potential Role of Systemic Buffers in Reducing Intratumoral Extracellular pH and Acid-Mediated Invasion; Cancer Research 69, 2677, March 15, 2009; Ariosto S. Silva, Jose A. Yunes, Robert J. Gillies and Robert A. Gatenby
⁴Alkaline Mineral Supplementation Decreases Pain in Rheumatoid Arthritis Patients; The Open Nutrition Journal, 2008, 2, 100-105; Regina Maria Cseuz, Istvan Barna, Tamas Bender and Ju?rgen Vormann
⁵Treatment with Potassium Bicarbonate Lowers Calcium Excretion and Bone Resorption in Older Men and Women; The Journal of Clinical Endocrinology & Metabolism Vol. 94, No. 1 96-102; Bess Dawson-Hughes, Susan S. Harris, Nancy J. Palermo, Carmen Castaneda-Sceppa, Helen M. Rasmussen and Gerard E. Dallal
⁶Minerals and Disease; Journal of Orthomolecular Medicine Vol. 10, No. 3 & 4, 1995; Joseph D. Campbell
⁷Preservative Effect of Electrolyzed Reduced Water on Pancreatic b -Cell Mass in Diabetic db/db Mice; Biol. Pharm. Bull. 30(2) 234—236 (2007); Mi-Ja KIM, Kyung Hee JUNG, Yoon Kyung UHM, Kang-Hyun LEEM, and Hye Kyung KIM
⁸The Effect of Acid/Alkaline Nutrition on Psychophysiological Function; Int J Biosocial Res. Vol. 9(2); 182-202, 1987; Rudolf A. Wiley
⁹Severe Osteomalacia Associated with Renal Tubular Acidosis in Crohn’s Disease; Digestive Diseases & Sciences, Vol 31, No 3, March 1986; Rui MM Victorino, Margarida B Lucas, Miguel Carneiro de Moura
¹⁰Metabolic acidosis of CKD: diagnosis, clinical characteristics, and treatment; American Journal of Kidney Diseases, Volume 45, Issue 6, Pages 978-993 J. Kraut, I. Kurtz
¹¹Lean Tissue: Alkaline diets favor lean tissue mass in older adults; American Journal of Clinical Nutrition, Vol. 87, No. 3, 662-665, March 2008; Bess Dawson-Hughes, Susan S Harris and Lisa Ceglia

About Ross Bridgeford

Ross is known as THE Alkaline Diet Expert...especially when it comes to implementation and making the alkaline diet REAL in your life. He has been living, learning, teaching, coaching and loving the alkaline lifestyle since 2004 and has written over 600 articles, alkaline recipes, videos and guides on how to live alkaline and stay alkaline for life. Ross loves life in Brisbane, Australia (although is a proud Englishman) and is healthily-obsessed with nutrition, fitness and Tottenham Hotspur F.C.

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From Energise Alkaline Diet & Natural Health Blog - health news, alkaline diet resources & tips to make you happy! do something nice today...

Can you use baking soda to make your body alkaline?

This question keeps coming up (most recently in our brand new forum / message board) – but also from customer emails and comments on other posts in the blog. People want to know:

Instead of pH drops or pHour Salts - can I just use normal baking soda (sodium bicarbonate) in water to alkalise my body?

This is a big question, which could have a big impact on people who are trying to alkalise and energise themselves and so I’ve gone to a big man (in stature, not size!) to get the answer. Thankfully I’ve got a good working relationship with Dr. Young now and so I went to him with this very question last week. His response was:

Most all sodium bicarbonates on the market contain anti-caking agents which are toxic – such as aliminium. There are 3 other mineral salts (magnesium bicarbonate, potassium bicarbonate, and calcium bicarbonate) which are important and not in other products but in pHour salts.

Why are these other salts important?

Dr Young goes on to say:

A combination of four powerful bicarbonate mineral salts (sodium bicarbonate, magnesium bicarbonate, potassium bicarbonate, and calcium bicarbonate) are anti-oxidant, anti-aging and maintain the alkaline design of the body from both the inside out and the outside in.

These four antioxidant/anti-aging mineral salts are naturally occurring in all fluids of the body. Specifically, they may aid in the reduction of dietary and metabolic acidity helping to maintain the alkaline design of the human, animal or plant body and slowdown or reverse the aging or decay process.

I believe that each of these four salts are all highly alkalising, but each do have a different role in the body. While it is great to get sodium bicarbonate, the power of having all four salts is far greater than just one in isolation.

So in short:

1. Supermarket sodium bicarbonate contains toxins such as aluminium
2. Having a range of salts is far superior to having just one salt

Personally I’m going to continue with the pHour Salts because I’ve had fantastic results so far, including a marked increase in my energy levels, better digestion and clearer skin. I love it!

Want some? Click here for more information on pHour Salts

About Ross Bridgeford

Ross is known as THE Alkaline Diet Expert...especially when it comes to implementation and making the alkaline diet REAL in your life. He has been living, learning, teaching, coaching and loving the alkaline lifestyle since 2004 and has written over 600 articles, alkaline recipes, videos and guides on how to live alkaline and stay alkaline for life. Ross loves life in Brisbane, Australia (although is a proud Englishman) and is healthily-obsessed with nutrition, fitness and Tottenham Hotspur F.C.

Mail | Web | Twitter | Facebook | Google+ | YouTube

From Energise Alkaline Diet & Natural Health Blog - health news, alkaline diet resources & tips to make you happy! do something nice today...