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Shave Soap & Shaving Cream

I've been doing the traditional wet shaving routine with a double-edged razor for a relatively long time now, and I've kicked the habit of trying to find the best shaving products to use. I admit to buying too many different shave soaps and shaving creams in an attempt to find a holy grail that really doesn't exist (and even if one does, nobody really cares that much; we're talking about shaving your face here, not a cure for cancer).

Traditional shaving cream is WAY better than the gel, foam, and slime that you commonly find in convenient pressurized cans. One of the best shaving creams that I've used is this one from The Real Shaving Co.


This stuff is manufactured by the same company that produces shaving cream for famous and expensive brands such as Truefitt & Hill. In fact, I believe that the basic composition is the same regardless of the brand. The ingredients are listed on the tube:


You'll find a virtually identical ingredient list on high-end branded shaving cream, but you'll pay 3-5 times as much. So, this product from The Real Shaving Co. is super economical, available at some local drug stores (Rite Aid, for example), and a tube lasts forever. Buy a tube if you see one on the shelf next to a can of slime.

Some shave soaps are much better than the aforementioned canned goods. Things can get a little hairy when dealing with shave soap, however, because some are difficult to lather up, some do not perform well, and some smell terrible. I recently acquired a stick of soap (lime scented) from Mike's Natural Soaps, and it falls into the "much better" category.


It looks like deodorant or antiperspirant, but it's shave soap packaged in a form that can be directly applied to the skin before whipping it into a foamy lather with a shaving brush. I found the stick to be a little inconvenient, so I removed the soap and smashed it into a soap dish for use with a brush in a more traditional manner.

Anyway, this guy Mike knows how to make shave soap. The soap is old school because it's made with tallow and lanolin (vegans beware). The soap lathers up quickly and easily, the lather is really slick, and the natural lime scent isn't overpowering or artificial. After using the lime soap for a while, I decided to acquire a tin of Mike's "Orange, Cedarwood, & Black Pepper" shave soap. I think the basic soap formula and quality are the same . . . it just smells different. I like both of Mike's soaps enough to become a repeat customer.

That's about all for now. Two products that work well and improve the shaving experience. Good stuff.

New World Next Week | Iraq's Break Up is the Real "Mission Accomplished", June 19, 2014

Source: NewWorldNextWeek.com, corbettreport.com, mediamonarchy.com



Story #1: Islamist Militant Group ISIS Takes Hold of Iraq
ISIS Militants Attack Iraq’s Largest Oil Refinery
U.S. Trained ISIS at Secret Jordan Base
“Greater Israel”: The Zionist Plan for the Middle East
Flashback: US Troops Deploying on Jordan-Syria Border
US Willing to Work With Iran But Officials Play Down Military Talk
ISIS: The Saudis helped create a monster they can’t control in Iraq

Story #2: Bowe Bergdahl Movie in the Works From Kathryn Bigelow, Mark Boal
New Rule on ‘Zero Dark Hurty’
Benghazi Suspect Arrest Sparks Wild Theories From GOP
Will ISIS Plan 9/11-Style Terror Plot Against the US? Let’s Ask the @CIA

Story #3: Hockey Fans in LA Down Drone In Stanley Cup Frenzy
Drone Crash Prompts Vancouver to Review Film Industry Use
Twitter Takes Selfies to the Next Level With Drones

#NewWorldNextWeek Updates:
Pepe Escobar: The Geopolitics of the World Cup
Duchess of Cambridge Visits Top Secret WWII Spy School Where Her Grandmother Worked
Richard Rockefeller, Son of Globalist David Rockefeller, Dies at 65 in Solo Plane Crash After Father’s 99th Birthday
New Research Says 94% Of All Terrorist Attacks Are Invented By The FBI

Jordan Maxwell And Max Igan On The Vinny Eastwood Show, June 19, 2014

Source: thevinnyeastwoodshow.com, thecrowhouse.com, jordanmaxwellshow.com



Those that are long in the tooth here need no introduction to Jordan Maxwell. This morning he lost everything that he had left. He has already lost his wife and family, this morning he learned his warehouse was burned down. If you like to help Jordan Maxwell please make a donation at his website at: jordanmaxwellshow.com

 

CrossTalk: Saving Baghdad?, June 18, 2014

Source: RT.com



Why should Washington militarily save the Baghdad regime? What has happened to the billions of dollars to train and arm the Iraqi military? Will the regime in Iraq reform itself and how will events in this country impact the region? CrossTalking with Stephen Schlesinger and John Tirman.

Renal Cell Carcinoma


Renal cell carcinoma (RCC) is a kidney cancer that originates in the lining of the proximal convoluted tubule, the very small tubes in the kidney that transport GF (glomerular filtrate) from the glomerulus to the descending limb of the nephron. RCC is the most common type of kidney cancer in adults, responsible for approximately 80% of cases. It has been described as being among the most lethal of all the urological cancers,
Renal cell carcinoma may remain clinically occult for most of its course. Only 10% of patients present with the classic triad of flank pain, hematuria, and flank mass.
Other signs and symptoms include the following:
• Weight loss
• Fever
• Hypertension
• Hypercalcemia
• Night sweats
Lab studies used for diagnosis of renal cell carcinoma include the following:
• Urine analysis (UA)
• Complete blood cell (CBC) count with differential
• Electrolytes
• Renal profile
• Liver function tests (LFTs) (aspartate aminotransferase [AST] and alanine aminotransferase [ALT])
• Calcium
• Erythrocyte sedimentation rate (ESR)
• Prothrombin time (PT)
• Activated partial thromboplastin time (aPTT)
Diagnostic ultrasound, excretory urography, computed tomography (CT) and positron-emission tomography (PET) scanning, arteriography, venography, and magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) are also used to evaluate and stage renal masses.
www.universalmedicalimaging.com
Renal cell carcinoma (RCC) is a kidney cancer that originates in the lining of the proximal convoluted tubule, the very small tubes in the kidney that transport GF (glomerular filtrate) from the glomerulus to the descending limb of the nephron. RCC is the most common type of kidney cancer in adults, responsible for approximately 80% of cases. It has been described as being among the most lethal of all the urological cancers, Renal cell carcinoma may remain clinically occult for most of its course. Only 10% of patients present with the classic triad of flank pain, hematuria, and flank mass.  Other signs and symptoms include the following: • Weight loss • Fever • Hypertension • Hypercalcemia • Night sweats Lab studies used for diagnosis of renal cell carcinoma include the following: • Urine analysis (UA) • Complete blood cell (CBC) count with differential • Electrolytes • Renal profile • Liver function tests (LFTs) (aspartate aminotransferase [AST] and alanine aminotransferase [ALT]) • Calcium • Erythrocyte sedimentation rate (ESR) • Prothrombin time (PT) • Activated partial thromboplastin time (aPTT) Diagnostic ultrasound, excretory urography, computed tomography (CT) and positron-emission tomography (PET) scanning, arteriography, venography, and magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) are also used to evaluate and stage renal masses.  www.universalmedicalimaging.com

Acidic Microwave Poisoning Triggering Core Symptoms


James Corbett | Power Hour: Iraq Falling Apart is the Real “Mission Accomplished”, June 17, 2014

Source: corbettreport.com



James joins Joyce and J.D. on The Power Hour every other week to discuss economics, world events, geopolitics and everything else. This time they discuss the latest developments in Iraq as the US/GCC backed terror boogeyman organization threatens to complete the Neocon/Israeli agenda of splitting the country into three parts. We also discuss Fukushima, bitcoin, patriot demonization and more. 

SHOW NOTES:
NATO’s Terror Hordes in Iraq a Pretext for Syria Invasion
Russia on Iraq: ‘We told you so’
“Greater Israel”: The Zionist Plan for the Middle East
Nuke Watchdog Gives Okay To Fukushima Ice Wall
US Menaces the Asia-Pacific – James Corbett on In The Now
Learn Cryptography: 51% Attack
Ghash.io: We Will Never Launch a 51% Attack Against Bitcoin 
China to Pay for Russian Gas in US Dollars – Russian Energy Minister
China Signs Non-Dollar Settlement Deal With Russia’s Largest Bank
China and the future alliance with Saudi Arabia
Porkins Policy Radio ep. 19 Mathew Van Dyke: The CIA’s Favorite Mercenary

Jon Rappoport | Snowden, Self-Censorship & Friendly Fascism | Hour 1 | June 16, 2014

Source: redicecreations.com, nomorefakenews.com

June 16, 2014–Returning guest, Jon Rappoport is an investigative journalist, author and publisher of the website nomorefakenews.com. He has worked as an investigative reporter for 30 years, writing articles on politics, medicine, and health. Although his main focus over these years has been the power of the imagination and creativity, he is most often cited and interviewed on conspiracies and global elites.

In this program, we’ll explore Snowden. Who is he and what’s really going on? We’ll also take a closer look at his favored journalists and talk about what he’s doing in Russia. Jon also discusses how the NSA wants to know how their spying is affecting us and in what ways. The thought police is here.

Facebook has admitted to saving everything you type, even if you don’t publish it. They want to know what you are self-censoring. We’ll discuss how people have been conditioned to self censor. -redicecreations.com

download hour 1 mp3

Weight Loss is ALL About Losing Acid NOT Fat!


Weight loss is NOT about losing fat it is ALL about losing acidic toxic weight from an acidic lifestyle and diet and building healthy blood which in turn builds healthy bones, muscles, organs and glands.

The average weight loss following Dr. Young's pH Miracle for Weight Loss for women is 1/2 pound per day and for men 1 pound per day. The pH Miracle weight loss protocol is a alkaline raw plant-based diet combining green fruit, vegetables, spouted grasses, nuts and seeds and drinking at least 4 liters a day of Doc Broc greens. When you follow the pH Miracle for Weight Loss protocol you will not only lose weight but you will reverse years of aging including wrinkles, stretch marks, sagging skin, skin spots, indigestion, constipation, food cravings, fatigue, poor circulation, hypertension, hyper and hypogylcemia, shortness of breath, sleep apnea, acne, toe fungus, even your vision will improve. The average weight loss in 90 days is 90 pounds. In the following youtube video Janet, from Valley Center, California shares her testimony of the efficacy of the pH Miracle for Weight Loss protocol. She lost over 150 pounds!!!!!!!!!!! Watch and share the video with all you friends and family and please like our page.

http://youtu.be/uGz928s-K64

To learn more about Dr. Young's pH Miracle weight loss protocol read The pH Miracle for Weight Loss - http://www.phmiracleliving.com/p-298-the-ph-miracle-for-weight-loss.aspx

You can also listen to the pH Miracle for Weight Loss on CD -http://www.phmiracleliving.com/p-200-ph-miracle-for-weight-loss-teleseminar-6-cd-set.aspx

My Top 40 Ways To Prevent and/or Reverse Any Serious Sickness or Disease including a Cancerous Condition!


In a scandal that has reverberated around the world of cancer research, the Office of Research Integrity at the U.S. Department of Health found that a Boston University cancer scientist fabricated his findings. His work was published in two journals in 2009, and he’s been ordered to retract them. But important studies by other scientists like those at the Mayo Clinic, who based their work on his findings, could now make 10 years of their studies worthless, according to commentary in Gaia Health.

It seems fairly evident that the cancer industrial complex is a highly lucrative, well-oiled system that tends to support funding for expensive drug treatments that don't address the cause of the problem, and have yet to make a significant dent in the decrease of the overall cancer rate in the US despite investing hundreds of billions of dollars. Much of the support comes from flawed and biased "research" studies that support the use of expensive drugs as detailed in the featured articles.

Researchers, too, are well aware of the notoriety and money to be found in cancer research … particularly what may be deemed successful cancer research (which unfortunately is often measured by the discovery of new drug treatments). But, as with many areas of medical research, it's important to read between the lines of "scientifically proven" studies, even those that are well accepted
.
Often what you'll find is the research gives the perception of science when really it is a heavily manipulated process designed to control and deceive. Case in point, here again we have an example of widely accepted, published research that turned out to be fabricated.

10 YEARS OF CANCER RESEARCH DOWN THE DRAIN

The Office of Research Integrity (ORI) at the U.S. Department of Health reported in August 2011 that final action has been taken against Sheng Wang, PhD, of Boston University School of Medicine, Cancer Research Center. ORI states:

"The Respondent engaged in research misconduct by fabricating data that were included in two (2) published papers."

This includes:

Oncogene February 2009, which found that HIC1, a protein thought to suppress tumor growth, is a "central molecule in a novel mechanism controlling cell growth and that the disruption of this HIC1-mediated pathway may lead to abnormal cell proliferation and, ultimately, cancer."
Molecular Endocrinology December 2009, which found "reintroducing HIC1 into resistant breast cancer cells restored their sensitivity to the estrogen antagonists, indicating the existence of a novel regulatory mechanism for growth control of breast cancer cells."

Specifically, six of the eight figures in the Oncogene paper and six of the seven figures in the Molecular Endocrinology study were said to contain data from fabricated experiments. Though Wang is now required to retract the papers, and he reportedly stopped working for Boston University in July, he will only be ineligible for federal funding for 2 years.

Further, the fabricated research may continue to live on, as it has been cited by other studies and once a finding is accepted in the medical community, it's very hard to make it go away. Unfortunately, scientific retractions are actually becoming increasingly common.

As the Wall Street Journal reported:

"Just 22 retraction notices appeared in 2001, but 139 in 2006 and 339 last year. Through seven months of this year, there have been 210, according to Thomson Reuters Web of Science, an index of 11,600 peer-reviewed journals world-wide …

At the Mayo Clinic, a decade of cancer research, partly taxpayer-funded, went down the drain when the prestigious Minnesota institution concluded that intriguing data about harnessing the immune system to fight cancer had been fabricated. Seventeen scholarly papers published in nine research journals had to be retracted. A researcher, who protests his innocence, was fired. In another major flameout, 18 research journals have said they are planning to retract a total of 89 published studies by a German anesthesiologist …"

FABRICATED RESEARCH IS MORE COMMON THAN YOU MIGHT THINK

Peer-reviewed research published in medical journals gets the golden star of approval in the media, yet many, if not most, of the findings are incredibly misleading. One of the best exposé's into this muddled system came from none other than Dr. Marcia Angell, who was the former editor-in-chief of the New England Journal of Medicine (NEJM).

In her book The Truth about Drug Companies: How They Deceive Us and What to Do About It, she exposed many examples of why medical studies often cannot be trusted, and said flat out:

"Trials can be rigged in a dozen ways, and it happens all the time."
For instance, in 2009 Dr. Scott Reuben, who was a well-respected, prominent anesthesiologist, former chief of acute pain of the Baystate Medical Center, Springfield, Mass. and a former professor at Tufts University's medical school, allegedly fabricated the data for 21 studies!

Dr. Reuben succeeded in getting numerous studies published, and those studies were accepted as fact and swayed the prescribing habits of doctors. It was only due to a routine audit raising a few red flags that a larger investigation was later launched.

So how did those false studies, or any studies for that matter, become worthy of being published? Part of the problem may be the peer-review process itself, as this puts researchers in charge of policing other researchers' results, and most do not want to insult a fellow researcher's work with negative comments.

As written in Gaia Health:

"It's all about money. Get published in a major medical journal and your future is made. Most peer reviewers are doing their own studies. That's what makes them peers. They want to be able to publish. Therefore, they are not particularly inclined to make more than perfunctory negative comments. Obviously, they don't want to alienate the authors of papers, since they either are or hope to become published themselves.

Peer review is a farce. The only kind of review that makes real sense is professional independent reviewers. Yet, for decades we've had peer review trotted out as the be-all and end-all in determining the legitimacy of papers. It's been unquestioned, while a little examination of the concept demonstrates that it's nearly certain to result in fraudulent work being passed as good science."

It's almost impossible to find out what happens in the vetting process, as peer reviewers are unpaid, anonymous and unaccountable. And although the system is based on the best of intentions, it lacks consistent standards and the expertise of the reviewers can vary widely from journal to journal.

Given that cancer research is such a lucrative business right now -- the National Cancer Institute, which gave the grant money to support Dr. Sheng Wang's fabricated research, had a $5.1 billion budget for fiscal year 2010 -- the stakes are exceptionally high. So it stands to reason that it may be subject to even more fraud and manipulation than less lucrative research prospects.

As The Economist reported, there were more new cancer drugs in development in 2010 than any other therapeutic area. Drug makers are well aware that a blockbuster cancer drug could easily earn them profits in the billions, even if the drug is only borderline effective. It is abundantly clear that profit is a primary motive of these companies so it should not be a surprise that they have moved in this direction, and this is where the abundance of research is focused as well.

WHY YOU MIGHT WANT TO THINK TWICE BEFORE DONATING TO ANTI-CANCER CHARITIES!

A lot of people put their faith in charity organizations like the American Cancer Society (ACS), dutifully donating money to help in the "war on cancer." But in the report titled American Cancer Society—More Interested In Accumulating Wealth Than Saving Lives, Dr. Samuel S. Epstein, chairman of the Cancer Prevention Coalition, plainly lays to bare the many conflicts of interest that hamper the effectiveness of this organization.

For example, the ACS has close financial ties to both makers of mammography equipment and cancer drugs. But that's just for starters. Other conflicts of interest include ties to, and financial support from, the pesticide-, petrochemical-, biotech-, cosmetics-, and junk food industries—the very industries whose products are the primarycontributors to cancer!

The ACS, along with the National Cancer Institute, virtually exclusively focus on cancer research and the diagnosis and chemical treatment of cancer. Preventive strategies, such as avoiding chemical exposures, receive virtually no consideration at all.

"Giant corporations, which profited handsomely while they polluted air, water, the workplace, and food with a wide range of carcinogens, remain greatly comforted by the silence of the ACS. This silence reflected a complex of mindsets fixated on diagnosis, treatment, and basic genetic research, together with ignorance, indifference, and even hostility to prevention. Not surprisingly, the incidence of cancer over past decades has escalated, approximately parallel to its increased funding,"

Dr. Epstein writes.

Many also do not realize that when you donate money to the American Cancer Society, the majority of it may never go further than the bank accounts of its numerous well-paid executives.

Meanwhile, global cancer rates have doubled in the last three decades, and their "war on cancer" strategy completely ignores, and oftentimes denies, the obviouslinks between cancer and toxic exposures through pesticide-laden foods, toxic personal care products, cancer-causing medical treatments and drugs, and industrial pollution. We CAN turn this trend around, but to do so the medical and research communities must stop focusing on drug treatments and overlooking the methods that can actually have a significant impact on preventing this disease.

My top 40 Ways To prevent and/or reverse ANY and ALL acidic dis-ease and cancerous conditions!

1) Exercise, stretch and sweat for 1 hour every day. Sweating is the key to healthfyl exercising. When you sweat you are removing dietary and metabolic acids from the tissues that causes a cancerous condition.
http://www.phmiracleliving.com/p-551-younga-yoga-volumes-1-and-2.aspx

2) Watch your acidic weight with an alkaline lifestyle and diet as outlined in our new book The pH Miracle Revised and Updated.
Read the pH Miracle books: The pH Miracle, The pH Miracle for Diabetes and The pH Miracle for Weight Loss.
http://www.phmiracleliving.com/c-25-books-dvds-audios.aspx

3) Don't smoke cigarettes, cigars or chew tobacco. It is laced with sugar and other chemicals that are cancerous causing!

4) Eliminate all animal protein, dairy, sweet fruit, processed sugar and all acidic grains, especially rice.

5) Eat or juice green fruit and vegetables such as brocolli, spinach, cucumber, peppers, kale. collard greens, celery. parsley, etc.

6) Drink 5 to 6 liters of alkaline green water with a pH of at least 9.5 and an ORP or electrical potential of -150 mV.
http://www.phmiracleliving.com/c-27-alkaline-water-and-ionizers.aspx

7) Drink chlorophyll rich green drinks every day. You can add the green pH Miracle powder or liquid chlorophyll to your alkaline electron rich water.
http://www.phmiracleliving.com/c-8-health-supplements.aspx

8) Drink 3 to 4 ounces or 100 ml of cold-pressed poly-unsaturated oil daily like avocado oil, olive oil, hemp oil and flax oil.
http://www.phmiracleliving.com/p-547-omega-3-6-9-essential-oil-blend.aspx
http://www.phmiracleliving.com/c-5-food.aspx

9) Ingest 10 to 12 grams of sea salt every day.
http://www.phmiracleliving.com/c-5-food.aspx

10) Take antioxidant nutritional supplements every day, including Glutathione, N-acetyl-cystein, R-dehyro-lipoic, CO-Q-10, magnesium and Zinc.
http://www.phmiracleliving.com/c-8-health-supplements.aspx

11) Take the four alkaline salts of sodium, magnesium, potassium and calcium carbonate and bicarbonate called pHour salts whenever you urine and/or saliva pH is below 7.2.
http://www.phmiracleliving.com/p-221-phour-salts-tm-454-grams.aspx

12) Get 30 minutes of sunshine and take 50,000 IU's of Vitamin D every day.
http://www.phmiracleliving.com/p-404-ph-d3.aspx
http://www.phmiracleliving.com/c-23-Fitness.aspx

13) Cleanse the bowels daily with magnesium oxide, magnesium carbonate, and fiber.
http://www.phmiracleliving.com/p-356-young-phorever-phlush-tm-powder-200-grams.aspx

14) Take 1 scoop twice a day of L-arginine Plus to improve circulation and heart strength.
http://www.phmiracleliving.com/p-565-l-arginine-plus.aspx

15) Take 4 capsules of Lung Support 3 to 4 times a day.

16) Take 1 capsule 3 times a day of Vitamin K.

17) Eat 1 to 2 avocados daily, hemp protien and organic sprouted soy for increased healthy oils and pHytonutrients to buffer the acids that cause cancer.
http://www.phmiracleliving.com/c-5-food.aspx

18) Eat fresh sprouts every day including brocolli sprouts, soy sprouts, mung bean sprouts, etc.

19) Eliminate ALL forms of sugar out of the diet, including honey, maple syrup and stevia.

20) Eliminate ALL soda, coffee, tea (including green tea), sport drinks, exotic fruit drinks, and energy drinks.

21) Eliminate All alcohol.

22) Eliminate ALL corn products out of the diet.

23) Eliminate ALL peanut oil or peanuts from the diet.

24) Eliminate ALL fermented foods including soy sauce and Braggs Amino Acids.

25) Eliminate ALL mushrooms or yeast from the diet, even so-called nutritional yeast.

26) Eliminate ALL foods that contain vinegar.

27) Eliminate ALL forms of chocolate.

28) Eliminate ALL mercury fillings.

29) Do daily stretching, breathing and isotonic exercising with Kundalini Yoga.
http://www.phmiracleliving.com/p-551-younga-yoga-volumes-1-and-2.aspx

30) Daily deep breathing exercise, such as the "Breath of Fire" is very good for circulation.

31) Make love, smile and give lots of hugs. Remember, if you don't use it you lose it. :))

32) Have a lymphatic drainage massage every day .
http://www.phmiracleliving.com/p-321-dvd-hot-rocks-lymphatic-massage-with-shelley-includes-2oz-massage-oil.aspx

33) Do whole body vibrational exercising every day for 10 minutes twice a day or jump on a mini trompoline for 15 minutes twice a day.
http://www.phmiracleliving.com/c-23-Fitness.aspx

34) Live in the present and eliminate all emotional stress in your life.
Read Dr. Young's article on Young Living and Young Love:
http://articlesofhealth.blogspot.com/2009/04/young-love-phorever.html

35) Read good alkalizing books, watch alkalizing videos and listen to alkalizing CD's.
http://www.phmiracleliving.com/c-25-books-dvds-audios.aspx

36) Listen to alkalizing melodic music daily.

37) Laugh every day for no reason.

38) Pray and meditate daily.

39) Listen to the pH Miracle for Cancer CD's. They can be ordered at:http://www.phmiracleliving.com/p-253-the-ph-miracle-for-cancer.aspx

40) Do daily alkalizing colonics containing chlorophyll, mineral salts, magnesium oxide, magnesium chloride, l-arginine, and pHour salts like sodium and potassium bicarbonate. - www.phmiracle.com
 — with Mehmet Ozevlat.
Photo: My Top 40 Ways To Prevent and/or  Reverse Any Serious Sickness or Disease including a Cancerous Condition!  In a scandal that has reverberated around the world of cancer research, the Office of Research Integrity at the U.S. Department of Health found that a Boston University cancer scientist fabricated his findings. His work was published in two journals in 2009, and he’s been ordered to retract them. But important studies by other scientists like those at the Mayo Clinic, who based their work on his findings, could now make 10 years of their studies worthless, according to commentary in Gaia Health.  It seems fairly evident that the cancer industrial complex is a highly lucrative, well-oiled system that tends to support funding for expensive drug treatments that don't address the cause of the problem, and have yet to make a significant dent in the decrease of the overall cancer rate in the US despite investing hundreds of billions of dollars. Much of the support comes from flawed and biased "research" studies that support the use of expensive drugs as detailed in the featured articles.  Researchers, too, are well aware of the notoriety and money to be found in cancer research … particularly what may be deemed successful cancer research (which unfortunately is often measured by the discovery of new drug treatments). But, as with many areas of medical research, it's important to read between the lines of "scientifically proven" studies, even those that are well accepted . Often what you'll find is the research gives the perception of science when really it is a heavily manipulated process designed to control and deceive. Case in point, here again we have an example of widely accepted, published research that turned out to be fabricated.  10 YEARS OF CANCER RESEARCH DOWN THE DRAIN  The Office of Research Integrity (ORI) at the U.S. Department of Health reported in August 2011 that final action has been taken against Sheng Wang, PhD, of Boston University School of Medicine, Cancer Research Center. ORI states:  "The Respondent engaged in research misconduct by fabricating data that were included in two (2) published papers."  This includes:  Oncogene February 2009, which found that HIC1, a protein thought to suppress tumor growth, is a "central molecule in a novel mechanism controlling cell growth and that the disruption of this HIC1-mediated pathway may lead to abnormal cell proliferation and, ultimately, cancer." Molecular Endocrinology December 2009, which found "reintroducing HIC1 into resistant breast cancer cells restored their sensitivity to the estrogen antagonists, indicating the existence of a novel regulatory mechanism for growth control of breast cancer cells."  Specifically, six of the eight figures in the Oncogene paper and six of the seven figures in the Molecular Endocrinology study were said to contain data from fabricated experiments. Though Wang is now required to retract the papers, and he reportedly stopped working for Boston University in July, he will only be ineligible for federal funding for 2 years.  Further, the fabricated research may continue to live on, as it has been cited by other studies and once a finding is accepted in the medical community, it's very hard to make it go away. Unfortunately, scientific retractions are actually becoming increasingly common.  As the Wall Street Journal reported:  "Just 22 retraction notices appeared in 2001, but 139 in 2006 and 339 last year. Through seven months of this year, there have been 210, according to Thomson Reuters Web of Science, an index of 11,600 peer-reviewed journals world-wide …  At the Mayo Clinic, a decade of cancer research, partly taxpayer-funded, went down the drain when the prestigious Minnesota institution concluded that intriguing data about harnessing the immune system to fight cancer had been fabricated. Seventeen scholarly papers published in nine research journals had to be retracted. A researcher, who protests his innocence, was fired. In another major flameout, 18 research journals have said they are planning to retract a total of 89 published studies by a German anesthesiologist …"  FABRICATED RESEARCH IS MORE COMMON THAN YOU MIGHT THINK  Peer-reviewed research published in medical journals gets the golden star of approval in the media, yet many, if not most, of the findings are incredibly misleading. One of the best exposé's into this muddled system came from none other than Dr. Marcia Angell, who was the former editor-in-chief of the New England Journal of Medicine (NEJM).  In her book The Truth about Drug Companies: How They Deceive Us and What to Do About It, she exposed many examples of why medical studies often cannot be trusted, and said flat out:  "Trials can be rigged in a dozen ways, and it happens all the time." For instance, in 2009 Dr. Scott Reuben, who was a well-respected, prominent anesthesiologist, former chief of acute pain of the Baystate Medical Center, Springfield, Mass. and a former professor at Tufts University's medical school, allegedly fabricated the data for 21 studies!  Dr. Reuben succeeded in getting numerous studies published, and those studies were accepted as fact and swayed the prescribing habits of doctors. It was only due to a routine audit raising a few red flags that a larger investigation was later launched.  So how did those false studies, or any studies for that matter, become worthy of being published? Part of the problem may be the peer-review process itself, as this puts researchers in charge of policing other researchers' results, and most do not want to insult a fellow researcher's work with negative comments.  As written in Gaia Health:  "It's all about money. Get published in a major medical journal and your future is made. Most peer reviewers are doing their own studies. That's what makes them peers. They want to be able to publish. Therefore, they are not particularly inclined to make more than perfunctory negative comments. Obviously, they don't want to alienate the authors of papers, since they either are or hope to become published themselves.  Peer review is a farce. The only kind of review that makes real sense is professional independent reviewers. Yet, for decades we've had peer review trotted out as the be-all and end-all in determining the legitimacy of papers. It's been unquestioned, while a little examination of the concept demonstrates that it's nearly certain to result in fraudulent work being passed as good science."  It's almost impossible to find out what happens in the vetting process, as peer reviewers are unpaid, anonymous and unaccountable. And although the system is based on the best of intentions, it lacks consistent standards and the expertise of the reviewers can vary widely from journal to journal.  Given that cancer research is such a lucrative business right now -- the National Cancer Institute, which gave the grant money to support Dr. Sheng Wang's fabricated research, had a $5.1 billion budget for fiscal year 2010 -- the stakes are exceptionally high. So it stands to reason that it may be subject to even more fraud and manipulation than less lucrative research prospects.  As The Economist reported, there were more new cancer drugs in development in 2010 than any other therapeutic area. Drug makers are well aware that a blockbuster cancer drug could easily earn them profits in the billions, even if the drug is only borderline effective. It is abundantly clear that profit is a primary motive of these companies so it should not be a surprise that they have moved in this direction, and this is where the abundance of research is focused as well.  WHY YOU MIGHT WANT TO THINK TWICE BEFORE DONATING TO ANTI-CANCER CHARITIES!  A lot of people put their faith in charity organizations like the American Cancer Society (ACS), dutifully donating money to help in the "war on cancer." But in the report titled American Cancer Society—More Interested In Accumulating Wealth Than Saving Lives, Dr. Samuel S. Epstein, chairman of the Cancer Prevention Coalition, plainly lays to bare the many conflicts of interest that hamper the effectiveness of this organization.  For example, the ACS has close financial ties to both makers of mammography equipment and cancer drugs. But that's just for starters. Other conflicts of interest include ties to, and financial support from, the pesticide-, petrochemical-, biotech-, cosmetics-, and junk food industries—the very industries whose products are the primarycontributors to cancer!  The ACS, along with the National Cancer Institute, virtually exclusively focus on cancer research and the diagnosis and chemical treatment of cancer. Preventive strategies, such as avoiding chemical exposures, receive virtually no consideration at all.  "Giant corporations, which profited handsomely while they polluted air, water, the workplace, and food with a wide range of carcinogens, remain greatly comforted by the silence of the ACS. This silence reflected a complex of mindsets fixated on diagnosis, treatment, and basic genetic research, together with ignorance, indifference, and even hostility to prevention. Not surprisingly, the incidence of cancer over past decades has escalated, approximately parallel to its increased funding,"   Dr. Epstein writes.  Many also do not realize that when you donate money to the American Cancer Society, the majority of it may never go further than the bank accounts of its numerous well-paid executives.  Meanwhile, global cancer rates have doubled in the last three decades, and their "war on cancer" strategy completely ignores, and oftentimes denies, the obviouslinks between cancer and toxic exposures through pesticide-laden foods, toxic personal care products, cancer-causing medical treatments and drugs, and industrial pollution. We CAN turn this trend around, but to do so the medical and research communities must stop focusing on drug treatments and overlooking the methods that can actually have a significant impact on preventing this disease.  My top 40 Ways To prevent and/or reverse ANY and ALL acidic dis-ease and cancerous conditions!  1) Exercise, stretch and sweat for 1 hour every day. Sweating is the key to healthfyl exercising. When you sweat you are removing dietary and metabolic acids from the tissues that causes a cancerous condition. http://www.phmiracleliving.com/p-551-younga-yoga-volumes-1-and-2.aspx  2) Watch your acidic weight with an alkaline lifestyle and diet as outlined in our new book The pH Miracle Revised and Updated. Read the pH Miracle books: The pH Miracle, The pH Miracle for Diabetes and The pH Miracle for Weight Loss. http://www.phmiracleliving.com/c-25-books-dvds-audios.aspx  3) Don't smoke cigarettes, cigars or chew tobacco. It is laced with sugar and other chemicals that are cancerous causing!  4) Eliminate all animal protein, dairy, sweet fruit, processed sugar and all acidic grains, especially rice.  5) Eat or juice green fruit and vegetables such as brocolli, spinach, cucumber, peppers, kale. collard greens, celery. parsley, etc.  6) Drink 5 to 6 liters of alkaline green water with a pH of at least 9.5 and an ORP or electrical potential of -150 mV. http://www.phmiracleliving.com/c-27-alkaline-water-and-ionizers.aspx  7) Drink chlorophyll rich green drinks every day. You can add the green pH Miracle powder or liquid chlorophyll to your alkaline electron rich water. http://www.phmiracleliving.com/c-8-health-supplements.aspx  8) Drink 3 to 4 ounces or 100 ml of cold-pressed poly-unsaturated oil daily like avocado oil, olive oil, hemp oil and flax oil. http://www.phmiracleliving.com/p-547-omega-3-6-9-essential-oil-blend.aspx http://www.phmiracleliving.com/c-5-food.aspx  9) Ingest 10 to 12 grams of sea salt every day. http://www.phmiracleliving.com/c-5-food.aspx  10) Take antioxidant nutritional supplements every day, including Glutathione, N-acetyl-cystein, R-dehyro-lipoic, CO-Q-10, magnesium and Zinc. http://www.phmiracleliving.com/c-8-health-supplements.aspx  11) Take the four alkaline salts of sodium, magnesium, potassium and calcium carbonate and bicarbonate called pHour salts whenever you urine and/or saliva pH is below 7.2. http://www.phmiracleliving.com/p-221-phour-salts-tm-454-grams.aspx  12) Get 30 minutes of sunshine and take 50,000 IU's of Vitamin D every day. http://www.phmiracleliving.com/p-404-ph-d3.aspx http://www.phmiracleliving.com/c-23-Fitness.aspx  13) Cleanse the bowels daily with magnesium oxide, magnesium carbonate, and fiber. http://www.phmiracleliving.com/p-356-young-phorever-phlush-tm-powder-200-grams.aspx  14) Take 1 scoop twice a day of L-arginine Plus to improve circulation and heart strength. http://www.phmiracleliving.com/p-565-l-arginine-plus.aspx  15) Take 4 capsules of Lung Support 3 to 4 times a day.  16) Take 1 capsule 3 times a day of Vitamin K.  17) Eat 1 to 2 avocados daily, hemp protien and organic sprouted soy for increased healthy oils and pHytonutrients to buffer the acids that cause cancer. http://www.phmiracleliving.com/c-5-food.aspx  18) Eat fresh sprouts every day including brocolli sprouts, soy sprouts, mung bean sprouts, etc.  19) Eliminate ALL forms of sugar out of the diet, including honey, maple syrup and stevia.  20) Eliminate ALL soda, coffee, tea (including green tea), sport drinks, exotic fruit drinks, and energy drinks.  21) Eliminate All alcohol.  22) Eliminate ALL corn products out of the diet.  23) Eliminate ALL peanut oil or peanuts from the diet.  24) Eliminate ALL fermented foods including soy sauce and Braggs Amino Acids.  25) Eliminate ALL mushrooms or yeast from the diet, even so-called nutritional yeast.  26) Eliminate ALL foods that contain vinegar.  27) Eliminate ALL forms of chocolate.  28) Eliminate ALL mercury fillings.  29) Do daily stretching, breathing and isotonic exercising with Kundalini Yoga. http://www.phmiracleliving.com/p-551-younga-yoga-volumes-1-and-2.aspx  30) Daily deep breathing exercise, such as the "Breath of Fire" is very good for circulation.  31) Make love, smile and give lots of hugs. Remember, if you don't use it you lose it. :))  32) Have a lymphatic drainage massage every day . http://www.phmiracleliving.com/p-321-dvd-hot-rocks-lymphatic-massage-with-shelley-includes-2oz-massage-oil.aspx  33) Do whole body vibrational exercising every day for 10 minutes twice a day or jump on a mini trompoline for 15 minutes twice a day. http://www.phmiracleliving.com/c-23-Fitness.aspx  34) Live in the present and eliminate all emotional stress in your life. Read Dr. Young's article on Young Living and Young Love: http://articlesofhealth.blogspot.com/2009/04/young-love-phorever.html  35) Read good alkalizing books, watch alkalizing videos and listen to alkalizing CD's. http://www.phmiracleliving.com/c-25-books-dvds-audios.aspx  36) Listen to alkalizing melodic music daily.  37) Laugh every day for no reason.  38) Pray and meditate daily.  39) Listen to the pH Miracle for Cancer CD's. They can be ordered at: http://www.phmiracleliving.com/p-253-the-ph-miracle-for-cancer.aspx  40) Do daily alkalizing colonics containing chlorophyll, mineral salts, magnesium oxide, magnesium chloride, l-arginine, and pHour salts like sodium and potassium bicarbonate. - www.phmiracle.com

Happy Father's Day!


"In all of the titles and accolades of man there is no greater calling or accolade from on High than that of Father. There's no other title or accomplishment that I would trade for being a Father. Being a Father is like having your heart running around outside your body. I love and cherish my children with all my heart. I will love them for the rest of my life!"
Dr. Robert O. Young

The picture below was taken after a tennis doubles match with my youngest son Alex Young (26), myself (63), against my older sons, Andrew Young (30) and Adam Young (38).

From left to right is Alex Young, Andrew Young, Dr. Robert O. Young and Adam Young.

All of my sons and my only daughter, Ashley Rose Young Lisonbee (34) live an alkaline lifestyle and diet. They all feel young, look young and are YOUNG! www.phmiracle.com
 

Photo: "In all of the titles and accolades of man there is no greater calling or accolade from on High than that of Father. There's no other title or accomplishment that I would trade for being a Father.  Being a Father is like having your heart running around outside your body. I love and cherish my children with all my heart.  I will love them for the rest of my life!"  Dr. Robert O. Young  The picture below was taken after a tennis doubles match with my youngest son Alex Young (26), myself (63), against my older sons, Andrew Young (30) and Adam Young (38).  From left to right is Alex Young, Andrew Young, Dr. Robert O. Young and Adam Young.  All of my sons and my only daughter, Ashley Rose Young Lisonbee (34) live an alkaline lifestyle and diet.  They all feel young, look young and are YOUNG!  www.phmiracle.com

My Daughter is NOW in Her 12 Year of Cancer Remission! Following The pH Miracle Lifestyle!


"I love and cherish my only daughter Ashley Rose Young Lisonbee and her beautiful children - my grandchildren. There is no greater calling on earth than that of Father and Grandfather. I would not trade these callings from on High for anything". — with Ashley Young Lisonbee.
Photo: "I love and cherish my only daughter Ashley Rose Young Lisonbee and her beautiful children - my grandchildren. There is no greater calling on earth than that of Father and Grandfather.   I would not trade these callings from on High for anything".

Where The Science of Food Meets The Taste of Health!


pH Miracle Alkaline Raw Food Two Day Food Preparation Courses

Held weekly on Friday and Saturday.

Location: The pH Miracle Center at the Rancho del Sol in Valley Center, California

Cost: $300

To sign up call: 760-751-8321

An alkaline raw recipe and photos from Debbie Hennessy -www.phmiracle.com
Creamy Tomato Soup! 4 Roma Tomatoes, 2 green onions (inch of white/light green part), 1/4 green pepper, 1 cup vegetable broth, 1 avocado, 1tsp sea salt and pepper to taste. Liquefy in blender. Heat to warm.

Learn how to prepare alkaline organic raw food at The pH Miracle Center in Valley Center, California. Weekly classes!

For more alkaline raw recipes order the pH Miracle alkaline recipe books -
Back To The House of Health Book 1 and Back To The House of Health Book 2:
http://www.phmiracleliving.com/p-292-back-to-the-house-of-health-2.aspx
http://www.phmiracleliving.com/p-291-back-to-the-house-of-health.aspx
Photo: Where the Science of Food Meets The Taste of Health!    pH Miracle Alkaline Raw Food Two Day Food Preparation Courses  Held weekly on Friday and Saturday.  Location: The pH Miracle Center at the Rancho del Sol in Valley Center, California  Cost: $300  To sign up call: 760-751-8321  An alkaline raw recipe and photos from Debbie Hennessy - www.phmiracle.com Creamy Tomato Soup! 4 Roma Tomatoes, 2 green onions (inch of white/light green part), 1/4 green pepper, 1 cup vegetable broth, 1 avocado, 1tsp sea salt and pepper to taste. Liquefy in blender. Heat to warm.  Learn how to prepare alkaline organic raw food at The pH Miracle Center in Valley Center, California.  Weekly classes!  For more alkaline raw recipes order the pH Miracle alkaline recipe books -  Back To The House of Health Book 1 and Back To The House of Health Book 2: http://www.phmiracleliving.com/p-292-back-to-the-house-of-health-2.aspx http://www.phmiracleliving.com/p-291-back-to-the-house-of-health.aspx

Meeting Dr. Robert O. Young


Meeting Dr. Robert O Young and being able to spend some time withhim was such gift. His work is important and he is a guide to true health.
it was such an honor to finally meet and spend time with Dr. Robert O Young at the Cure to Cancer Conference in April. HIs work PH Miracle is world famous and VERY important.
Photo: it was such an honor to finally meet and spend time with Dr. Robert O Young at the Cure to Cancer Conference in April. HIs work PH Miracle is world famous and VERY important.

Scientific Evidence for The pH Miracle Lifestyle and Diet!


The Alkaline pH Miracle Diet: Is There Any Published Scientific Evidence Substantiating Any Health Benefits for Dr. Robert O. Young's Plant-Based, Vegan, Alkaline, pH Miracle Lifestyle and Diet?
www.phmiracle.com

Please share with everyone you love and care about.
Gerry K. Schwalfenberg *

Abstract

This review looks at the role of an alkaline diet in health. Pubmed was searched looking for articles on pH, potential renal acid loads, bone health, muscle, growth hormone, back pain, vitamin D and chemotherapy. Many books written in the lay literature on the alkaline diet were also reviewed and evaluated in light of the published medical literature. There may be some value in considering an alkaline diet in reducing morbidity and mortality from chronic diseases and further studies are warranted in this area of medicine.

1. Background

Life on earth depends on appropriate pH levels in and around living organisms and cells. Human life requires a tightly controlled pH level in the serum of about 7.4 (a slightly alkaline range of 7.35 to 7.45) to survive [1].

As a comparison, in the past 100 years with increasing industrialization, the pH of the ocean has dropped from 8.2 to 8.1 because of increasing CO2 deposition. This has a negative impact on life in the ocean [1, 2] and may lead to the collapse of the coral reefs [3]. Even the pH of the soil in which plants are grown can have considerable influence on the mineral content of the food we eat (as minerals are used as buffers to maintain pH). The ideal pH of soil for the best overall availability of essential nutrients is between 6 and 7. Acidic soils below pH of 6 may have reduced calcium and magnesium, and soil above pH 7 may result in chemically unavailable iron, manganese, copper and zinc. Adding dolomite and manure are ways of raising pH in an acid soil environment when the pH is below 6 [4].

When it comes to the pH and net acid load in the human diet, there has been considerable change from the hunter gather civilization to the present [5]. With the agricultural revolution (last 10,000 years) and even more recently with industrialization (last 200 years), there has been an decrease in potassium (K) compared to sodium (Na) and an increase in chloride compared to bicarbonate found in the diet [6]. The ratio of potassium to sodium has reversed, K/Na previously was 10 to 1 whereas the modern diet has a ratio of 1 to 3 [7]. It is generally accepted that agricultural humans today have a diet poor in magnesium and potassium as well as fiber and rich in saturated fat, simple sugars, sodium, and chloride as compared to the preagricultural period [6]. This results in a diet that may induce metabolic acidosis which is mismatched to the genetically determined nutritional requirements [8]. With aging, there is a gradual loss of renal acid-base regulatory function and a resultant increase in diet-induced metabolic acidosis while on the modern diet [9]. A low-carbohydrate high-protein diet with its increased acid load results in very little change in blood chemistry, and pH, but results in many changes in urinary chemistry. Urinary magnesium levels, urinary citrate and pH are decreased, urinary calcium, undissociated uric acid, and phosphate are increased. All of these result in an increased risk for kidney stones [10].

Much has been written in the lay literature as well as many online sites expounding on the benefits of the alkaline diet. This paper is an attempt to balance the evidence that is found in the scientific literature.

2. The Role of pH in Various Cells, Organs, and Membranes

The pH in our body may vary considerably from one area to another with the highest acidity in the stomach (pH of 1.35 to 3.5) to aid in digestion and protect against opportunistic microbial organisms. But even in the stomach, the layer just outside the epithelium is quite basic to prevent mucosal injury. It has been suggested that decreased gastric lining secretion of bicarbonates and a decrease in the alkaline/acid secretion in duodenal ulcer patients may play a significant role in duodenal ulcers [11]. The skin is quite acidic (pH 4–6.5) to provide an acid mantle as a protective barrier to the environment against microbial overgrowth. There is a gradient from the outer horny layer (pH 4) to the basal layer (pH 6.9) [12]. This is also seen in the vagina where a pH of less than 4.7 protects against microbial overgrowth [13].

The urine may have a variable pH from acid to alkaline depending on the need for balancing the internal environment. Acid excretion in the urine can be estimated by a formula described by Remer (sulfate + chloride + 1.8x phosphate + organic acids) minus (sodium + potassium + 2x calcium + 2x magnesium) mEq [14]. Foods can be categorized by the potential renal acid loads (PRALs) see Table 2. Fruits, vegetables, fruit juices, potatoes, and alkali-rich and low phosphorus beverages (red and white wine, mineral soda waters) having a negative acid load. Whereas, grain products, meats, dairy products, fish, and alkali poor and low phosphorus beverages (e.g., pale beers, cocoa) have relatively high acid loads [15].

Measurement of pH of the urine (reviewed in a recent study with two morning specimens done over a five-year span) did not predict bone fractures or loss of bone mineral density [16]. However, this may not be reflective of being on an alkaline or acid diet throughout this time. For more details, see Table 1.

Table 1
PH of selected fluids, organs, and membranes.

Table 2
Potential renal acid loads (PRALs) of selected foods [20].

3. Chronic Acidosis and Bone Disease

Calcium in the form of phosphates and carbonates represents a large reservoir of base in our body. In response to an acid load such as the modern diet these salts are released into the systemic circulation to bring about pH homeostasis [7]. It has been estimated that the quantity of calcium lost in the urine with the modern diet over time could be as high as almost 480gm over 20 years or almost half the skeletal mass of calcium [21]. However, urinary losses of calcium are not a direct measure of osteoporosis. There are many regulatory factors that may compensate for the urinary calcium loss. When the arterial pH is in the normal range, a mild reduction of plasma bicarbonate results in a negative calcium balance which could benefit from supplementing bicarbonate in the form of potassium bicarbonate [22]. It has been found that bicarbonate, which increases the alkali content of a diet, but not potassium may attenuate bone loss in healthy older adults [23]. The bone minerals that are wasted in the urine may not have complete compensation through intestinal absorption, which is thought to result in osteoporosis. However, adequate vitamin D with a 25(OH)D level of >80nmol/L may allow for appropriate intestinal absorption of calcium and magnesium and phosphate when needed [24]. Sadly, most populations are generally deficient in vitamin D especially in northern climates [25]. In chronic renal failure, correction of metabolic acidosis with bicarbonate significantly improves parathyroid levels and levels of the active form of vitamin D 1,25(OH)2D3 [26].

Recently, a study has shown the importance of phosphate in Remer's PRAL formula. According to the formula it would be expected that an increase in phosphate should result in an increase in urinary calcium loss and a negative calcium balance in bone [27]. It should be noted that supplementation with phosphate in patients with bed rest reduced urinary calcium excretion but did not prevent bone loss [28]. The most recent systematic review and meta-analysis has shown that calcium balance is maintained and improved with phosphate which is quite contrary to the acid-ash hypothesis [29]. As well a recent study looking at soda intake (which has a significant amount of phosphate) and osteoporosis in postmenopausal American first nations women did not find a correlation [30]. It is quite possible that the high acid content according to Remer's classification needs to be looked at again in light of compensatory phosphate intake. There is online information promoting an alkaline diet for bone health as well as a number of books. However, a recent systematic review of the literature looking for evidence supporting the alkaline diet for bone health found no protective role of dietary acid load in osteoporosis [31].

Another element of the modern diet is the excess of sodium in the diet. There is evidence that in healthy humans the increased sodium in the diet can predict the degree of hyperchloremic metabolic acidosis when consuming a net acid producing diet [32]. As well, there is evidence that there are adverse effects of sodium chloride in the aging population. A high sodium diet will exacerbate disuse-induced bone and muscle loss during immobilization by increasing bone resorption and protein wasting [33]. Excess dietary sodium has been shown to result in hypertension and osteoporosis in women [34, 35]. As well, dietary potassium which is lacking in the modern diet would modulate pressor and hypercalciuric effects of excess of sodium chloride [36].

Excess dietary protein with high acid renal load may decrease bone density if not buffered by ingestion of supplements or foods that are alkali rich [37]. However, adequate protein is necessary for prevention of osteoporosis and sarcopenia; therefore, increasing the amount of fruit and vegetables may be necessary rather than reducing protein [38].

4. Alkaline Diets and Muscle

As we age, there is a loss of muscle mass, which may predispose to falls and fractures. A three-year study looking at a diet rich in potassium, such as fruits and vegetables, as well as a reduced acid load, resulted in preservation of muscle mass in older men and women [39]. Conditions such as chronic renal failure that result in chronic metabolic acidosis result in accelerated breakdown in skeletal muscle [40]. Correction of acidosis may preserve muscle mass in conditions where muscle wasting is common such as diabetic ketosis, trauma, sepsis, chronic obstructive lung disease, and renal failure [41]. In situations that result in acute acidosis, supplementing younger patients with sodium bicarbonate prior to exhaustive exercise resulted in significantly less acidosis in the blood than those that were not supplemented with sodium bicarbonate [42].

5. Alkaline Supplementation and Growth Hormone

It has long been known that severe forms of metabolic acidosis in children, such as renal tubular acidosis, are associated with low levels of growth hormone with resultant short stature. Correction of the acidosis with bicarbonate [7] or potassium citrate [43] increases growth hormone significantly and improved growth. The use of enough potassium bicarbonate in the diet to neutralize the daily net acid load in postmenopausal women resulted in a significant increase in growth hormone and resultant osteocalcin [44]. Improving growth hormone levels may improve quality of life, reduce cardiovascular risk factors, improve body composition, and even improve memory and cognition [45]. As well this results in a reduction of urinary calcium loss equivalent to 5% of bone calcium content over a period of 3 years [46].

6. Alkaline Diet and Back Pain

There is some evidence that chronic low back pain improves with the supplementation of alkaline minerals [47]. With supplementation there was a slight but significant increase in blood pH and intracellular magnesium. Ensuring that there is enough intracellular magnesium allows for the proper function of enzyme systems and also allows for activation of vitamin D [48]. This in turn has been shown to improve back pain [49].

7. Alkalinity and Chemotherapy

The effectiveness of chemotherapeutic agents is markedly influenced by pH. Numerous agents such as epirubicin and adriamycin require an alkaline media to be more effective. Others, such as cisplatin, mitomycin C, and thiotepa, are more cytotoxic in an acid media [50]. Cell death correlates with acidosis and intracellular pH shifts higher (more alkaline) after chemotherapy may reflect response to chemotherapy [51]. It has been suggested that inducing metabolic alkalosis may be useful in enhancing some treatment regimes by using sodium bicarbonate, carbicab, and furosemide [52]. Extracellular alkalinization by using bicarbonate may result in improvements in therapeutic effectiveness [53]. There is no scientific literature establishing the benefit of an alkaline diet for the prevention of cancer at this time.

8. Discussion

The human body has an amazing ability to maintain a steady pH in the blood with the main compensatory mechanisms being renal and respiratory. Many of the membranes in our body require an acid pH to protect us and to help us digest food. It has been suggested that an alkaline diet may prevent a number of diseases and result in significant health benefits. Looking at the above discussion on bone health alone, certain aspects have doubtful benefit. There does not seem to be enough evidence that milk or cheese may be as detrimental as Remer's formula suggests since phosphate does benefit bone health and result in a positive calcium balance. However, another mechanism for the alkaline diet to benefit bone health may be the increase in growth hormone and resultant increase in osteocalcin. There is some evidence that the K/Na ratio does matter and that the significant amount of salt in our diet is detrimental. Even some governments are demanding that the food industry reduce the salt load in our diet. High-protein diets may also affect bone health but some protein is also needed for good bone health.

Muscle wasting however seems to be reduced with an alkaline diet and back pain may benefit from this as well. An alkaline environment may improve the efficacy of some chemotherapy agents but not others.

9. Conclusion

Alkaline diets result in a more alkaline urine pH and may result in reduced calcium in the urine, however, as seen in some recent reports, this may not reflect total calcium balance because of other buffers such as phosphate. There is no substantial evidence that this improves bone health or protects from osteoporosis. However, alkaline diets may result in a number of health benefits as outlined below:

- Increased fruits and vegetables in an alkaline diet would improve the K/Na ratio and may benefit bone health, reduce muscle wasting, as well as mitigate other chronic diseases such as hypertension and strokes.
The resultant increase in growth hormone with an alkaline diet may improve many outcomes from cardiovascular health to memory and cognition.

- An increase in intracellular magnesium, which is required for the function of many enzyme systems, is another added benefit of the alkaline diet. Available magnesium, which is required to activate vitamin D, would result in numerous added benefits in the vitamin D apocrine/exocrine systems.
Alkalinity may result in added benefit for some chemotherapeutic agents that require a higher pH.

From the evidence outlined above, it would be prudent to consider an alkaline diet to reduce morbidity and mortality of chronic disease that are plaguing our aging population. One of the first considerations in an alkaline diet, which includes more fruits and vegetables, is to know what type of soil they were grown in since this may significantly influence the mineral content. At this time, there are limited scientific studies in this area, and many more studies are indicated in regards to muscle effects, growth hormone, and interaction with vitamin D.

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21. Fenton TR, Eliasziw M, Lyon AW, Tough SC, Hanley DA. Meta-analysis of the quantity of calcium excretion associated with the net acid excretion of the modern diet under the acid-ash diet hypothesis. American Journal of Clinical Nutrition. 2008;88(4):1159–1166. [PubMed]
22. Sebastian A, Morris RC., Jr. Improved mineral balance and skeletal metabolism in postmenopausal women treated with potassium bicarbonate. New England Journal of Medicine. 1994;331(4):p. 279. [PubMed]
23. Dawson-Hughes B, Harris SS, Palermo NJ, Castaneda-Sceppa C, Rasmussen HM, Dallal GE. Treatment with potassium bicarbonate lowers calcium excretion and bone resorption in older men and women. Journal of Clinical Endocrinology and Metabolism. 2009;94(1):96–102. [PMC free article] [PubMed]
24. Heaney RP, Dowell MS, Hale CA, Bendich A. Calcium absorption varies within the reference range for serum 25-hydroxyvitamin D. Journal of the American College of Nutrition. 2003;22(2):142–146. [PubMed]
25. Schwalfenberg GK, Genuis SJ, Hiltz MN. Addressing vitamin D deficiency in Canada: a public health innovation whose time has come. Public Health. 2010;124(6):350–359. [PubMed]
26. Lu KC, Lin SH, Yu FC, Chyr SH, Shieh SD. Influence of metabolic acidosis on serum 1,25(OH)2D3 levels in chronic renal failure. Mineral and Electrolyte Metabolism. 1995;21(6):398–402. [PubMed]
27. Fenton TR, Lyon AW, Eliasziw M, Tough SC, Hanley DA. Phosphate decreases urine calcium and increases calcium balance: a meta-analysis of the osteoporosis acid-ash diet hypothesis. Nutrition Journal. 2009;8, article 41 [PMC free article] [PubMed]
28. Hulley SB, Vogel JM, Donaldson CL, Bayers JH, Friedman RJ, Rosen SN. The effect of supplemental oral phosphate on the bone mineral changes during prolonged bed rest. Journal of Clinical Investigation. 1971;50(12):2506–2518. [PMC free article] [PubMed]
29. Fenton TR, Lyon AW, Eliasziw M, Tough SC, Hanley DA. Meta-analysis of the effect of the acid-ash hypothesis of osteoporosis on calcium balance. Journal of Bone and Mineral Research. 2009;24(11):1835–1840. [PubMed]
30. Supplee JD, Duncan GE, Bruemmer B, Goldberg J, Wen Y, Henderson JA. Soda intake and osteoporosis risk in postmenopausal American-Indian women. Public Health Nutrition. 2011:1–7. [PubMed]
31. Fenton TR, Tough SC, Lyon AW, Eliasziw M, Hanley DA. Causal assessment of dietary acid load and bone disease: a systematic review & meta-analysis applying Hill's epidemiologic criteria for causality. Nutrition Journal. 2011;10(1, article 41) [PMC free article] [PubMed]
32. Frassetto LA, Morris RC, Jr., Sebastian A. Dietary sodium chloride intake independently predicts the degree of hyperchloremic metabolic acidosis in healthy humans consuming a net acid-producing diet. American Journal of Physiology—Renal Physiology. 2007;293(2):F521–F525. [PubMed]
33. Frings-Meuthen P, Buehlmeier J, Baecker N, et al. High sodium chloride intake exacerbates immobilization-induced bone resorption and protein losses. Journal of Applied Physiology. 2011;111(2):537–542. [PubMed]
34. Cappuccio FP, Meilahn E, Zmuda JM, Cauley JA. High blood pressure and bone-mineral loss in elderly white women: a prospective study. Lancet. 1999;354(9183):971–975. [PubMed]
35. Devine A, Criddle RA, Dick IM, Kerr DA, Prince RL. A longitudinal study of the effect of sodium and calcium intakes on regional bone density in postmenopausal women. American Journal of Clinical Nutrition. 1995;62(4):740–745. [PubMed]
36. Morris RC, Jr., Schmidlin O, Frassetto LA, Sebastian A. Relationship and interaction between sodium and potassium. Journal of the American College of Nutrition. 2006;25(3):262S–270S. [PubMed]
37. Barzel US, Massey LK. Excess dietary protein may can adversely affect bone. Journal of Nutrition. 1998;128(6):1051–1053. [PubMed]
38. Heaney RP, Layman DK. Amount and type of protein influences bone health. American Journal of Clinical Nutrition. 2008;87(5):156S–157S. [PubMed]
39. Dawson-Hughes B, Harris SS, Ceglia L. Alkaline diets favor lean tissue mass in older adults. American Journal of Clinical Nutrition. 2008;87(3):662–665. [PMC free article] [PubMed]
40. Garibotto G, Russo R, Sofia A, et al. Muscle protein turnover in chronic renal failure patients with metabolic acidosis or normal acid-base balance. Mineral and Electrolyte Metabolism. 1996;22(1–3):58–61. [PubMed]
41. Caso G, Garlick PJ. Control of muscle protein kinetics by acid-base balance. Current Opinion in Clinical Nutrition and Metabolic Care. 2005;8(1):73–76. [PubMed]
42. Webster MJ, Webster MN, Crawford RE, Gladden LB. Effect of sodium bicarbonate ingestion on exhaustive resistance exercise performance. Medicine and Science in Sports and Exercise. 1993;25(8):960–965. [PubMed]
43. McSherry E, Morris RC., Jr. Attainment and maintenance of normal stature with alkali therapy in infants and children with classic renal tubular acidosis. Journal of Clinical Investigation. 1978;61(2):509–527. [PMC free article] [PubMed]
44. Frassetto L, Morris RC, Jr., Sebastian A. Potassium bicarbonate reduces urinary nitrogen excretion in postmenopausal women. Journal of Clinical Endocrinology and Metabolism. 1997;82(1):254–259. [PubMed]
45. Wass JAH, Reddy R. Growth hormone and memory. Journal of Endocrinology. 2010;207(2):125–126. [PubMed]
46. Frassetto L, Morris RC, Jr., Sebastian A. Long-term persistence of the urine calcium-lowering effect of potassium bicarbonate in postmenopausal women. Journal of Clinical Endocrinology and Metabolism. 2005;90(2):831–834. [PubMed]
47. Vormann J, Worlitschek M, Goedecke T, Silver B. Supplementation with alkaline minerals reduces symptoms in patients with chronic low back pain. Journal of Trace Elements in Medicine and Biology. 2001;15(2-3):179–183. [PubMed]
48. Zofková I, Kancheva RL. The relationship between magnesium and calciotropic hormones. Magnesium Research. 1995;8(1):77–84. [PubMed]
49. Schwalfenberg G. Improvement of chronic back pain or failed back surgery with vitamin D repletion: a case series. Journal of the American Board of Family Medicine. 2009;22(1):69–74. [PubMed]
50. Groos E, Walker L, Masters JR. Intravesical chemotherapy. Studies on the relationship between pH and cytotoxicity. Cancer. 1986;58(6):1199–1203. [PubMed]
51. Smith SR, Martin PA, Edwards RHT. Tumour pH and response to chemotherapy: an in vivo 31P magnetic resonance spectroscopy study in non-Hodgkin’s lymphoma. British Journal of Radiology. 1991;64(766):923–928. [PubMed]
52. Raghunand N, Gillies RJ. pH and chemotherapy. Novartis Foundation Symposium. 2001;240:199–211. [PubMed]
53. Raghunand N, He X, Van Sluis R, et al. Enhancement of chemotherapy by manipulation of tumour pH. British Journal of Cancer. 1999;80(7):1005–1011. [PMC free article] [PubMed]
Photo: The Alkaline pH Miracle Diet: Is There Any Published Scientific Evidence Substantiating Any Health Benefits for Dr. Robert O. Young's Plant-Based, Vegan, Alkaline, pH Miracle Lifestyle and Diet? www.phmiracle.com  Please share with everyone you love and care about. Gerry K. Schwalfenberg *  Abstract  This review looks at the role of an alkaline diet in health. Pubmed was searched looking for articles on pH, potential renal acid loads, bone health, muscle, growth hormone, back pain, vitamin D and chemotherapy. Many books written in the lay literature on the alkaline diet were also reviewed and evaluated in light of the published medical literature. There may be some value in considering an alkaline diet in reducing morbidity and mortality from chronic diseases and further studies are warranted in this area of medicine.  1. Background  Life on earth depends on appropriate pH levels in and around living organisms and cells. Human life requires a tightly controlled pH level in the serum of about 7.4 (a slightly alkaline range of 7.35 to 7.45) to survive [1].  As a comparison, in the past 100 years with increasing industrialization, the pH of the ocean has dropped from 8.2 to 8.1 because of increasing CO2 deposition. This has a negative impact on life in the ocean [1, 2] and may lead to the collapse of the coral reefs [3]. Even the pH of the soil in which plants are grown can have considerable influence on the mineral content of the food we eat (as minerals are used as buffers to maintain pH). The ideal pH of soil for the best overall availability of essential nutrients is between 6 and 7. Acidic soils below pH of 6 may have reduced calcium and magnesium, and soil above pH 7 may result in chemically unavailable iron, manganese, copper and zinc. Adding dolomite and manure are ways of raising pH in an acid soil environment when the pH is below 6 [4].  When it comes to the pH and net acid load in the human diet, there has been considerable change from the hunter gather civilization to the present [5]. With the agricultural revolution (last 10,000 years) and even more recently with industrialization (last 200 years), there has been an decrease in potassium (K) compared to sodium (Na) and an increase in chloride compared to bicarbonate found in the diet [6]. The ratio of potassium to sodium has reversed, K/Na previously was 10 to 1 whereas the modern diet has a ratio of 1 to 3 [7]. It is generally accepted that agricultural humans today have a diet poor in magnesium and potassium as well as fiber and rich in saturated fat, simple sugars, sodium, and chloride as compared to the preagricultural period [6]. This results in a diet that may induce metabolic acidosis which is mismatched to the genetically determined nutritional requirements [8]. With aging, there is a gradual loss of renal acid-base regulatory function and a resultant increase in diet-induced metabolic acidosis while on the modern diet [9]. A low-carbohydrate high-protein diet with its increased acid load results in very little change in blood chemistry, and pH, but results in many changes in urinary chemistry. Urinary magnesium levels, urinary citrate and pH are decreased, urinary calcium, undissociated uric acid, and phosphate are increased. All of these result in an increased risk for kidney stones [10].  Much has been written in the lay literature as well as many online sites expounding on the benefits of the alkaline diet. This paper is an attempt to balance the evidence that is found in the scientific literature.  2. The Role of pH in Various Cells, Organs, and Membranes  The pH in our body may vary considerably from one area to another with the highest acidity in the stomach (pH of 1.35 to 3.5) to aid in digestion and protect against opportunistic microbial organisms. But even in the stomach, the layer just outside the epithelium is quite basic to prevent mucosal injury. It has been suggested that decreased gastric lining secretion of bicarbonates and a decrease in the alkaline/acid secretion in duodenal ulcer patients may play a significant role in duodenal ulcers [11]. The skin is quite acidic (pH 4–6.5) to provide an acid mantle as a protective barrier to the environment against microbial overgrowth. There is a gradient from the outer horny layer (pH 4) to the basal layer (pH 6.9) [12]. This is also seen in the vagina where a pH of less than 4.7 protects against microbial overgrowth [13].  The urine may have a variable pH from acid to alkaline depending on the need for balancing the internal environment. Acid excretion in the urine can be estimated by a formula described by Remer (sulfate + chloride + 1.8x phosphate + organic acids) minus (sodium + potassium + 2x calcium + 2x magnesium) mEq [14]. Foods can be categorized by the potential renal acid loads (PRALs) see Table 2. Fruits, vegetables, fruit juices, potatoes, and alkali-rich and low phosphorus beverages (red and white wine, mineral soda waters) having a negative acid load. Whereas, grain products, meats, dairy products, fish, and alkali poor and low phosphorus beverages (e.g., pale beers, cocoa) have relatively high acid loads [15].   Measurement of pH of the urine (reviewed in a recent study with two morning specimens done over a five-year span) did not predict bone fractures or loss of bone mineral density [16]. However, this may not be reflective of being on an alkaline or acid diet throughout this time. For more details, see Table 1.  Table 1 PH of selected fluids, organs, and membranes.  Table 2 Potential renal acid loads (PRALs) of selected foods [20].  3. Chronic Acidosis and Bone Disease  Calcium in the form of phosphates and carbonates represents a large reservoir of base in our body. In response to an acid load such as the modern diet these salts are released into the systemic circulation to bring about pH homeostasis [7]. It has been estimated that the quantity of calcium lost in the urine with the modern diet over time could be as high as almost 480gm over 20 years or almost half the skeletal mass of calcium [21]. However, urinary losses of calcium are not a direct measure of osteoporosis. There are many regulatory factors that may compensate for the urinary calcium loss. When the arterial pH is in the normal range, a mild reduction of plasma bicarbonate results in a negative calcium balance which could benefit from supplementing bicarbonate in the form of potassium bicarbonate [22]. It has been found that bicarbonate, which increases the alkali content of a diet, but not potassium may attenuate bone loss in healthy older adults [23]. The bone minerals that are wasted in the urine may not have complete compensation through intestinal absorption, which is thought to result in osteoporosis. However, adequate vitamin D with a 25(OH)D level of >80nmol/L may allow for appropriate intestinal absorption of calcium and magnesium and phosphate when needed [24]. Sadly, most populations are generally deficient in vitamin D especially in northern climates [25]. In chronic renal failure, correction of metabolic acidosis with bicarbonate significantly improves parathyroid levels and levels of the active form of vitamin D 1,25(OH)2D3 [26].  Recently, a study has shown the importance of phosphate in Remer's PRAL formula. According to the formula it would be expected that an increase in phosphate should result in an increase in urinary calcium loss and a negative calcium balance in bone [27]. It should be noted that supplementation with phosphate in patients with bed rest reduced urinary calcium excretion but did not prevent bone loss [28]. The most recent systematic review and meta-analysis has shown that calcium balance is maintained and improved with phosphate which is quite contrary to the acid-ash hypothesis [29]. As well a recent study looking at soda intake (which has a significant amount of phosphate) and osteoporosis in postmenopausal American first nations women did not find a correlation [30]. It is quite possible that the high acid content according to Remer's classification needs to be looked at again in light of compensatory phosphate intake. There is online information promoting an alkaline diet for bone health as well as a number of books. However, a recent systematic review of the literature looking for evidence supporting the alkaline diet for bone health found no protective role of dietary acid load in osteoporosis [31].  Another element of the modern diet is the excess of sodium in the diet. There is evidence that in healthy humans the increased sodium in the diet can predict the degree of hyperchloremic metabolic acidosis when consuming a net acid producing diet [32]. As well, there is evidence that there are adverse effects of sodium chloride in the aging population. A high sodium diet will exacerbate disuse-induced bone and muscle loss during immobilization by increasing bone resorption and protein wasting [33]. Excess dietary sodium has been shown to result in hypertension and osteoporosis in women [34, 35]. As well, dietary potassium which is lacking in the modern diet would modulate pressor and hypercalciuric effects of excess of sodium chloride [36].  Excess dietary protein with high acid renal load may decrease bone density if not buffered by ingestion of supplements or foods that are alkali rich [37]. However, adequate protein is necessary for prevention of osteoporosis and sarcopenia; therefore, increasing the amount of fruit and vegetables may be necessary rather than reducing protein [38].  4. Alkaline Diets and Muscle  As we age, there is a loss of muscle mass, which may predispose to falls and fractures. A three-year study looking at a diet rich in potassium, such as fruits and vegetables, as well as a reduced acid load, resulted in preservation of muscle mass in older men and women [39]. Conditions such as chronic renal failure that result in chronic metabolic acidosis result in accelerated breakdown in skeletal muscle [40]. Correction of acidosis may preserve muscle mass in conditions where muscle wasting is common such as diabetic ketosis, trauma, sepsis, chronic obstructive lung disease, and renal failure [41]. In situations that result in acute acidosis, supplementing younger patients with sodium bicarbonate prior to exhaustive exercise resulted in significantly less acidosis in the blood than those that were not supplemented with sodium bicarbonate [42].  5. Alkaline Supplementation and Growth Hormone  It has long been known that severe forms of metabolic acidosis in children, such as renal tubular acidosis, are associated with low levels of growth hormone with resultant short stature. Correction of the acidosis with bicarbonate [7] or potassium citrate [43] increases growth hormone significantly and improved growth. The use of enough potassium bicarbonate in the diet to neutralize the daily net acid load in postmenopausal women resulted in a significant increase in growth hormone and resultant osteocalcin [44]. Improving growth hormone levels may improve quality of life, reduce cardiovascular risk factors, improve body composition, and even improve memory and cognition [45]. As well this results in a reduction of urinary calcium loss equivalent to 5% of bone calcium content over a period of 3 years [46].  6. Alkaline Diet and Back Pain  There is some evidence that chronic low back pain improves with the supplementation of alkaline minerals [47]. With supplementation there was a slight but significant increase in blood pH and intracellular magnesium. Ensuring that there is enough intracellular magnesium allows for the proper function of enzyme systems and also allows for activation of vitamin D [48]. This in turn has been shown to improve back pain [49].  7. Alkalinity and Chemotherapy  The effectiveness of chemotherapeutic agents is markedly influenced by pH. Numerous agents such as epirubicin and adriamycin require an alkaline media to be more effective. Others, such as cisplatin, mitomycin C, and thiotepa, are more cytotoxic in an acid media [50]. Cell death correlates with acidosis and intracellular pH shifts higher (more alkaline) after chemotherapy may reflect response to chemotherapy [51]. It has been suggested that inducing metabolic alkalosis may be useful in enhancing some treatment regimes by using sodium bicarbonate, carbicab, and furosemide [52]. Extracellular alkalinization by using bicarbonate may result in improvements in therapeutic effectiveness [53]. There is no scientific literature establishing the benefit of an alkaline diet for the prevention of cancer at this time.  8. Discussion  The human body has an amazing ability to maintain a steady pH in the blood with the main compensatory mechanisms being renal and respiratory. Many of the membranes in our body require an acid pH to protect us and to help us digest food. It has been suggested that an alkaline diet may prevent a number of diseases and result in significant health benefits. Looking at the above discussion on bone health alone, certain aspects have doubtful benefit. There does not seem to be enough evidence that milk or cheese may be as detrimental as Remer's formula suggests since phosphate does benefit bone health and result in a positive calcium balance. However, another mechanism for the alkaline diet to benefit bone health may be the increase in growth hormone and resultant increase in osteocalcin. There is some evidence that the K/Na ratio does matter and that the significant amount of salt in our diet is detrimental. Even some governments are demanding that the food industry reduce the salt load in our diet. High-protein diets may also affect bone health but some protein is also needed for good bone health.   Muscle wasting however seems to be reduced with an alkaline diet and back pain may benefit from this as well. An alkaline environment may improve the efficacy of some chemotherapy agents but not others.  9. Conclusion  Alkaline diets result in a more alkaline urine pH and may result in reduced calcium in the urine, however, as seen in some recent reports, this may not reflect total calcium balance because of other buffers such as phosphate. There is no substantial evidence that this improves bone health or protects from osteoporosis. However, alkaline diets may result in a number of health benefits as outlined below:  - Increased fruits and vegetables in an alkaline diet would improve the K/Na ratio and may benefit bone health, reduce muscle wasting, as well as mitigate other chronic diseases such as hypertension and strokes. The resultant increase in growth hormone with an alkaline diet may improve many outcomes from cardiovascular health to memory and cognition.  - An increase in intracellular magnesium, which is required for the function of many enzyme systems, is another added benefit of the alkaline diet. Available magnesium, which is required to activate vitamin D, would result in numerous added benefits in the vitamin D apocrine/exocrine systems. Alkalinity may result in added benefit for some chemotherapeutic agents that require a higher pH.  From the evidence outlined above, it would be prudent to consider an alkaline diet to reduce morbidity and mortality of chronic disease that are plaguing our aging population. One of the first considerations in an alkaline diet, which includes more fruits and vegetables, is to know what type of soil they were grown in since this may significantly influence the mineral content. At this time, there are limited scientific studies in this area, and many more studies are indicated in regards to muscle effects, growth hormone, and interaction with vitamin D.  References  1. Waugh A, Grant A. Anatomy and Physiology in Health and Illness. 10th edition. Philadelphia, Pa, USA: Churchill Livingstone Elsevier; 2007. 2. University, Birmingham oAa. Oceans reveal further impacts of climate change. ScienceDaily, 2010. 3. Hoegh-Guldberg O, Mumby PJ, Hooten AJ, et al. Coral reefs under rapid climate change and ocean acidification. Science. 2007;318(5857):1737–1742. [PubMed] 4. Dam-ampai SO J, Nilnond C. Effect of cattle manure and dolomite on soil properties and plant growth in acid upland soils. Songklanakarin Journal of Science and Technologh. 2005;27(supplement 3):727–737. 5. Ströhle A, Hahn A, Sebastian A. Estimation of the diet-dependent net acid load in 229 worldwide historically studied hunter-gatherer societies. American Journal of Clinical Nutrition. 2010;91(2):406–412. [PubMed] 6. Sebastian A, Frassetto LA, Sellmeyer DE, Merriam RL, Morris RC., Jr. Estimation of the net acid load of the diet of ancestral preagricultural Homo sapiens and their hominid ancestors. American Journal of Clinical Nutrition. 2002;76(6):1308–1316. [PubMed] 7. Frassetto L, Morris, Jr. R.C. RC, Jr., Sellmeyer DE, Todd K, Sebastian A. Diet, evolution and aging—the pathophysiologic effects of the post-agricultural inversion of the potassium-to-sodium and base-to-chloride ratios in the human diet. European Journal of Nutrition. 2001;40(5):200–213. [PubMed] 8. Konner M, Boyd Eaton S. Paleolithic nutrition: twenty-five years later. Nutrition in Clinical Practice. 2010;25(6):594–602. [PubMed] 9. Lindeman RD, Goldman R. Anatomic and physiologic age changes in the kidney. Experimental Gerontology. 1986;21(4-5):379–406. [PubMed] 10. Reddy ST, Wang CY, Sakhaee K, Brinkley L, Pak CY. Effect of low-carbohydrate high-protein diets on acid-base balance, stone-forming propensity, and calcium metabolism. American Journal of Kidney Diseases. 2002;40(2):265–274. [PubMed] 11. Malov YS, Kulikov AN. Bicarbonate deficiency and duodenal ulcer. Terapevticheskii Arkhiv. 1998;70(2):28–32. [PubMed] 12. Ohman H, Vahlquist A. In vivo studies concerning a pH gradient in human stratum corneum and upper epidermis. Acta Dermato-Venereologica. 1994;74(5):375–379. [PubMed] 13. Ferris DG, Francis SL, Dickman ED, Miler-Miles K, Waller JL, McClendon N. Variability of vaginal pH determination by patients and clinicians. Journal of the American Board of Family Medicine. 2006;19(4):368–373. [PubMed] 14. Remer T, Manz F. Estimation of the renal net acid excretion by adults consuming diets containing variable amounts of protein. American Journal of Clinical Nutrition. 1994;59(6):1356–1361. [PubMed] 15. Remer T. Influence of diet on acid-base balance. Seminars in Dialysis. 2000;13(4):221–226. [PubMed] 16. Fenton TR, Eliasziw M, Tough SC, Lyon AW, Brown JP, Hanley DA. Low urine pH and acid excretion do not predict bone fractures or the loss of bone mineral density: a prospective cohort study. BMC Musculoskeletal Disorders. 2010;11, article 88 [PMC free article] [PubMed] 17. Boelsma E, van de Vijver LPL, Goldbohm RA, Klöpping-Ketelaars IAA, Hendriks HFJ, Roza L. Human skin condition and its associations with nutrient concentrations in serum and diet. American Journal of Clinical Nutrition. 2003;77(2):348–355. [PubMed] 18. Ince BA, Anderson EJ, Neer RM. Lowering dietary protein to U.S. recommended dietary allowance levels reduces urinary calcium excretion and bone resorption in young women. Journal of Clinical Endocrinology and Metabolism. 2004;89(8):3801–3807. [PubMed] 19. Boron WF. Regulation of intracellular pH. Advances in Physiology Education. 2004;28:160–179. [PubMed] 20. Remer T, Manz F. Potential renal acid load of foods and its influence on urine pH. Journal of the American Dietetic Association. 1995;95(7):791–797. [PubMed] 21. Fenton TR, Eliasziw M, Lyon AW, Tough SC, Hanley DA. Meta-analysis of the quantity of calcium excretion associated with the net acid excretion of the modern diet under the acid-ash diet hypothesis. American Journal of Clinical Nutrition. 2008;88(4):1159–1166. [PubMed] 22. Sebastian A, Morris RC., Jr. Improved mineral balance and skeletal metabolism in postmenopausal women treated with potassium bicarbonate. New England Journal of Medicine. 1994;331(4):p. 279. [PubMed] 23. Dawson-Hughes B, Harris SS, Palermo NJ, Castaneda-Sceppa C, Rasmussen HM, Dallal GE. Treatment with potassium bicarbonate lowers calcium excretion and bone resorption in older men and women. Journal of Clinical Endocrinology and Metabolism. 2009;94(1):96–102. [PMC free article] [PubMed] 24. Heaney RP, Dowell MS, Hale CA, Bendich A. Calcium absorption varies within the reference range for serum 25-hydroxyvitamin D. Journal of the American College of Nutrition. 2003;22(2):142–146. [PubMed] 25. Schwalfenberg GK, Genuis SJ, Hiltz MN. Addressing vitamin D deficiency in Canada: a public health innovation whose time has come. Public Health. 2010;124(6):350–359. [PubMed] 26. Lu KC, Lin SH, Yu FC, Chyr SH, Shieh SD. Influence of metabolic acidosis on serum 1,25(OH)2D3 levels in chronic renal failure. Mineral and Electrolyte Metabolism. 1995;21(6):398–402. [PubMed] 27. Fenton TR, Lyon AW, Eliasziw M, Tough SC, Hanley DA. Phosphate decreases urine calcium and increases calcium balance: a meta-analysis of the osteoporosis acid-ash diet hypothesis. Nutrition Journal. 2009;8, article 41 [PMC free article] [PubMed] 28. Hulley SB, Vogel JM, Donaldson CL, Bayers JH, Friedman RJ, Rosen SN. The effect of supplemental oral phosphate on the bone mineral changes during prolonged bed rest. Journal of Clinical Investigation. 1971;50(12):2506–2518. [PMC free article] [PubMed] 29. Fenton TR, Lyon AW, Eliasziw M, Tough SC, Hanley DA. Meta-analysis of the effect of the acid-ash hypothesis of osteoporosis on calcium balance. Journal of Bone and Mineral Research. 2009;24(11):1835–1840. [PubMed] 30. Supplee JD, Duncan GE, Bruemmer B, Goldberg J, Wen Y, Henderson JA. Soda intake and osteoporosis risk in postmenopausal American-Indian women. Public Health Nutrition. 2011:1–7. [PubMed] 31. Fenton TR, Tough SC, Lyon AW, Eliasziw M, Hanley DA. Causal assessment of dietary acid load and bone disease: a systematic review & meta-analysis applying Hill's epidemiologic criteria for causality. Nutrition Journal. 2011;10(1, article 41) [PMC free article] [PubMed] 32. Frassetto LA, Morris RC, Jr., Sebastian A. Dietary sodium chloride intake independently predicts the degree of hyperchloremic metabolic acidosis in healthy humans consuming a net acid-producing diet. American Journal of Physiology—Renal Physiology. 2007;293(2):F521–F525. [PubMed] 33. Frings-Meuthen P, Buehlmeier J, Baecker N, et al. High sodium chloride intake exacerbates immobilization-induced bone resorption and protein losses. Journal of Applied Physiology. 2011;111(2):537–542. [PubMed] 34. Cappuccio FP, Meilahn E, Zmuda JM, Cauley JA. High blood pressure and bone-mineral loss in elderly white women: a prospective study. Lancet. 1999;354(9183):971–975. [PubMed] 35. Devine A, Criddle RA, Dick IM, Kerr DA, Prince RL. A longitudinal study of the effect of sodium and calcium intakes on regional bone density in postmenopausal women. American Journal of Clinical Nutrition. 1995;62(4):740–745. [PubMed] 36. Morris RC, Jr., Schmidlin O, Frassetto LA, Sebastian A. Relationship and interaction between sodium and potassium. Journal of the American College of Nutrition. 2006;25(3):262S–270S. [PubMed] 37. Barzel US, Massey LK. Excess dietary protein may can adversely affect bone. Journal of Nutrition. 1998;128(6):1051–1053. [PubMed] 38. Heaney RP, Layman DK. Amount and type of protein influences bone health. American Journal of Clinical Nutrition. 2008;87(5):156S–157S. [PubMed] 39. Dawson-Hughes B, Harris SS, Ceglia L. Alkaline diets favor lean tissue mass in older adults. American Journal of Clinical Nutrition. 2008;87(3):662–665. [PMC free article] [PubMed] 40. Garibotto G, Russo R, Sofia A, et al. Muscle protein turnover in chronic renal failure patients with metabolic acidosis or normal acid-base balance. Mineral and Electrolyte Metabolism. 1996;22(1–3):58–61. [PubMed] 41. Caso G, Garlick PJ. Control of muscle protein kinetics by acid-base balance. Current Opinion in Clinical Nutrition and Metabolic Care. 2005;8(1):73–76. [PubMed] 42. Webster MJ, Webster MN, Crawford RE, Gladden LB. Effect of sodium bicarbonate ingestion on exhaustive resistance exercise performance. Medicine and Science in Sports and Exercise. 1993;25(8):960–965. [PubMed] 43. McSherry E, Morris RC., Jr. Attainment and maintenance of normal stature with alkali therapy in infants and children with classic renal tubular acidosis. Journal of Clinical Investigation. 1978;61(2):509–527. [PMC free article] [PubMed] 44. Frassetto L, Morris RC, Jr., Sebastian A. Potassium bicarbonate reduces urinary nitrogen excretion in postmenopausal women. Journal of Clinical Endocrinology and Metabolism. 1997;82(1):254–259. [PubMed] 45. Wass JAH, Reddy R. Growth hormone and memory. Journal of Endocrinology. 2010;207(2):125–126. [PubMed] 46. Frassetto L, Morris RC, Jr., Sebastian A. Long-term persistence of the urine calcium-lowering effect of potassium bicarbonate in postmenopausal women. Journal of Clinical Endocrinology and Metabolism. 2005;90(2):831–834. [PubMed] 47. Vormann J, Worlitschek M, Goedecke T, Silver B. Supplementation with alkaline minerals reduces symptoms in patients with chronic low back pain. Journal of Trace Elements in Medicine and Biology. 2001;15(2-3):179–183. [PubMed] 48. Zofková I, Kancheva RL. The relationship between magnesium and calciotropic hormones. Magnesium Research. 1995;8(1):77–84. [PubMed] 49. Schwalfenberg G. Improvement of chronic back pain or failed back surgery with vitamin D repletion: a case series. Journal of the American Board of Family Medicine. 2009;22(1):69–74. [PubMed] 50. Groos E, Walker L, Masters JR. Intravesical chemotherapy. Studies on the relationship between pH and cytotoxicity. Cancer. 1986;58(6):1199–1203. [PubMed] 51. Smith SR, Martin PA, Edwards RHT. Tumour pH and response to chemotherapy: an in vivo 31P magnetic resonance spectroscopy study in non-Hodgkin’s lymphoma. British Journal of Radiology. 1991;64(766):923–928. [PubMed] 52. Raghunand N, Gillies RJ. pH and chemotherapy. Novartis Foundation Symposium. 2001;240:199–211. [PubMed] 53. Raghunand N, He X, Van Sluis R, et al. Enhancement of chemotherapy by manipulation of tumour pH. British Journal of Cancer. 1999;80(7):1005–1011. [PMC free article] [PubMed]
 

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