Alkaline FAQs
I have a friend who drinks a lot of seltzer water and I worry this is adding acidity to his body. What’s your opinion about this? 0
A: “Seltzer water” is made by dissolving carbon dioxide under pressure into water. This process causes the water to become effervescent. It was first designed as a low-cost alternative to naturally carbonated European mineral waters, which can be relatively expensive. In the carbonation process, carbon dioxide dissolves in the water creating carbonic acid, which gives the water a slightly sour taste and a pH between 3 and 4. Plain seltzer water is acid-forming and adds to one’s acid load as you suspected.Be aware that “soda water" is slightly different. In soda water, generally, an alkalizing agent such as sodium bicarbonate, or a potassium-based alkaline compound, is added to the artificially carbonated water. This reduces the acidity of the water to some degree and can add a slight salty taste.
- Susan Brown
Can acidic foods cause me to age faster? 0
Can acidic foods cause me to age faster?
Indeed acidic foods do increase the aging process.Tune in to hear Dr. Brown talk more on this topic. Click the link below:
- Susan Brown
Will an over-the-counter protein pump inhibitor for acid reflux such as Zantac reduce acid over all in my body and make me more alkaline? 0
Will Protein Pump Inhibitors Reduce Acid in My Body?
A. While on the surface it might seem logical that if you reduce hydrochloric acid in the stomach, you will reduce the body’s total acid load. However, in the long run it is likely to turn out quite the opposite. When you decrease hydrochloric acid, you decrease the ability to properly absorb and assimilate mineral compounds. Minerals attached to alkalizing negatively charged ions (like citrate, carbonate, ascorbate, fumerate, etc.) are the source of alkalizing reserves used for buffering excess metabolic acids.
Decreasing stomach hydrochloric acid and digestive strength will likely decrease the availability of mineral compounds within the body. Prolonged use of proton pump inhibitors, in fact, has been linked to the development of osteoporosis likely due to this very fact.
From the Alkaline for Life® perspective the goal is always to uncover and correct the root of the problem, in this case to figure out what’s causing the reflux and resolve that rather than to suppress a symptom with pharmacological agents.
- Susan Brown
Why are there so many discrepancies in the data about which foods are acid or alkaline forming? 0
To begin let me say that most authorities agree that the vast majority of fruits, vegetables, nuts, and seeds are alkaline forming. Also, most agree that concentrated proteins in flesh foods and grains and beans are acid forming.There are a small number of foods, however, that may be listed on one chart as acid forming and on another as alkaline forming. For example, tomatoes, cranberries, carrots, lentils often fall into this gray area. How these foods are classified depends on the system used to calculate metabolic impact.
There are several different ways of calculating the metabolic impact of individual foods. In my book, The Acid Alkaline Food Guide, we explain the combination of scientific methods we used to determine the acid- or alkaline-forming impact of each food. (See pages 72-75; 2nd edition.) We used the best scientific information available today for assessing the acid- or alkaline-forming impact of foods. I am sure that over time new, more accurate ways to calculate these values will be discovered. In the meantime, we say “go by results” and don’t worry about contradictory classifications on a handful of specific foods. Go by results means eating a largely plant-based diet with adequate protein and then checking your first-morning urine pH each day to see the overall impact of the foods you eat and the supplements you use.
- Susan Brown
Why are my urine and saliva pH readings different? 0
“I measured both my first-morning urine pH and saliva pH and the readings were very different. The saliva was in the normal green range and the urine was completely yellow. How can it be that I get different pH readings from my urine and saliva?”
Urine and saliva are very different bodily fluids. The urine carries excretion impurities, acids, and other unwanted substances filtered from the blood by the kidney.
The pH of the urine varies throughout the day, but is generally more acid than that of saliva. The saliva is a filtrate of the blood secreted in the mouth designed to enhance digestion. Saliva pH is generally higher than urine, as excess acids are excreted in the urine.
The first-morning urine pH test after at least 6 hours of sleep without urinating is the best way to estimate metabolic acid load. The ideal first-morning urine pH is 6.5 to 7.5.
The pH of saliva can be altered by bacteria, food residue in the mouth and the like. A good pH reading for first-morning saliva is in the range of 7 to 7.5.
- Susan Brown
Are health problems ever caused by over alkalinity? 0
Metabolic alkalosis can be caused by prolonged vomiting, resulting in a loss of hydrochloric acid with the vomiting. Severe dehydration and the consumption of excessive alkali are other causes. It would be difficult to become over alkaline by diet alone, but this extreme is technically possible should a person eat only 100 % alkalizing foods and no proteins or other acid-forming foods.If you urine pH is consistently 8 this most likely indicates a “false alkalinity.”
- Susan Brown
