Howardo is right in his reasoning on Couture but i do beleive that he and Legion are wrong. The blood pH certainly wont change (at least not much and not for long) but it's an issue of buffering stress.
Harry is right in saying it is something worth considering. The only reason i say this is that the bicarbonate argument is as silly as the "My stomach's pH is extrememly acidic, so EVERYTHING is basic compared to it." These, i beleive, are as nonsensicle as the alkaline diet. The stomach's acid, and the bodies homeostatic buffering systems are both best operated under a minimal level of stress, and are both generated based on what you eat. To say that the foods that you eat won't negatively effect your body (even in reference to pH) is foolhardy.
-doug-
The buffering system in the body is finely tuned and is not affected by the diet
Howardo,
I realize it's finely tuned, but how can you say it isn't affected by the diet? Since the buffering agents are made from the food you eat, how can changing how you eat not affect the buffering system? Maybe, for most, the buffering system will stay the same, but my point is that it will take a lot more work to keep it that way. It's that sort of stress that i find unhealthy.
Seems to me that everything going on in your body has something to do with your diet.
-doug-
It is tough to explain, but basically the buffering system is so much stronger quantitatively that it has no effect, unless you have a renal tubular defect. I am no expert in this anymore, but I had a lot of experience in treating acid/base disorders, and also treated renal failure, where diet can play a role. Our kidneys do an incredible job keeping the ph constant in healthy people. There are illnesses called renal tubular acidosis in which they malfunction. I hope this made sense
It makes plenty of sense, and i realize that the buffering system is quite powerful, and thanks for the response. I got the impression that you knew what you were talking about, but i'm still not sure you understand my question.
1.
The buffering system doesn't always do the job, as with intense exercise. Also, i am under the impression that drinking a gallon of milk in under an hour without throwing up is hard because your body can't buffer that much lactic acid that fast (the same reason you get nauseous from too much exercise), so you puke to relieve yourself of some acid really fast. The milk could be for different purposes, i suppose, but i know that this is the cause for puking from exercise. All i'm really saying here, is that many of have experienced the limits of what the system can handle, and much further would begin to degrade the proteins in the body.
2.
The system itself comes from the food we eat. Having too much acid all the time, i should think, would not only stress the system quite a lot, but it wouldn't provide the right materials in sufficient quantities to maintain the integrity of the system itself. Weakened system + extra stress = problems. Maybe those problems are mild, and maybe those problems are as severe as the ones you experienced, but they are all problems right?
-doug-
I have seen life threatening lactic acidosis and they are not vomiting, so I do not think that is why people get nauseous with exercise. I am no expert on some of your questions, so I would not like to answer them incorrectly. My main point is that the respiratory, renal abilities in healthy people can adapt to any stress that the body produces, unless there is an illness that is occurring. I am too lazy to do any reading on the subject, my partner just retired and I am swamped.
Howard
reading through some of the posts I got lost/confused. my approach to this "diet" was that it was just a label for foods and activity. one book i skimmed through prescribed light, relaxing physical activity. So I assume it means tai chi, walking, or yoga for example. So the whole mma fighting aspect didn't jive with what I read. but really what is wrong with the foods to be eaten? is there really anything wrong with the foods? well besides fish supply nowdays reported to be tainted with toxins etc...it seems the foods are quite healthy. Or is there some type of south beach or zone frequency to this whole "diet" schmiet.
So now i attempt to remove the religion of pH from the diet and just look at the foods...are they bad and are they not good example foods that can sustain a healthy life? if this question is better for another thread please note so.
Mask: Come on over for an interview, the pay sucks thtough
"So the whole mma fighting aspect didn't jive with what I read."
I think you mean "jibe" instead of "jive".
In any event, i'm almost positive that the accumulation of lactic acid in the blood is the cause of nausea in athletes who have performed highly anaerobic work. At least im positive that's what i was taught in biology just last year.
My ONLY point is that the general acid levels of foods are worth considering, not worth making a fad diet on.
-doug-
ok, and boy don't you hate these new fad diets every week? Remember the grapefruit diet?
I do, hehe. That was hilarious.
ttt
from what I understand, the whole process of balancing the blood pH is dependant on your specific metabolic type...alkalizing the blood is being discussed mainly because most people are too acidic from eating white flower, sugar, fried foods, too much animal product, wheat etc...but a vegetarian may be too alkaline and need more acidic diet
i have this book The Nutrition Solution from some local doctors here in Bar Area who have researched and treated thousands of patients (including me and many family and friends) and discovered that it is your individual metabolic type that determines blood pH from food. They list two different Metabolic dominance systems, Oxidative (conversion of food to energy), and Autonomic (neuroendocrine control of energy - nervous system). For oxidative system, there are either slow or fast oxidizers. Slow oxidizers have generally alkaline blood and need foods lower in protein and fat and higher in complex carbohydrates to acidify blood for ideal pH. Fast oxidizers need food higher in protein and fat and lower in cargs to alkalize blood
it gets more complicated from there, but since weve been eating to balance our blood pH according to type, many of friends and family have become much healthier, with increased energy and marked decrease in conditions such as asthma and diabetes
i think it is the diet of the future, very simple really, balance the blood, balance your life..
http://www.bloodph.com/
HealthNut26:
http://www.t-mag.com/nation_articles/269cov.jsp
I read and re-read the article... very interesting and
informative. However that chart does not contain the
acidity or alkinity of certain specific foods such as
blueberries or kale.
Spinach and Tomatoes for example I have found listed
in some reports as alkaline and in other reports they
list it as ACIDIC.
I am very interested in the PRAL score as a way to
measure the acid or base of foods. How accurate is
PRAL in measuring acids and bases of foods?
Where else can I find the PRAL of foods.
Thanks in advance.
"Spinach and Tomatoes for example I have found listed in some reports as alkaline and in other reports they list it as ACIDIC."
a friend told me that his physician advised him not to consume spinach because it was acidic and would break down his muscle. I thought it was bullshit, besides the fact that as technology advances we find out that most medical doctors are starting to be proven wrong with much of the treatments they are handing out for fee. come to find out payoffs stimulate treatment.
Son of a bitch! Where can I find reliable info. on this? I always thought that spinach, like all green, leafy vegetables, was high in alkaline!
I seriously doubt there is any reliable info on this, new fad as it is.
I emailed the author of the article
http://www.t-mag.com/nation_articles/269cov.jsp
Here is his reply...
Hi There,
The abstract list in my article is a great resource.
The studies by Sebastian as well as Remer and Manz
give the best numbers. As indicated in the article,
old methods of determining acid/base status were
flawed. That's why the contradictions. Unfortunately,
there is no exhaustive list of acid base status of
different foods. So the best you can do is the list.
I've provided in that article.
JB
John M Berardi, BSc, CSCS, Ph.D. Candidate
Sounds a tad bit shady...
I'd like to get on the team quest forum and post a
question to the team quest nutritionist/ trainer who
got couture on the diet, and hit him with the same
questions to see what he has to say.
I am on a strict alkaline and protien diet, the only thing my meals consist of is Eveready Bunnies.
Here are two more articles on the subject:
http://www.price-pottenger.org/Articles/Acid_alk_bal.html
http://www.price-pottenger.org/Articles/Acid_base_bal.html