Acid-Alkaline Diet...Poppycock!

Much ado has been made about the acid/alkaline diet. I say, "Poppycock!" Here's why:

The acid-alkaline diet is correctly based upon the premise that an alkaline tissue pH promotes health; that's one-hundred-percent right on the money. But most the logic thereafter veers off the map of sound science.

Proponents of the acid-alkaline diet separate foods based upon the pH of the food. For example, melons are recommended on this diet because the pH of melons is above 7. Acidic fruit such as oranges are not recommended because they are acidic. This type of reasoning demonstrates a complete misunderstanding of basic biochemistry.

All foods are made of fat, protein and carbohydrate. If the foods are deficient in the vitamins needed to metabolize each type of food -- fat, protein and carbs -- and if the intake of the food exceeds the body's metabolic needs, then those foods are converted into acids. You can eat the most alkaline foods or drink the most alkaline water until the cows come home, but if you don't have the nutrients that it takes to metabolize the food you eat your swimming pool will still become acidic over time.

Let's just look at the B-vitamins, which are involved in the metabolism of all foodstuffs. For carbs to be completely oxidized (into hydrogen which makes energy in the form of ATP and carbon dioxide which you exhale), B1, B2, B3 and B5 are all required. Insufficient amounts of these vitamins (or eating more than your body needs) results in various ACIDS being formed such as lactic acid and fatty acids which are converted into fat, triglycerides and cholesterol. In this example, it doesn't matter what the pH of the carb is. In fact, some very acidic foods such as oranges (citric acid) and apples (malic acid) DIRECTLY FUEL the energy cycle of the cell and stoke the fire BIG TIME. Many proponents of the acid/alkaline diet, however, because they don't understand metabolism, advise you through their blindfolds to avoid apples and oranges. Talk about the DARK AGES!

I understand from various writers that their doctors also recommend that they not eat fruit because of the sugar in the fruit. Come on folks, this is nuts!

There's another food that's been demonized -- nuts! Nuts, folks, are loaded with B-vitamins...as long as they're not roasted (heating destroys many B-vitamins). Forget the fat content in the nuts...go where the vitamins are...and nuts and seeds are some of the best sources you're going to find for the B-vitamins that are needed to oxidize carbohydrates.

Back on track: Let's now consider proteins. Proteins all break down into amino acids...yes, ACIDS which are converted into urea (what gives urine its distinct odor) as long as the body has sufficient B2, B6, B7, B9 and B12. A deficiency primarily in vitamin B6 will result in elevated uric acid levels (can you say "gout"?) and a sufficient amount of these acids will crystallize out of the blood and settle into joints. I wonder if the proponents of the acid-alkaline diet recommend certain alkaline meats over acid meats? Do you see how the proponents of this diet lost their way off the biochemistry map? And what about that Atkins Diet? Proteins are tough on the kidneys folks and the form of vitamin B3 in meat is not easily converted into NAD!

Let's also consider fats. Every membrane in your body is made up of fats -- half of which are saturated and half of which are unsaturated. Half your brain is made of fat. Without fats, you would fall apart at the seams. You need fat in your diet...despite fats are converted into...get this...fatty ACIDS! Yeesh. I'll talk about fats in a separate blog as this is a whole other subject that's been totally inundated with gross misinformation.

So! RotcoD Science says forget about the pH of the food you eat. Poppycock to the pH of foods! Know what vitamins are in the food you eat...and eat and exercise so as to thoroughly oxidize what you eat. Food oxidized, after all, is health optimized!

Cheers.