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When its internal environment becomes acidified, the body can fall ill in three different ways. The very first is connected to the activity of enzymes. Enzymes are the “worker drones” behind all the biochemical transformations that take place systems and on which the proper functioning of the organs depend. Enzymes can perform their task correctly only in an environment with a clearly defined pH; otherwise their activity can be disrupted or even cease completely. When their activity is merely slowed down, illness appears.
If you find a complete interruption the body cannot function, and death results. Before this extreme stage is reached, different ailments set in as an increasing number of enzymes find their world disturbed by the acidification of the internal environment. The second way the body becomes ill is because of the harsh, corrosive nature of acids present in excess amounts within the tissues. Before they are neutralized by alkaline substances, the acids irritate the organ with which they are available in contact. Inflammation, sometimes quite painful, results, in addition to lesions or hardening of the tissues. This primarily affects the organs charged with the elimination of strong acids, including the skin and kidneys. Many cases of eczema, hives, itching, and red patches on the skin are set to the irritation caused by excessively acidic sweat.
The most susceptible regions are those where sweat has a tendency to collect: in the armpits, behind the knees, under the wristwatch band, or, in babies, under the diaper. When the urine is overloaded with acid urination is painful and the urinary tract “burns,” becoming inflamed (urethritis) or infected (cystitis). Ailments triggered by harsh acid that are invisible to the outsider but are keenly felt by the victims include pains in the joints (arthritis), nerves (neuritis), and intestines (enteritis, colitis, and burning sensations in the anus). The fragile state of the tissues resulting from the invasive presence of acid makes them vulnerable to microbial or viral infection as well. Lesions of the mucous membranes-such as in the respiratory system-allow easier penetration and multiplication by microbes in the tissues. This is aggravated by the truth that the immune system’s effectiveness may also be impaired by acid activity, which lowers the production and strength of the white blood cells responsible for attacking microbes. The third cause of suffering from excess acid is loss of minerals, since the body gives up alkaline minerals to neutralize acids.
This demineralization can be quite significant and can affect any organ because alkaline minerals are stored in all the body’s tissues. The best-known consequences of demineralization are problems affecting the skeleton and teeth. Bones lose their calcium, and along with it their resistance and flexibility, enough where they break far too easily (for example, spontaneous hip fractures), lose their density (osteoporosis), become inflamed at the joints (rheumatism), wear away the intervertebral disks (sciatica), and so forth. Teeth can also become more brittle because of mineral loss. They can chip, become oversensitive to cold and warm foods, or become more susceptible to cavities. The brittleness caused by demineralization also weakens hair, which loses its shine and resilience and starts falling out in greater quantity. Fingernails split and break under the slightest impact; skin dries and cracks or wrinkles; the gums become deformed and oversensitive and bleed easily.
——————————————————————————– Source: The Acid-Alkaline Diet for Optimum Health by Christopher Vasey, N.D
