Prevention through pH

REVISED

Milord Fist

Michael Milord
Grade 10
May 18, 2010
 Table of Contents

Introduction..1

What is acid?....1-2

What is base?.2

What is pH?..3

Effects of acidosis3-5

Effects of alkalosis5-6

Conclusion7

Bibliography.8
 Introduction
The acid-base balance is a crucial and tedious balance that needs to be regulated for a
healthy 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 bodys 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 pH balance is not only found in the body, but also out in nature. For example, fungus
cannot live in an alkaline place, for it is slightly more acidic. But even though it is
slightly acidic, if you make the environment to acidic for the fungi, it will also be fatal for
it, as this is the case when you use vinegar to treat athletes foot. The neutral pH in nature
is 7.0, so that would mean that humans are naturally alkaline.

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 what an acid or a base is, how this balance
has an effect on your body, and how to use it to maintain good health.

What is an acid?
A chemistry definition for an acid is anything that has a hydrogen ion. For
example H2SO4 is an acid because it has the hydrogen ions in its chemical formula. This
is the formula for Sulfuric Acid. The only exception to the definition is water, because
waters pH is 7.0 which is a neutral pH. You can test for an acid when you find that the
pH of the substance lower than 7.0, although when dealing with the human body, acidity
consists of anything under 7.40, because the body is alkaline naturally.
 Some examples of acids that we find in our house or consume are vinegar, orange
juice, lemon juice, and Aspirin. An acid can be very corrosive and can dissolve most
stuff. The only thing an acid cannot dissolve is glass, except for the acid hydrofluoric
acid, because the fluoride attacks the silica in the glass. The strongest acid that we have in
our body is hydrochloric acid. This acid is found within your stomach and dissolves
everything except the stomach wall. Also, the body can become acidic when the body
cannot release carbon dioxide through respiration.

An acidic environment inside our body can support pathogens. This acidic
environment can support fungal growth, bacteria, and viruses. These are harmful for the
body and can be counteracted by its opposite, the base.

What is a base?
A chemistry definition for a base is anything that has a hydroxide ion. For
example CaOH2 is a base because it has the hydroxide ions in its chemical formula. This
is formula is for Calcium Hydroxide. You can test for a base when you find that the pH
of the substance is 7.1 or higher, although when dealing with the human body, alkalinity
consists of anything over 7.40, because the body is alkaline naturally. A base is also
called alkaline.

Some examples of a base substance that we find in our house 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. Also, the body can become more alkaline when too much carbon dioxide is
replaced with oxygen in respiration.

Base helps counteract major acid buildup in the stomach, blood, and lymphatic system of
the body. Although humans are alkaline organisms, too much of a base can cause
alkalosis. Alkaline does not support fungal growth, cancer, bacterial growth, and viruses,
thus, being potentially good for the body if used responsibly.
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 bodys 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.

You can calculate pH with the equation:

pH = -log(+H)

The +H is the amount of hydrogen concentration in an amount of moles (grams

per molecular weight) per liter. The term moles per liter is also known as Molarity.
You can solve for the pH of an alkaline by using this equation:

(+H)*(-OH) = 1x10^14

By getting the Molarity of the hydroxide, you can substitute the value with the
OH and solve for +H. after you solve for +H, solve for pH with the equation above.

The bodys 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 bodys pH, and makes it more acidic. The same is true with bases as with the
acids, but in reverse. If you eat basic foods such as fruits, vegetables, dairy products, tea,
natural spices, and stevia (a leaf extract that can substitute for sugar), it affects the bodys
pH, and makes it more basic. For a very healthy acid-base balance the pH of the body
must be slightly 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 a persons pH is lower than 7.40, therefore their body becomes
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, diabetes, lactic acid buildup in muscles
during exercise, losses of body fluid from the gastrointestinal tract, in cases of diarrhea,
bulimia nervosa, 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 (HCO3-1) is a
base that the body produces to neutralize the acid within. One of the typical bicarbonate
mixtures that are used in the hospital is carbonic acid combined with 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. Three
main types are lactic acidosis, Ketoacidosis, and Renal Tubular Acidosis.

Lactic acidosis is the type of acidosis that forms when you exert your muscles
and dont get proper oxygen regulation in your body. 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 caused when there is a buildup of ketones in the body as a result

of fatty acid and amino acid breakdown. It is a metabolic acidosis, which can be
potentially fatal to the person. It is a more extreme case of ketosis, and you can tell if a
person has it if their breath smells like fruit or nail polish remover. This smell is a result
of a byproduct of the reaction called acetone. Excessive drinking can lead to this.

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 persons pH is greater than 7.40 therefore, in accordance
with the body, it makes the blood alkaline. Consequences of alkalosis can vary, some
being mild symptoms, and some of being extreme cases, eventually resulting in death.
Alkalosis may be because the person is losing hydrochloric acid through vomiting,
diarrhea, hyperventilation, producing too much bicarbonate, or 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 acids than bases,
and 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 removes
all of the 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 hard 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 so that the bodys pH can drop
and thus bringing the body back to normal.
 Conclusion
Acids and bases play a very vital role in our bodies. Our bodies metabolic states
depend on this fine pH balance. This also plays a vital role in nature. An acid is defined
to anything that has a hydrogen ion. A base is defined as anything that has a hydroxide.
The only substance with a neutral pH of 7.0 is water.

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. If the person vomits, has diarrhea, has a metabolic problem
where his body produces too much bicarbonate, or hyperventilates, then this person could
develop alkalosis.

The normal bodys pH is 7.40, give or take .05. 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
your pH is at 6.0 or lower, or you pH is at 8.0 or higher, fatality can happen in less then
one hour.

You can use the balance between acids and bases to your advantage by fighting
against pathogens. For example, tinea pedis, also known as athletes foot, can be stopped
by making the foot more acidic. A common treatment is spraying vinegar on the foot.
Although pH is used for treatment in this case, it is easier if you prevent any diseases or
infection from happening. This can be achieved with prevention. 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 Jersey: 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>.
Strong yet Gentle acid Uncovered. University of California, Riverside. June 8, 2010
< http://newsroom.ucr.edu/news_item.html?action=page&id=926 >.

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.