Health Suffering from Acidic Diet?
An Over-Acidic Body May Prompt Weight Gain, Fatigue and Osteoporosis
Oct 25, 2007
Fat is an acidity problem in the body’s cells, tissues and organs. So are fatigue, allergies, arthritis, osteoporosis and countless other common chronic diseases and maladies.
So says a growing legion of physicians and researchers, including New Biology author Dr. Robert O. Young, who writes in The Alkalarian Approach to Optimal Health that people suffer allergies, gain weight and lack energy because of overly acidic diets.
“Our bodies were designed to be healthy, slender and energic," he says. "Over-acidification interferes with life itself, leading to sickness and disease."
Take Obesity
Dr. Young believes the toxins produced from an overly acidic, oxygen-deprived body may contribute significantly to the growing problem of Americans being overweight.
He says the body creates fat cells to carry acids away from vital organs as a way to prevent these acids from literally "choking organs to death." Left unchecked, toxic acids with high pH levels corrode body tissue, leading to various ailments.
“Fat is saving your life,” he writes. “Fat is actually a response from the body to an alarming over acidic condition.”
Fatigue
Fatigue is probably the most major symptom or complaint of an overly acidic body. Toxins produced from the acidic environment reduce the body's ability to absorb minerals and proteins.
In turn, the production of enzymes and hormones is weakened. The result is fatigue, poor endurance, an inability to add muscle tone, and general weakness, Dr. Young says.
Osteoporosis
Don Colbert, M.D. bestselling author of Living Divine Health (Siloam, 2006), agrees that an overly acidic body environment can contribute to all sorts of health problems, including everything from arthritis and cancer to osteoporosis, which is one of the most significant health problems in America today.
Because of an overly acidic diet, he says, “Approximately one out of every four females and one out of every eight males over fifty suffer from osteoporosis."
Foods that help preserve the amount of calcium in our bones are alkaline foods. They include most fruits and vegetables, millet, almonds, apple cider vinegar, garlic, lentils and soured dairy products such as low fat yogurt.
“Your diet should probably consist of 50 percent alkaline-forming foods or higher and 50 percent acid-forming foods or lower. If your diet includes a lot of acidic foods, begin now to make changes that will protect your body from bone loss and disease," Dr. Colbert says.
What Causes Acidity?
Dr. Stuart Zoll, D.O.M., A.P., who runs the Center for Preventative Medicine in Boca Raton, Florida, writes in How to Optimize Your Health (distributed 2007) that a diet high in acid foods such as red meat, pork, processed meats, corn and peanuts, bagels, pastries, rolls, sugar, chocolate, candy, deserts, fried foods, carbonated soft drinks and dairy products causes acid wastes to build up in the body.
How does a person know if they're overly acidic? Tissue acidity can be determined by measuring the pH of the blood, saliva and urine, he says.
He recommends the best ways to treat acidity in the body include herbal and homeopathic drainage formulas to stimulate the liver, kidneys and lymph systems. Also he tells his patients to increase water intake, increase vegetable intake, increase exercise, try digestive enzymes when indicated, and "have more fun and pleasure in your life."
Ideal foods for a balanced acid/alkaline body are brown rice, oatmeal, all fresh vegetables, lemons, chicken and turkey, soy products, most fish (especially those high in omega 3 fatty acids such as salmon, trout, sardines and herring), olive oil, avocados, flax see oil, salads, seeds and most nuts.
