Post by Admin on Oct 18, 2024 20:58:13 GMT -8
Response to Acid-Alkaline Balance by Barbara O'Neil:
Response:
Barbara O'Neill makes a few Interesting points, but there are many things I disagree with.
For example, the claim that it is hard to drink too much water. Death from water intoxication is more common than she makes it sound.
And bone spurs ARE NOT the result of acids releasing calcium from bones then redepositing as calcium phosphate. Bone spurs result from the piezoelectric effect of bone where overly tight tendons are attached.
Also, there really is no such thing as a truly acid or a truly alkaline food. This myth is based on ash analysis of plants, which totally disregards the naturally occurring acids within the food or the acidic metabolites formed from the metabolism of the food. Even foods considered highly alkaline contain acids and form acid byproducts.
A few other things I disagree with include:
Her claim that sulfuric acid is the most acidic substance and and calcium the most alkaline. Neither is true. There are various acids that would put sulfuric acid to shame. They are called super acids. And there are alkaline substances much more alkaline substances than calcium. calcium metal in water forms caustic calcium hydroxide. Put calcium hydroxide on your skin and it will burn the skin, but not nearly as bad as stronger alkaline substances such as sodium, potassium or lithium hydroxides.
She is also wrong that the pH of the blood cannot change. The blood is generally kept within a narrow pH range, but the pH can go out of that range resulting in alkalosis or acidosis in some cases.
She claims that if the pH inside a cell becomes too alkaline that the chemical processes slow down. Then how does she explain cancer cells? Cancer cells have an internal pH more alkaline than healthy cells, yet have a much higher metabolism than healthy cells. Therefore, scientific research is showing just the opposite of what she is claiming.
She also contradicts herself by saying early in the video that the pH of the blood cannot be changed, but then around about 10 minutes in to the video she tries to claim that stress causes acidity and does Coca Cola. And specifically states the changes are in blood pH.
Speaking of Coca Cola, it is not going to make the blood acidic. All foods or drinks are made acidic in the stomach then the acidity neutralized by pancreatic bicarbonate upon leaving the stomach. Any carbon dioxide not expelled by belching and reaching the blood will simply be utilized by the body or exhaled. Just like the carbon dioxide produced by the metabolism of fruit and vegetable sugars.
Excess phosphorus, such as from consuming too much soda, can lead to loss of bone mineralization, but this has NOTHING to do with acidity. Excess phosphorus intake leads to bone mineral loss through pseudohyperparathyroidism.
She also claims that lemons are alkaline due to the high levels of alkaline minerals calcium, magnesium, sodium and potassium. So why does she consider steak acidic when it is even higher in these alkaline minerals? The so-called "alkaline response" is from the release of alkaline pancreatic bicarbonate when the chyme leaves the stomach. Thus the "alkaline response" will occur regardless if you consume lemon, steak, cake, fruits, vegetables, candy bars, etc.
She claims that the nightshades are acidic. To the contrary, potatoes and eggplant in particular actually have a highly alkaline flesh before ingestion. And again, except in extremely rare cases foods do not alter blood pH when ingested.
She claims that fruits are bad because of the sugars that can feed yeast leading to the formation of acids that the yeast thrives in. She goes on to claim that the acid lowers the pH of cells leading to cancer and blocks the uptake of oxygen by the cells allowing the cancer to thrive since she claims cancer cannot survive in a high oxygen atmosphere. Let's take these claims one by one.
First of all the most common yeast in the body that can become pathogenic is Candida albicans. What has scientific research shown us about pH and Candida? That acidity controls Candida while an alkaline environment leads to candidiasis. One of the reasons our flora produce various acids is to control Candida growth. Candida is a dimorphic microbe meaning it can exist in two forms. When in an acidic environment from the flora the Candida growth gene is turned off and the Candida remains in its benign yeast form. When the flora numbers are reduced, such as after antibiotic use the pH of the terrain goes alkaline turning on the Candida growth gene and morphing the Candida in to its pathogenic fungal form. In its fungal form the Candida forms finger-like projections that allow the Candida to dig in to the tissues causing damage and inflammation.
As for cellular pH, studies have consistently shown that cancer cells have a much more alkaline internal pH than healthy cells. The cancer cells maintain this highly alkaline pH by exporting acidic hydrogen ions (protons) in to the external matrix to protect themselves. Research has also shown that excess alkalinity of cells causes healthy cells to morph in to a cancerous state. When the proton pumps of cancer cells are blocked the internal pH of the cell becomes acidic and the cancer cell dies.
And the cancer cells cannot live in a high oxygen atmosphere is just one of those myths that just refuses to die. Often due to the misquoting Nobel Prize Winner Otto Warburg, who NEVER made that claim. Research has proven that cancer cells are highly reliant on oxygen for survival and proliferation. Cancer cells derive at least 50% of their energy from oxidative phosphorylation, which requires sufficient oxygen. It has also been proven that cancer cells have a higher affinity for oxygen than healthy cells and that they die in the absence of oxygen.
If cancer was killed by a high oxygen atmosphere we could easily cure cancer with hyperbaric oxygen therapy (HBOT), which supersaturates the cells with oxygen. This does not cure or even slow cancer though.
Ironically, it is excess alkalinity, not acidity, that inhibits oxygen from entering cells. This is because the release of oxygen from hemoglobin is reliant on acidity. If the system is too alkaline then the hemoglobin will not release the oxygen it is bound to leading to tissue hypoxia (oxygen deficiency).
She also ignores the fact that fruits are not all simple sugars. Fruits are high in fiber, which blunts glucose absorption and also provides food for the flora to form the acids that control Candida growth.
I also disagree that gluten intolerances are developing in adults based on what they were given as infants. Gluten intolerance, unlike Celiac disease, is an allergic reaction to the glutens. Allergies can come and go throughout life since the allergic response is dependent on poor adrenal function. The lack of secreted epinephrine and corticosteroids by the adrenals leads to the allergic response. Therefore, adult onset allergies have nothing to do with what an infant was fed, but rather what they have done to their adrenals as an adult. For example, as an infant I was allergic to both mother's milk and cow's milk. Therefore, I was raised on soy milk. But I outgrew my allergies around the age of 5 when my adrenals matured and I have not had allergies to anything, including milk, since. But I do a lot to maintain my adrenal health.
At the end of the video she is talking about the benefits of sourdough bread. But the tow main acids produced in sourdough bread are lactic and acetic acids that give the bread its sour taste. Barbara O'Neill though incorrectly claims earlier in the video that these acids promotes yeast overgrowth.
For example, the claim that it is hard to drink too much water. Death from water intoxication is more common than she makes it sound.
And bone spurs ARE NOT the result of acids releasing calcium from bones then redepositing as calcium phosphate. Bone spurs result from the piezoelectric effect of bone where overly tight tendons are attached.
Also, there really is no such thing as a truly acid or a truly alkaline food. This myth is based on ash analysis of plants, which totally disregards the naturally occurring acids within the food or the acidic metabolites formed from the metabolism of the food. Even foods considered highly alkaline contain acids and form acid byproducts.
A few other things I disagree with include:
Her claim that sulfuric acid is the most acidic substance and and calcium the most alkaline. Neither is true. There are various acids that would put sulfuric acid to shame. They are called super acids. And there are alkaline substances much more alkaline substances than calcium. calcium metal in water forms caustic calcium hydroxide. Put calcium hydroxide on your skin and it will burn the skin, but not nearly as bad as stronger alkaline substances such as sodium, potassium or lithium hydroxides.
She is also wrong that the pH of the blood cannot change. The blood is generally kept within a narrow pH range, but the pH can go out of that range resulting in alkalosis or acidosis in some cases.
She claims that if the pH inside a cell becomes too alkaline that the chemical processes slow down. Then how does she explain cancer cells? Cancer cells have an internal pH more alkaline than healthy cells, yet have a much higher metabolism than healthy cells. Therefore, scientific research is showing just the opposite of what she is claiming.
She also contradicts herself by saying early in the video that the pH of the blood cannot be changed, but then around about 10 minutes in to the video she tries to claim that stress causes acidity and does Coca Cola. And specifically states the changes are in blood pH.
Speaking of Coca Cola, it is not going to make the blood acidic. All foods or drinks are made acidic in the stomach then the acidity neutralized by pancreatic bicarbonate upon leaving the stomach. Any carbon dioxide not expelled by belching and reaching the blood will simply be utilized by the body or exhaled. Just like the carbon dioxide produced by the metabolism of fruit and vegetable sugars.
Excess phosphorus, such as from consuming too much soda, can lead to loss of bone mineralization, but this has NOTHING to do with acidity. Excess phosphorus intake leads to bone mineral loss through pseudohyperparathyroidism.
She also claims that lemons are alkaline due to the high levels of alkaline minerals calcium, magnesium, sodium and potassium. So why does she consider steak acidic when it is even higher in these alkaline minerals? The so-called "alkaline response" is from the release of alkaline pancreatic bicarbonate when the chyme leaves the stomach. Thus the "alkaline response" will occur regardless if you consume lemon, steak, cake, fruits, vegetables, candy bars, etc.
She claims that the nightshades are acidic. To the contrary, potatoes and eggplant in particular actually have a highly alkaline flesh before ingestion. And again, except in extremely rare cases foods do not alter blood pH when ingested.
She claims that fruits are bad because of the sugars that can feed yeast leading to the formation of acids that the yeast thrives in. She goes on to claim that the acid lowers the pH of cells leading to cancer and blocks the uptake of oxygen by the cells allowing the cancer to thrive since she claims cancer cannot survive in a high oxygen atmosphere. Let's take these claims one by one.
First of all the most common yeast in the body that can become pathogenic is Candida albicans. What has scientific research shown us about pH and Candida? That acidity controls Candida while an alkaline environment leads to candidiasis. One of the reasons our flora produce various acids is to control Candida growth. Candida is a dimorphic microbe meaning it can exist in two forms. When in an acidic environment from the flora the Candida growth gene is turned off and the Candida remains in its benign yeast form. When the flora numbers are reduced, such as after antibiotic use the pH of the terrain goes alkaline turning on the Candida growth gene and morphing the Candida in to its pathogenic fungal form. In its fungal form the Candida forms finger-like projections that allow the Candida to dig in to the tissues causing damage and inflammation.
As for cellular pH, studies have consistently shown that cancer cells have a much more alkaline internal pH than healthy cells. The cancer cells maintain this highly alkaline pH by exporting acidic hydrogen ions (protons) in to the external matrix to protect themselves. Research has also shown that excess alkalinity of cells causes healthy cells to morph in to a cancerous state. When the proton pumps of cancer cells are blocked the internal pH of the cell becomes acidic and the cancer cell dies.
And the cancer cells cannot live in a high oxygen atmosphere is just one of those myths that just refuses to die. Often due to the misquoting Nobel Prize Winner Otto Warburg, who NEVER made that claim. Research has proven that cancer cells are highly reliant on oxygen for survival and proliferation. Cancer cells derive at least 50% of their energy from oxidative phosphorylation, which requires sufficient oxygen. It has also been proven that cancer cells have a higher affinity for oxygen than healthy cells and that they die in the absence of oxygen.
If cancer was killed by a high oxygen atmosphere we could easily cure cancer with hyperbaric oxygen therapy (HBOT), which supersaturates the cells with oxygen. This does not cure or even slow cancer though.
Ironically, it is excess alkalinity, not acidity, that inhibits oxygen from entering cells. This is because the release of oxygen from hemoglobin is reliant on acidity. If the system is too alkaline then the hemoglobin will not release the oxygen it is bound to leading to tissue hypoxia (oxygen deficiency).
She also ignores the fact that fruits are not all simple sugars. Fruits are high in fiber, which blunts glucose absorption and also provides food for the flora to form the acids that control Candida growth.
I also disagree that gluten intolerances are developing in adults based on what they were given as infants. Gluten intolerance, unlike Celiac disease, is an allergic reaction to the glutens. Allergies can come and go throughout life since the allergic response is dependent on poor adrenal function. The lack of secreted epinephrine and corticosteroids by the adrenals leads to the allergic response. Therefore, adult onset allergies have nothing to do with what an infant was fed, but rather what they have done to their adrenals as an adult. For example, as an infant I was allergic to both mother's milk and cow's milk. Therefore, I was raised on soy milk. But I outgrew my allergies around the age of 5 when my adrenals matured and I have not had allergies to anything, including milk, since. But I do a lot to maintain my adrenal health.
At the end of the video she is talking about the benefits of sourdough bread. But the tow main acids produced in sourdough bread are lactic and acetic acids that give the bread its sour taste. Barbara O'Neill though incorrectly claims earlier in the video that these acids promotes yeast overgrowth.