The Truth About Alkalizing Your Blood, Interstitial and Intracellular Fluids!

The following article is Dr. Robert O. Young’s rebuttal to Dr. Ben Kim’s felacous statements concerning the bio-electro/chemistry of the blood and tissues.

 

April 12, 2012

The Truth About Alkalizing Your Blood

Dr. Ben Kim states: Is it true that the foods and beverages you consume cause your blood to become more alkaline or acidic? Contrary to popular hype, the answer is: not to any significant degree.

Dr. Robert O. Young states: The pH of blood and interstitial fluids are constantly being challenged with environmental, dietary, respiratory, and metabolic acids. The body deals with blood acids by eliminating these acids through the four channels of elimination (urination, perspiration, defecation and respiration) and the buffering of acids through the alkaline buffering system in order to maintain the delicate pH balance of the blood plasma and interstitial fluids at 7.365.

Dr. Kim Ben states: The pH of your blood is tightly regulated by a complex system of buffers that are continuously at work to maintain a range of 7.35 to 7.45, which is slightly more alkaline than pure water.

Dr. Robert O. Young states: The pH of your extracellular fluids, which includes the blood plasma and the interstitial fluids are kept at a very narrow range at 7.365 to 7.385. Any pH measurement of blood plasma in excess of 7.385 indicates a condition of compensated acidosis and any pH measurement of blood plasma or interstitial fluids below 7.365 indicates a condition of decompensated acidosis.

When the pH of the blood plasma increases above the 7.385 this is the result of the blood pushing environmental, dietary, respiratory and metabolic acids out into the interstitial fluids of the colloidal connective tissues of the schade as the blood is pulling alkaline mineral salts such as calcium ions from the bones or magnesium ions from the muscles to offset the increase of acids in the blood. It is always a sure sign that as the blood plasma is becoming more alkaline the interstitial fluids of  the colloidal connective tissues of the schade are becoming more acidic and this is the cause of ALL inflammatory and degenerative diseases.

When the body tissues, organs, cells, or the alkaline reserves (sodium, calcium, magnesium and potassium) become deficient in alkaline minerals the blood plasma pH will drop below the ideal 7.365 causing decompensated acidosis leading to hemolysis at a pH below 7.365 or a coma and/or death at a pH below 7.2.

Dr. Kim Ben states: If the pH of your blood falls below 7.35, the result is a condition called acidosis, a state that leads to central nervous system depression. Severe acidosis – where blood pH falls below 7.00 – can lead to a coma and even death.

Dr. Robert O. Young states: If pH of the blood plasma drops below 7.365 the result is called decompenated acidosis.  If the pH of the blood plasma stays at the ideal 7.365 this is called compensated acidosis. And if the pH of the blood plasma increases above the 7.365 this is called “latent tissue acidosis” in the interstitial fluids of the colloidal connective tissues of the schade.

The blood plasma pH always goes alkaline when the blood pushes out environmental, dietary, respiratory or metabolic acids out into the interstitial fluids of the colloidal connective tissues of the schade. These acids are always deposited into what I call the ‘acid catchers’ which are the connective tissues of the schade. This leads to what I call ‘latent tissue acidosis’.

As acids build-up in the colloidal connective tissues of the schade and if NOT eliminated by the lymphatic system and the out through the channels of elimination, including the skin, lungs, bowels or urine this will result in ALL the connective tissue diseases and degenerative diseases, including ALL cancerous conditions.

Dr. Kim Ben states: If the pH of your blood rises above 7.45, the result is alkalosis. Severe alkalosis can also lead to death, but through a different mechanism; alkalosis causes all of the nerves in your body to become hypersensitive and over-excitable, often resulting in muscle spasms, nervousness, and convulsions; it’s usually the convulsions that cause death in severe cases.

Dr. Robert O. Young states: If the blood plasma pH increases over 7.385 you are in a state of ‘latent tissue acidosis’ of the interstitial fluids on the colloidal connective tissue of the shade and a high risk for cancer. This is what I call the “tee-ter-totter effect”. The body is pulling alkaline minerals into the blood to compensate for an equal amount of acids being pushed out into the interstitial fluids of the connective tissues of the schade to keep the blood plasma in an alkaline state. The result is tissue acidosis which then leads to hypersensitivity and over-excitable nerves, muscle spasms, nervousness and convulsions that can lead to coma or even death.  All of these symptoms are NOT a result of too much base or alkalinity but the result of too much acid from the blood being deposited into the interstitial fluids of the colloidal connective tissues of the schade. The cause of ‘latent tissue acidosis’ is caused by an acidic lifestyle and dietary choices.

Dr. Kim Ben states: The bottom line is that if you’re breathing and going about your daily activities, your body is doing an adequate job of keeping your blood pH somewhere between 7.35 to 7.45, and the foods that you are eating are not causing any wild deviations of your blood pH.

Dr. Robert O. Young: The bottom line is when you understand that having an acidic lifestyle and diet does affect the blood plasma and interstitial fluid pH in a negative way.

The blood responds to increased acids from lifestyle and diet by pushing them out into the interstitial fluids of the connective tissues or the colloidal connective tissues of the schade. The foods you eat, the liquids you drink, the air you breath, even your thoughts will effect the pH of blood and then the interstitial fluids of the colloidal connective tissues. The blood is constantly responding to the acidic wastes of lifestyle and diet choices!!!!!!!!!!!

Dr. Kim Ben stated: So what’s up with all the hype about the need to alkalize your body? And what’s to be made of the claim that being too acidic can cause osteoporosis, kidney stones, and a number of other undesirable health challenges?

Dr. Robert O. Young states: The hype about alkalizing your blood and then interstitial fluids of the connective tissues is important because the human body is alkaline by design and acidic by function. This is the foundation for understanding the true cause of ALL sickness and disease.

Dr. Kim Ben states: As usual, the answers to such questions about human health can be found in understanding basic principles of human physiology. So let’s take a look at the fundamentals of pH and how your body regulates the acid-alkaline balance of its fluids on a moment-to-moment basis.

Dr. Robert O. Young states: The problems with current understanding of the basic principals of human physiology is the basic principals do NOT understand that the human body is alkaline by design and acidic by function. Current medical savants DO NOT understand that there is only one health, one sickness, one disease and one treatment. The one health is to maintain the alkaline design of the blood and interstitial fluids of the connective tissues with an alkaline lifestyle and diet. The one sickness and one disease is the over-acidification of the blood and then tissues due to an inverted way of living, eating and thinking. The one treatment is to restore the alkaline design of the body fluids with an alkaline lifestyle and diet. Remember the fish bowl metaphor? It goes like this – When the fish is sick what would you do? Treat the fish or change the water? Remember the fish is only as healthy as the water it swims in.

Dr. Kim Ben states: pH is a measure of how acidic or alkaline a liquid is. With respect to your health, the liquids involved are your body fluids, which can be categorized into two main groups:

1. Intracellular fluid, is the fluid found in all of your cells. Intracellular fluid is often called cytosol, and makes up about two-thirds of the total amount of fluid in your body.

2. Extracellular fluid, is the fluid found outside of your cells. Extracellular fluids are further classified as one of two types:

   • Plasma, which is fluid that makes up your blood.

   • Interstitial fluid, which occupies all of the spaces that surround your tissues. Interstitial fluid includes the fluids found in your eyes, lymphatic system, joints, nervous system, and between the protective membranes that surround your cardiovascular, respiratory, and abdominal cavities.

     Your blood (plasma) needs to maintain a pH of 7.35 to 7.45 for your cells to function properly. Why your cells require your blood to maintain a pH in this range to stay healthy is beyond the scope of this article, but the most important reason is that all of the proteins that work in your body have to maintain a specific geometric shape to function, and the three-dimensional shapes of the proteins in your body are affected by the tiniest changes in the pH of your body fluids.

Dr. Robert O. Young states: pH is a measurement of the concentrations of hydrogen and hydroxyl ions in a aqueous solution. Any aqueous solutions, including your blood plasma interstitial fluids of the colloidal connective tissues of the schade (the largest organ of the human body) and the intracellular fluids that are saturated in hydrogen ions is less or more acidic and any aqueous solution that is saturated in hydroxyl ions is less or more base or alkaline.

Once again, the human body is alkaline in its design and acidic in its function. Your blood plasma and interstitial fluids of the colloidal connective tissue of the schade needs to be maintained at a delicate pH of 7.365 for your cells to function properly.

I have found in my own blood research that when your pH is stable at 7.365 you find healthy blood which is even in color, even in size and even in shape. The red blood cell is the primary stem cell which becomes all other body cells. And the health of the blood and the interstitial fluid of the colloidal connective tissues of the shcade is directly connected to the health of all body cells. It is blood that becomes, liver, heart, brain and skin cells. All red blood cells and then body cells are made up of microzymas.

Microzymas are the foundational, indestructable matter and intelligent matter that makes up all living cells, including the DNA. The tiniest changes in the pH of the body fluids can cause the microzymas in the red blood cells or body cells to change into bacteria, yeast and/or mold. This is how germs are created – from within NOT from without.

Dr. Kim Ben states: The pH scale ranges from 0 to 14. A liquid that has a pH of 7 is considered to be neutral (pure water is generally considered to have a neutral pH). Fluids that have a pH below 7 – like lemon juice and coffee – are considered to be acidic. And fluids that have a pH above 7 – like human blood and milk of magnesia – are considered to be alkaline.

Dr. Robert O. Young states: The pH scale ranges from 0 to 14 with the pH of 7 being the midpoint (pure water may have a pH of 7 but I have found that the pH of pure water has a range of 6.2 to 7.2 – a 10 times exponential swing. I have also found that pure water has an oxidative reduction potential in a range of +50mV to +150mV) which will drain energy from the body. Lemon is an alkaline fruit not an acidic fruit. This is because of its low sugar and high alkaline mineral content of potassium bicarbonate. Lemons do not draw down on the alkaline buffering system and contributes in excess of 10 times in hydroxyl ions (OH-) in relationship to its hydrogen ion content.

Dr. Kim Ben states: It’s important to note that on the pH scale, each number represents a tenfold difference from adjacent numbers; in other words, a liquid that has a pH of 6 is ten times more acidic than a liquid that has a pH of 7, and a liquid with a pH of 5 is one hundred times more acidic than pure water.  Most carbonated soft drinks (pop) have a pH of about 3, making them about ten thousand times more acidic than pure water. Please remember this the next time you think about drinking a can of pop.

When you ingest foods and liquids, the end products of digestion and assimilation of nutrients often results in an acid or alkaline-forming effect – the end products are sometimes called acid ash or alkaline ash.

Dr. Robert O. Young states – All food and drink which has a pH of less than 8.4 will cause the production of sodium bicarbonate by the stomach and the release of this sodium bicarbonate via the salivary glands, the pylorus glands, the pancreas, gall bladder and intestinal glands to alkalize whatever ingested. The main purpose of stomach is to prepare the food in a liquid state at a pH of 8.4 for biological transformation into stem cells which takes place in the crypts of the small intestines.

Dr. Kim Ben states: Also, as your cells produce energy on a continual basis, a number of different acids are formed and released into your body fluids. These acids – generated by your everyday metabolic activities – are unavoidable; as long as your body has to generate energy to survive, it will produce a continuous supply of acids.

Dr. Robert O. Young states: Metabolism produces acidic waste products of lactic, uric, citric and glucose if not eliminated will cause dis-ease and then disease. You are only as healthy as the alkaline fluids of the body which includes the extracellular and intracellular fluids.

Dr. Kim Ben states: So there are two main forces at work on a daily basis that can disrupt the pH of your body fluids – these forces are the acid or alkaline-forming effects of foods and liquids that you ingest, and the acids that you generate through regular metabolic activities. Fortunately, your body has three major mechanisms at work at all times to prevent these forces from shifting the pH of your blood outside of the 7.35 to 7.45 range.

Dr. Robert O. Young states: There are seven main sources at work on a daily basis that can disrupt the pH of your body fluids – these forces include acids from the external environment, acids from the foods and liquids ingested, acids from the air you breath, acids from metabolism, acids from cells breaking down or catobolic acitivity, acids from endogenous bacteria, yeast and mold, and acids from respiration. Your body has an elaborate alkalizing buffering system at work at all times to help prevent through chelaton these forces from shifting the pH of the blood plasma pH as well as the interstitial fluid pH at a delicate pH of 7.365. It is important to note that when the alkaline buffering system (a new organ discovered by Dr. Robert O. Young) becomes depleted and acids are being deposited into the interstitial fluids of the colloidal connective tissues and the fatty tissues this is when dis-ease and eventual disease manifests.

Dr. Kim Ben states:

These mechanisms are:

1. Buffer Systems

   • Carbonic Acid-Bicarbonate Buffer System
   • Protein Buffer System
   • Phosphate Buffer System
2. Exhalation of Carbon Dioxide
3. Elimination of Hydrogen Ions via Kidneys

 

Dr. Robert O. Young states: There are ten (10) mechanisms that the body engages to buffer excess acids from lifestyle and dietary choices that are NOT properly eliminated through the four channels of elimination (bowels, kidney, skin and lungs):

1) The sodium bicarbonate system – the main organ of production is the stomach. The stomach is the major organ for sodium bicarbonate production for alkalizing food and maintaining the alkaline pH of the blood, tissues and organs.

2) The hemoglobin buffering system – the hemoglobin is a secondary alkalizing buffer for the blood when there is insufficient elements for the production of the primary buffer, sodium bicarbonate. This is the main cause of ALL blood diseases and why most all the client/patients I see have to a lesser or greater degree anemic and unhealthy blood.

3) The pHosphate buffering system which buffers acids creating phosphoric acid which is then excreted via the urine.

4) The ammonia buffering system reacts with hydrogen ions or acids to form ammonium ions which are excreted into the urine.

5) The plasma protein buffering system helps to chelate acids. The most plentiful type of buffer in the body including glutathione, methionine, cysteine and taurine which are found in the cells, lymph fluid and plasma.  Most plasma protein activity occurs intracellularly to bind or neutralize acids during cellular metabolism and/or disorganization or transformation of the human cell.

6) The electrolyte buffering system which includes the alkalizing mineral salts of sodium, magnesium, potassium and calcium. The chelation of any acid will form a less toxic solid or a stone in the body. All stones and cysts and tumors are the result of excess acids in the extra and intracellular fluids. The electrolyte or mineral buffers work in the blood, lymph, extracellular (blood plasma and interstitial fluids) and intracellular fluids to bind acids which are then removed via the urine. These four elements are recycled by the kidneys into the blood and lymph by binding them to CO2. Over 90 percent of the CO2 produced in the body through cellular fermentation in the production of energy is used to carry out this recycling process.

7) The low density lipo-protein buffering system also referred to as cholesterol works primarily as a binder of acids in the blood, lymph, and extracellular fluids which are then excreted via the urine. If elimination is compromised the fat bound acids are removed away from the organs that sustain life into the body cavities, hips, thighs, buttocks and abdominal area. This is the cause of over-weight and obesity.

8) The endocrine buffering system releases hormones to buffer acids. These hormones include the antidiuretic hormone which regulates the rate at which water is lost or retained by the body and aldosterone which regulates the level of sodium ions and potassium ions in the blood. These two alkaline secretions help the kidneys maintain the alkaline design of the body and reduce excess acidity thus creating pH balance in the body.

9) The release of free radicals or reduced hydrogen (OH- and SO-) by the lymphocytes to buffer excess acids in the blood, interstitial and intracellular fluids.

10) The retention of alkaline water to buffer excess acids in the colloidal connective tissues of the schade. This is the cause of edema or water retention.

Dr. Kim Ben states: It’s not in the scope of this post to discuss the mechanisms listed above in detail. For this article, I only want to point out that these systems are in place to prevent dietary, metabolic, and other factors from pushing the pH of your blood outside of the 7.35 to 7.45 range.

Dr. Robert O. Young states: The blood can be stressed from dietary and metabolic acids which are eliminated through the four channels of elimination or buffered by the ten alkalizing buffering mechanisms to maintain the delicate blood plasma, interstitial and intracellular pH at a healthy 7.365.

Dr. Kim Ben states: When people encourage you to “alkalize your blood,” most of them mean that you should eat plenty of foods that have an alkaline-forming effect on your system. The reason for making this suggestion is that the vast majority of highly processed foods – like white flour products and white sugar – have an acid-forming effect on your system, and if you spend years eating a poor diet that is mainly acid-forming, you will overwork some of the buffering systems mentioned above to a point where you could create undesirable changes in your health.

Dr. Robert O. Young states; Everything you eat, everything you drink, everything you breath, everything you think and everything you do affects the blood and interstitial fluids in an acidic way to a lesser or greater degree. That is why we age. We do not get old we mold from years of acidic lifestyle and dietary choices. The key to a healthy life or a life of sickness and disease and then eventual death is in the blood! Especially the blood plasma.

Dr. Kim Ben states: For example, your phosphate buffer system uses different phosphate ions in your body to neutralize strong acids and bases. About 85% of the phosphate ions that are used in your phosphate buffer system comes from calcium phosphate salts, which are structural components of your bones and teeth. If your body fluids are regularly exposed to large quantities of acid-forming foods and liquids, your body will draw upon its calcium phosphate reserves to supply your phosphate buffer system to neutralize the acid-forming effects of your diet. Over time, this may lead to structural weakness in your bones and teeth.

Dr. Robert O. Young states: Dr Kim Ben has described the cause of bone loss correctly. It is important to remember that the activation of the pHosphate buffering system does not happen when you are on an alkalizing lifestyle and diet and hyper-perfusing the blood and interstitial fluids of the colloidal connective tissues with alkalinity.  The alkaline lifestyle and diet is outlined in my book, The pH Miracle Revised and Updated.

Drawing on your calcium phosphate reserves at a high rate can also increase the amount of calcium that is eliminated via your genito-urinary system, which is why a predominantly acid-forming diet can increase your risk of developing calcium-rich kidney stones.

Dr. Ken Ben states: This is just one example of how your buffering systems can be overtaxed to a point where you experience negative health consequences. Since your buffering systems have to work all the time anyway to neutralize the acids that are formed from everyday metabolic activities, it’s in your best interest to follow a diet that doesn’t create unnecessary work for your buffering systems.

Dr. Robert O. Young states: The protocol that will NOT unnecessarily activate the alkaline buffering systems of the body is outlined in the pH Miracle Revised and Updated by Dr. Robert O. Young.

Dr. Kim Ben states: Generally speaking, most vegetables and fruit have an alkaline-forming effect on your body fluids.

Dr. Robert O. Young states: Generally, all green fruit and vegetables are the ONLY alkalizing foods for the blood and interstitial fluids of the colloidal connective tissues and are critical in building healthy blood and then healthy body cells.

Dr. Kim Ben states: Most grains, animal foods, and highly processed foods have an acid-forming effect on your body fluids.

Dr. Robert O. Young states; All grains, animal foods, dairy products, fermented foods, algae, probiotics, enzymes, high sugar fruit, high sugar vegetables, vinegar, corn, nuts, mushrooms, alcohol, carbonate drinks, sport drinks and tobacco products are acidic to the blood and interstitial fluids of the colloidal connective tissues of the schade (the largest organ of the body) and will activate the alkaline buffering systems.

Dr. Kim Ben states: Your health is best served by a good mix of nutrient-dense, alkaline andacid-forming foods; ideally, you want to eat more alkaline-forming foods than acid-forming foods to have the net acid and alkaline-forming effects of your diet match the slightly alkaline pH of your blood.

Dr. Robert O. Young states: The only way to achieve extraordinary health and fitness is with the pH Miracle Lifestyle and Diet as outlined in The pH Miracle Revised and Updated book.

Dr. Kim Ben states: The following lists indicate which common foods have an alkaline-forming effect on your body fluids, and which ones result in acid ash formation when they are digested and assimilated into your system.

Please note that these lists of acid and alkaline-forming foods are not comprehensive, nor are they meant to be.

If you’re eating mainly grains, flour products, animal foods, and washing these foods down with coffee, soda, and milk, you will almost certainly improve your health by replacing some of your food and beverage choices with fresh vegetables and fruits.

Dr. Robert O. Young states: The four alkalizing food groups are chlorophyll from green fruit and green vegetables, mono and polyunsaturated oils, alkalizing water and finally alkalizing mineral salts. I call this the COWS Plan as outlined in The pH Miracle Revised and Updated book.

Dr. Kim Ben states: The primary purpose of this article is to offer information that explains why I believe that you don’t need to take one or more nutritional supplements or “alkalized water” for the sole purpose of alkalizing your body. Your body is already designed to keep the pH of your body fluids in a tight, slightly alkaline range.

Dr. Robert O. Young states: Your body is alkaline by design but acidic by function and that is why you would be wise to follow an alkaline lifestyle and diet to prevent ALL sickness and disease and remain strong, healthy and fit. Drinking alkaline water is essential to maintaining the healthy alkaline state of ALL your body fluids!!!!!!

Dr. Kim Ben states: The ideal scenario is to make fresh vegetables and fruits the centerpieces of your diet, and to eat small amounts of any other nutrient-dense foods that your appetite calls for and that experience shows your body can tolerate.

Dr. Robert O. Young states: The ideal scenario is to make fresh organic electron-rich green alkalizing fruit and vegetables the centerpiece of your diet with liberal amounts of alkalizing polyunsaturated oils, alkalizing water at a pH of 9.5 and finally alkalizing mineral salts of sodium, potassium, magnesium and calcium.

Dr. Kim Ben states: I hope these thoughts bring some clarity to this often misunderstood health topic.

Dr. Robert O. Young states: I hope these scientific truths brings some clarity to Dr. Kim Ben and others that are confused about the biochemistry, bioenergetics and the importance of alkalizing the blood and interstitial fluids of the colloidal connective  tissues of the schade (the largest organ of the human body) with an alkaline lifestyle and diet as outlined in my book, The pH Miracle, revised and updated.

For additional information read The pH Miracle Revised and Updated by Dr. Robert O. Young .