Ph BalanceClick here for the downloadable version RESEARCH ON ACID-BASE BALANCE by MERCK CORPORATION Acid-Base Balance An important property of blood is its degree of acidity or alkalinity. Body acidity increases when the level of acidic compounds in the body rises (through increased intake or production, or decreased elimination) or when the level of basic (alkaline) compounds in the body falls (through decreased intake or production, or increased elimination). Body alkalinity increases with the reverse of these processes. The body's balance between acidity and alkalinity is referred to as acid-base balance. The blood's acid-base balance is precisely controlled, because even a minor deviation from the normal range can severely affect many organs. The body uses different mechanisms to control the blood's acid-base balance. One mechanism the body uses to control blood pH involves the release of carbon dioxide from the lungs. Carbon dioxide, which is mildly acidic, is a waste product of the metabolism of oxygen (which all cells need) and, as such, is constantly produced by cells. As with all waste products, carbon dioxide gets excreted into the blood. The blood carries carbon dioxide to the lungs, where it is exhaled. As carbon dioxide accumulates in the blood, the pH of the blood decreases. The brain regulates the amount of carbon dioxide that is exhaled by controlling the speed and depth of breathing. The amount of carbon dioxide exhaled, and consequently the pH of the blood, increases as breathing becomes faster and deeper. By adjusting the speed and depth of breathing, the brain and lungs are able to regulate the blood pH minute by minute. The kidneys are also able to affect blood pH by excreting excess acids or bases. The kidneys have some ability to alter the amount of acid or base that is excreted, but because the kidneys make these adjustments more slowly than the lungs do, this compensation generally takes several days. Yet another mechanism for controlling blood pH involves the use of buffer systems, which guard against sudden shifts in acidity and alkalinity. The pH buffer systems are combinations of a weak acid and weak base that exist in balance under normal pH conditions. The pH buffer systems work chemically to minimize changes in the pH of a solution by adjusting the proportion of acid and base. The most important pH buffer system in the blood involves carbonic acid (a weak acid formed from the carbon dioxide dissolved in blood) and bicarbonate ions (the corresponding weak base). Acidosis and alkalosis are the two abnormalities of acid-base balance. In acidosis, the blood has too much acid (or too little base), resulting in a decrease in blood pH. In alkalosis, the blood has too much base (or too little acid), resulting in an increase in blood pH. Acidosis and alkalosis are not diseases, but rather are the result of a wide variety of disorders. The presence of acidosis or alkalosis provides an important clue to doctors that a serious problem exists. Acidosis and alkalosis are categorized as metabolic or respiratory, depending on their primary cause. Metabolic acidosis and metabolic alkalosis are caused by an imbalance in the production of acids or bases and their excretion by the kidneys. Respiratory acidosis and respiratory alkalosis are caused primarily by lung or breathing disorders. What Is the Blood pH? Acidity and alkalinity are expressed on the pH scale, which ranges from 0 (strongly acidic) to 14 (strongly basic, or alkaline). A pH of 7.0, in the middle of this scale, is neutral. Blood is normally slightly basic, with a pH range of 7.35 to 7.45. To function properly, the body maintains the pH of blood close to 7.4.
Source: The Merck Manual- Second Edition Chapter 159
Ph Balance and CancerClick here for the downloadable version
Cancer and How your Body Maintains pH Balance Excerpted from: Demystifying Acid-base Regulation Why cancer cells are formed: A normal cell is surrounded by a membrane, which selectively allows materials to flow in and out. Oxygen and nutrients such as glucose flow in and the waste products of cellular chemistry flow out. The cells are protected by the immune system; a well functioning immune system is the best defense against the formation of cancer cells. When environmental toxins (carcinogens) overwhelm the immune system the entire program is compromised. The cell membrane is affected first, losing its ability to exchange oxygen (respiration). The cell then reverts to a primitive survival mechanism of fermentation. Since the newly formed (anaerobic) cancer cell cannot be repaired (fermentation is not reversible); the cell is now out of control and must be destroyed as rapidly as possible. How cancer cells may diet: A very alkaline body may be able to significantly raising [sic] the pH of malignant cells until the cancer cells die. As long ago as 1925, two-time Nobel Prize winner Dr. Otto Warburg found that cancer cells are anaerobic; meaning they thrive only in a low-oxygen state. Alkaline tissue holds 20 times more oxygen than do acidic tissue and this oxygen rich environment is critical for maintaining health and reducing the risk of disease (anaerobic bacteria, viruses, fungi, cancer etc.). An acidic body = A cancer magnet: The best way to make your pH more alkaline is to stop consuming things that make acidity levels greater in the body. Cola soda pop is a 2.0! It takes 32 - 8 oz glasses of Acid 2 Alkaline Capsules to counter balance 1 can of soda pop! Coffee is a 4! Most beer is somewhere between 2.5-4.2 depending on the brand. People that consume huge amounts of soda pop, coffee and/or beer are usually acidic and are magnets for most illnesses including cancer. Become a cancer resistant body : Maintaining proper body tissue pH is critical for staying healthy. Most people are born into this world with a pH near or at (neutral pH). If you can keep your body tissue pH somewhere between 6.5 - 7.0 it is very difficult to get sick. A near neutral pH (bright blue range) is the goal. This is why most of the health and wellness people are always eating and drinking green foods in abundance. These foods are loaded with alkaline elements to keep the pH balanced, build the immune system and help in the fight against cancer. Sources: 1. Demystifying acid-base regulation RN, CM, Psych Cert, BN, Grad Dip Educ (Nsg), FCN(NSW) RN, Cardiac Cert, BN, MA. MCN(NSW) 2. Acid Base Balance Dr Stephen Drage & Dr Douglas Wilkinson, Oxford, England |
