Prevention through pH

Milord’ Fist

Michael Milord
Grade 8
5-08-08
 Table of Contents

Introduction…………………………………………………….….1

What is acid?………………………………………...………….1-2

What is base?……………………………………………………2-3

What is pH?………………………………………………………..3

Effects of acidosis………………………………………………4-5

Effects of alkalosis………………………………………………5-6

Conclusion………………………………………………………6

Bibliography……………………………………….……………7

Introduction

The acid base balance is the balance between the acids and the bases in the body.

It is maintained narrowly at a pH of 7.40, give or take .05. pH represents the amount of

hydrogen in the body. There is an inverse relationship between the amount of hydrogen

in the body and the body’s pH level; the higher the concentration of hydrogen in the

body, the lower the pH. A high pH above 7.40 is considered alkaline, a low pH below

7.40 is considered acidic. The lungs and the kidneys are the major organs involved in
maintaining the proper pH balance in the body. The GI tract and the sweat glands also

affect this balance, but not as much as the lungs and kidneys.

The acid base balance is probably the most critical aspect of human metabolism.

It guides all other metabolic reactions. It is essential in maintaining good health, and

when it becomes severely abnormal the human organism, or any other organism will die.

In the following chapters we will talk about how this balance has an effect on your body,

and how to use it to maintain good health.

What is an acid?

An acid is any substance that when put in pure water, has a higher potential

hydrogen count. Some examples of acids that we find in our house or consume are

vinegar, orange juice, lemon juice, battery acid, and Aspirin. An acid can be very

corrosive and can dissolve most stuff. The only thing an acid cannot dissolve is glass.

The strongest acid that we have today is hydrochloric acid. This acid is found within your

stomach and dissolves everything except the stomach wall.

Acid is good for dissolving things outside of the body, but an acidic environment

inside our body supports pathogens. A person that has this environment supports fungal

growth, cancer, bacteria, and viruses. These are harmful for the body and can be

counteracted by its opposite, the base.

 What is a base?

A base is the very reverse of an acid. It is any substance that when put in pure

water, it has a lower potential hydrogen count. Some examples of a base substance are

baking soda and ammonia. A base dissolves more organic material than other materials.

A base cannot dissolve glass or metal. The strongest base that we have today is sodium

hydroxide, or drain cleaner. Base is also called alkaline.

Base helps counteract major acid buildup in the stomach, blood, and lymphatic

system of the body. Although base is good, too much can cause alkalosis. It is known that

healthier foods are more alkaline than acid. Alkaline does not support fungal growth,

cancer, bacterial growth, and viruses, thus, being good for the body.

What is pH?

The definition of pH is the potential hydrogen count in an object. In the body the pH in a

human being should be about 7.40. If the pH is higher than 7.40, then the person is

alkaline. If the pH is lower than 7.40, than this person is acidic. pH is very vital because

the bodies organs cannot function well when it is off balance. If the blood pH goes higher

than 8.00 or goes lower than 6.00 the person only has a few hours to live. This shows you

how vital the pH balance is.

pH is affected by what you consume, and do to your body. If you eat acidic foods

such as rice, noodles, meats, fats and oils, artificial sweetener, or beans, it affects the

body’s pH, and makes it more acidic. The same is true with acids as with the bases, but in
reverse. If you eat basic foods such as fruits, vegetables, dairy products, tea, natural

spices, and stevia, it affects the body’s pH, and makes it more basic. For a very healthy

acid base balance the pH must be slightly alkaline or above 7.40. In order to attain that,

one must eat more alkaline foods. For example, at least 70% of the food ingested should

be in the alkaline groups.

Effects of acidosis

Acidosis is when the person’s pH is lower than 7.40, therefore becoming acidic.

There are many causes for acidosis. Such cases may be because the person is eating too

much acidic food; damaged lungs that can not release carbon dioxide thru exhalation;

kidneys that can not filter acids; in diabetes; lactic acid buildup in muscles during

exercise; losses of body fluid from the gastrointestinal tract, in cases of diarrhea, bulimia,

or even Anorexia Nervosa. This buildup of acid can cause the person to become drowsy

and in extreme cases, enter a coma state and then die. One of the main things that the

hospital does when a patient has acidosis is hydrate the person intravenously, give

bicarbonate if necessary, and in extreme cases, put the patient on a ventilator, all to help

return the pH to normal. Bicarbonate is a base that the body produces to equal the acid

within. One of the typical bicarbonate that is used in the hospital is a mixture of carbonic

acid and sodium bicarbonate. It is more common to get acidosis then alkalosis.

There are different types of acidosis that a person can have in the body. There is

Lactic acid, Ketoacidosis, and Renal Tubular Acidosis. Lactic acid is the acid that forms

when you exert your muscles and don’t get proper oxygen regulation. When your muscle
goes into tetany, lactic acid is produced as an attempt to make up for the oxygen that the

muscle is not receiving. Ketoacidosis is mainly found in alcoholics who loose fluid

through vomiting and diarrhea. These can be extreme cases of acidosis. Renal Tubular

Acidosis is a symptom when your kidneys fail to secrete acid into your urine and it builds

up in the bloodstream. One of the main reasons why our body urinates is because our

body is trying to relieve itself of the toxins and the excess water, salt, and acid. Renal

Tubular Acidosis is an extreme case and may result in death if treatment is delayed.

Effects of alkalosis.

Alkalosis is when the person’s pH is greater than 7.40 therefore making the blood

alkaline. There are many causes for alkalosis, some of them start as mild symptoms, and

some of them start or end in extreme cases, eventually resulting in death. This may be

because the person is losing hydrochloric acid through vomiting, diarrhea,

hyperventilation, producing too much bicarbonate, and over secretion in the urinary tract.

People who have alkalosis can be fidgety, have seizures, and in extreme cases die of

tetany. Alkalosis is rare because our body produces more acid than alkaline. Also, outside

our body, there are more acidic things than basic things.

One of disorders that can produce alkalosis is Pyloric stenosis. This is when there

is a narrow opening connecting the stomach to the small intestines. Pyloric stenosis,

because of this small opening, restricts the amount of food going down to the small

intestines. Because of this restriction the person feels nauseous and starts to vomit. Often

times the person vomits to the point where he or she cannot vomit anymore and gets rid
of all acid in the stomach, thus throwing off the balance and becoming more alkaline.

This disorder is common in younger children and the vomiting tends to be projectile

vomiting.

Alkalosis is a hard thing to treat. We so far do not know how to treat alkalosis

quickly. Drug companies try to equal this out by making prescription drugs that are

acidic. One of the simplest treatments is just to rest and eat acidic foods to lower the pH

of the body back to normal.

Conclusion

Acids and bases are a very vital part in our bodies. Our bodies metabolic states depend on

this fine pH balance. If the person is eating lots of acidic food, not getting rid of the

carbon dioxide, has urinary problems, or has lactic acid building up in the muscles from

exercise, then this person will develop acidosis. Acidosis is when the pH of the body is

lower than 7.40, and alkalosis is when the pH of the body is higher than 7.40. If we eat

75% alkaline foods and 25% acidic foods, we will have an alkaline pH. This balance is

the best way to prevent most diseases, bacterial, and viral infections and can be done with

just a little effort. It is better to prevent than to react.

Bibliography

Books:

Guyton, Arthur C. Textbook of Medical Physiology. 6th ed. W.B. Saunders Company,

1981. 448.
Berkow, Robert. The Merck Manual. 15th ed. Rahway, New Jursey: Merck Sharp &

Dohme Research Laboratories, 1987. 986-990.

Online:

"Causes of Acidosis." Wrong Diagnosis. 4 May 2008

<http://www.wrongdiagnosis.com/a/acidosis/causes.htm>.

"Causes of Alkalosis." Wrong Diagnosis. 4 May 2008

<http://www.wrongdiagnosis.com/a/alkalosis/causes.htm>.

Interview:

Georges Milord, M.D. Personal interview. 3 May 2008.

Michelle S Milord, M.D. Personal interview. 3 May 2008.

Charts:

"Acid & Alkaline Food Chart." Chart. The Wolfe Clinic. 2007.