O2 Say What?

 

All Righty then, now don’t go crazy on me, this is not an algebra quiz. We are used to abbreviations, R2D2, 911 iPOD, H3, H5N1, E=mc2, but what is O?

 

O is the designation for Oxygen. Oxygen is a nonmetallic element that constitutes 21% of the atmosphere and is a diatomic gas, O2. It combines with most elements and is essential for plant and animal respiration (life). It is required for nearly all combustion. Do you need to know it’s atomic number, atomic weight, melting and boiling point, and density? Ah forget about it!

 

We can live days and weeks without food and water, but how long can we live with out AIR? Join me for a simple experiment, on 3 hold your breath… 1… 2… 3…

How did you do? Anybody reach 20 minutes?

 

Oxygen is the main ingredient for life. We humans need recreation, snow, and mountains to sustain life, NOT! We require Oxygen food and water. So what is the connection between health and oxygen?

 

Dr. Otto Walburg received the Nobel Prize in Physiology of Medicine in 1931 for his discovery that unlike all other cells in the human body cancer cells do not breath oxygen. Cancer cells cannot survive in the presents of high levels of oxygen,

 

A quote from Dr. Walburg: “All normal cells have an absolute requirement for oxygen, but cancer cells can live without oxygen, a rule without exception. Deprive a cell of 60% of its oxygen and it will turn cancerous. Deprive a cell of 35% of its oxygen for 48 hours and it may turn cancerous.”

 

Disease and pH

 

Most diseases including cancer, heart disease, arthritis, osteoporosis, kidney disease, gall stones, and tooth decay are associated with excess acidy in the body. Excess acidity is indicative of low tissue oxygen content. Conversely: an alkaline environment is indicative of increased oxygen content. Alkaline tissues hold 20 times more oxygen than acidic tissues. This oxygen rich environment is critical for maintaining health and snuffing out anaerobic bacteria, viruses, and fungus. Tissue that is deficient in oxygen is prone to cancer. Cancerous tissues are acidic whereas healthy tissues are alkaline. Cancer cannot exist in an alkaline environment.

All forms of arthritis are associated with excess acidity. Excess acid in the body dissolves both teeth and bones.

 

To understand the oxygenation of tissue it is necessary to understand pH, acid alkaline reactions. pH is a measurement of the concentration of hydrogen ions (H+) in a solution. pH is defined as pH=-LoglO(ah+).

 

Lets try and make it really simple.

 

The pH scale was invented a long time ago by a gentleman who wanted to know how acidic beer was. Now, I can relate. The more acidic something is the lower the pH number. The pH scale travels from 0 to 14, 7 being neutral. This scale is logarithmic, which means that each number is ten times the previous. A pH of 5.5 is ten times more acidic than a pH of 6.5. The lower the number the more acidic the higher the number the more alkaline.

 

So what is the big deal?

 

Terminal cancer patients exhibit a pH level of 4.5. The ideal level of a healthy individual is 7.4. That’s not all; toxins (endogenous and exogenous), minerals, and foods, also have a negative ionic charge and are attracted to the opposite polarity. So as you can see we live in a delicate dance of acidic and alkaline ions. Acidification of our internal environment causes a wide range of illnesses and at the extreme can cause death.

 

When the body becomes acidic three factors become paramount.

 

ONE: enzyme function becomes dysfunctional.

Enzymes are the “Worker Drones” and as such all cellular functions are regulated by enzyme systems. Enzymes can perform their tasks correctly only in an environment with clearly defined pH. Enzyme function and integrity can diminish or cease without a balanced pH.

 

TWO: Acidic corrosives irritate tissues causing inflammation, hardening of tissues, and pain. Essential organs of elimination, the kidneys and skin, become stressed with symptoms of weight gain and skin conditions, eczema, hives, itching, and red skin patches. Bladder and irritation of the urinary systems can occur. Burning of the anus and irritation of the intestines and of the peripheral nerves (neuritis) and joints (arthritis) can occur.

 

THREE: Loss of minerals finishes the list and usually ones health, vitality, longevity, and productivity. With the loss of alkaline minerals we lose the ability to hold water in our cells (hydration) and lose the elasticity of our tissues. We become brittle and lose the strength of our hair, teeth, connective tissues, spinal disc, joint cartilage, and bones. This demineralization weakens us and we shrink into age and fragility. Fatigue settles in and we become used to functioning at far less than optimum conditions. Ultimately, these aches and pains take more energy than life and function walks away. You feel, act, and become OLD.

 

Causes of Excess Acidity

 

There are three primary factors causing excessive tissue acidity.

 

ONE: The principle cause of acidosis is the excessive consumption of proteins and a diminished consumption of alkaline foods. The metabolism of protein requires the release of its high sulfurs and phosphorus content and thusly produces an acidic waste. We naturally make acids as a normal byproduct of metabolism but we make no natural alkaline substance to offset the acidity of metabolism. We can only alkalize with the consumption of alkaline foods. Alkaline foods add alkalinity to our system and help offset acid metabolism.

 

TWO: The over consumption of refined foods and high consumption of sugars cause an increase in tissue acidity. Chronic dehydration and the consumption of soft drinks high in phosphoric acids add acid to our system as well, most environmental pollutants stress our systems and promote the formation of acids.

 

THREE: The third factor which promotes tissue acidity is the lack of exercise, sedentary indoor lifestyles, increased mental stress, and a deficiency in needed alkaline minerals and certain essential vitamins.

 

 

Metabolic Robbery

 

The blood must be kept within a defined pH level if 7.37 and a change of just .2 up or down will cause death. When you become acidic our systems must mobilize to buffer this acidity, this is an absolute priority. Tissue acidity is buffered by moving alkaline minerals from other tissues mainly the bones and joints to the blood. A loss of tissue calcium is always a sight of tissue acidosis. This robbery is related to a wide range of arthritis, inflammatory diseases of soft/connective tissues, and causes pre-mature ageing and death.

 

Measuring Your pH Saliva and Urine

 

The measurement of your pH is easily done in the privacy of your home and is not painful or expensive. pH is measured with Litmus paper with a range from 6.0 to 8.0. (I have at my office). Charting your urine and saliva pH will give you some idea of your systematic pH. There are many factors that will move your pH, but and average is what we are looking for. Check your urine and saliva as indicated below for no less than 4 days and chart the pH levels.

 

Be mindful of your diet, hydration, stress level and alcohol consumption, as these factors will definitely sway your pH levels. Bring your pH chart to the office on your next visit after you have completed at least 4 days.

 

Some experts feel that the salivary and urine pH is too volatile to be recognized as a true measurement of your systemic pH. I feel that charting your pH is an excellent way to discover how your diet and lifestyle affects your health. Try it and be your own judge, I have the appropriate Litmus paper at the office.

 

Saliva

 

Wait at least 2 hours after eating. Fill your mouth with saliva and then swallow it. Do this again to help insure a clean sample. The third time put some saliva onto the Litmus paper. Use the attached chart to document your level.

 

Urine

 

Test your urine mid stream with every void and chart each level.