Acid/Alkaline Balance

Whether a liquid is alkaline or acidic is determined by its pH, which means "potential hydrogen.” The pH
scale ranges from 0 (the highest acidity) to 14 (the highest alkalinity). 7 is neutral and your body should
be around 7.2 to 7.5 or so:
• Blood: 7.37 - 7.43
• Saliva: 7.2 - 7.5
• Bile: 7.5 - 8.8
• Urine: 6.2
• Pancreatic Secretions: 7.5 -8.8
• Gastric Juice: 2.5

Your body has several systems for maintaining its vital acid/alkaline balance. Lungs breathe out
increased amounts of carbon dioxide (CO2) when there are excessive amounts present. When CO2 is
dissolved in liquid it forms carbonic acid. The kidney eliminates acid through urine. The blood is also
equipped with complex systems to maintain proper pH. It is essential that blood pH be maintained at a
level of about 7.4 which is in the alkaline range.

When the body is unable to maintain proper pH balance, there is danger that it will become overly acidic.
Acids then accumulate causing illness. Although it is possible for the body to become overly alkaline, it is
rare. The most common condition is a tendency toward acidosis caused by fast, processed and cooked
foods, as well as environmental toxins and stress.

The Dangers of Acidosis

Acidosis is what happens when the acid/alkaline balance of your body has become overly acidic. Acidosis
has been recognized as a contributing factor in many health conditions including gout, heartburn, gastritis,
sore muscles, osteoarthritis, osteoporosis, skin diseases, obesity, frequent colds and flu’s, and more
serious conditions such as heart disease and cancer. Disease thrives in an acidic environment, so the
more acidic you are the more susceptible you are to disease. Some of the symptoms of acidosis include
lack of energy, constipation, digestive problems, gout, joint pain, chronic skin rashes, allergies, high blood
pressure, reduced immune functions, and weight gain.

Your Diet and Acidosis

The over consumption of acid-forming foods can be a major factor in causing chronic acidosis. Cooked
meats, dairy products, and fried foods when consumed excessively can lead to an acid condition. Liquids
such as coffee and alcohol can also create acidity. Insufficient intake of water can be another cause of
acidosis, as water is necessary to wash acid wastes out of the body.

Both physical and mental stress can lead to acidosis. When the body is under stress it produces acids as
a natural reaction. The adrenal glands in particular are involved in secreting the stress hormones, cortisol
and adrenaline. These hormones lead to an accelerated metabolic stage that increases acid levels.
Lack of exercise can also contribute to acidosis. When you exercise, the body burns fatty acids as well as
accumulated acids. Increased circulation improves the elimination of acid wastes. However, excessive
exercise can result in the buildup of lactic acid in the muscles.

To maintain an alkaline body chemistry, eat as much raw, alkaline-forming foods as possible, including
fresh vegetables, green salads, and fruits, while also reducing acid-forming cooked and processed foods.
Also try to manage your stress and exercise moderately. Finally, the type of water you drink plays an
important role in your acid/alkaline balance.

Ionized Alkaline Water

Most water from clean, natural sources is alkaline. Today, however, most water comes from bottles or
faucets, and is usually not only filled with toxic chemicals, it is often low on the pH scale – and sometimes
even acidic.
You can consistently and affordably get alkaline water by making it yourself! A Water Ionizer passes the
water from your kitchen faucet through an advanced filter to remove contaminants, and then put through
an ionization chamber where electrically splits the filtered water into alkaline water and acid water by
running the pre-filtered water over positive and negative electrodes. The negative electrode attracts
positive minerals, which are the alkaline minerals, to its chamber, while the positive electrode attracts
negatively charged minerals, which are acid minerals, to its chamber. This ionization process takes place
while the water is running through the water ionizer. A stream of alkaline water comes out of the stainless
steel nozzle at the top of the unit, and the acid water comes out of the back to drain off into the sink.
Approximately 70% of the water produced is alkaline and 30% is acid water.

Quality Water Ionizers, such as the Life 7600, have several levels of alkalinity. You can begin by drinking
mildly alkaline water, slowly increasing the alkalinity over time. A water ionizer will typically produce water
with a pH between 7 and 10. Alkaline water in the 8.5 to 9.5 range is sufficiently alkaline to produce the
health benefits you are looking for.

Characteristics of Water Produced by a Water Ionizer:

• Alkalinity between 8 and 10 pH
• Better Tasting
• Microclustered for better Hydration
• Hi –ORP or Antioxidant Activity
• Increased Oxygen
• Ability to Detoxify

Water from a Water Ionizer is "micro-clustered", meaning it is grouped together in smaller clusters of 5-6
water molecules like clusters found in natural flowing spring water, instead of the 10-13 found in bottled or
tap water. This makes it "micro-clustered" so it will be more easily absorbed and by your body. Ionized
Water also has two antioxidant qualities - its negative charge and the presence of Hydroxyl ions. All
liquids have an Oxidative Reduction Potential (ORP). Normal tap water has an ORP of +300 to +400 mv.
It does not have any potential for reducing oxidation because its ORP is positive. Only a negative ORP
can reduce or negate oxidation. Water produced by a quality Water Ionizer typically has an ORP of about
-250 to -400 mv, meaning it can act as an antioxidant that can reduce oxidation, neutralize harmful free
radicals, and slow aging.

Alkaline water acts an antioxidant, scavenging for and neutralizing free-radicals. Because alkaline water
has the ability to give up electrons, it can effectively neutralize and block free radical damage. Ionized
Alkaline Water seeks out free radicals and converts them into oxygen, which your body can use for
energy production and tissue oxygenation. Water produced by a water ionizer will contain a cloud of tiny
bubbles of oxygen and Hydroxyl ion, oxygen molecules with an extra electron attached. Hydroxyl ions
scavenge free radicals that cause cellular damage.

Ionized Alkaline Water as a Detoxifier

Water is essential for detoxification of the accumulated acid wastes in the body. Today’s “civilized”
lifestyle exposes us to a broad spectrum of toxins, including those in the food we eat, toxins produced
naturally as a by-product of normal metabolism, heavy metal exposure, water pollution and air pollution.
Even the best of diets, those from unprocessed, uncooked organic foods, contain some natural toxic
substances that need to be neutralized and eliminated. Common examples of these natural toxins are
glycol-alkaloids in certain vegetables and the molds and fungi found in some grains, peanuts, and some
fruits.

Also, there are thousands of chemical pollutants in use for agriculture and industry that can find their way
into our food supply – even on some organics foods that are exposed to the environment while growing
and during shipping. Antibiotics and hormones are also used in animal products. In addition, common
prescription drugs and over-the-counter medicines are often flushed down the toilet and eventually can
find their way into the food supply Finally, your body produces it’s own normal toxic by-products such as
urea and ammonia, that must be detoxified and eliminated, mainly by the kidneys.
Common heavy metals like lead, cadmium, arsenic, and aluminum are found in the environment and
make their way into your body. Sources include pesticide sprays, cooking utensils containing aluminum,
cigarette smoke, dental fillings, antiperspirants, and antacid medication. The absorption of these heavy
metals from our environment build up slowly over time.

These toxins all need to be eliminated by the body. A raw food lifestyle, along with using a water ionizer
helps you body overcome these challenges.

Alkaline Water & Weight Loss

Nearly 1 in 3 American adults is overweight. In "The pH Miracle for Weight Loss", Robert O. Young, PhD,
states that the cause of obesity in America "is a fundamental misunderstanding of how and why the body
stores fat". What matters most according to Dr. Young is keeping your body properly alkaline, rather that
acidic. His book reveals that keeping your body sufficiently hydrated with Alkaline Water is critical in
maintaining proper weight. Weighing too much is not as much about fat according to Dr. Young, as it is
abut the overproduction and storage of fats produced by an acid-forming diet and lifestyle.

Dr. Young explains that the body uses fat in a desperate attempt to protect itself by using fats to bind up
acids. But fat is used primarily as a way to store those acids. This is good - your body is protecting itself
from damage from those acids. The bad news, however, is that in the long term those fat/acid deposits
create health problems." Consuming raw, alkaline-forming foods and drinking alkaline water every day
helps you neutralize toxic acids and wash them out of the body, while preventing excess accumulation of
those fats used to bind acids.

About pH and ORP

1. The American diet is extremely acidic.

• Meat, including beef, pork, chicken and turkey are acidic.

• Dairy such as milk, butter and cheese are acidic.
• Grains such as rice and barley are acidic.
• Beverages such coffee, tea, and soft drinks are very acidic.
• Fruit and fruit juices contain high concentrations of acid.
• Simple carbohydrates such as potatoes, pasta, and bread contain large amounts of acids.

2. Acidity in the body is related to disease.

• Acid reflux is a painful condition that occurs when acidic stomach liquid backs up (refluxes) into
the esophagus, causing irritation, inflammation and damage to the lining of the esophagus
• High cholesterol occurs when the body produces excessive amounts of cholesterol to neutralize
large amounts of acids in the blood stream before they damage living cells.
• Heart disease is the result of a build-up of cholesterol in the coronary arteries that reduces the
blood flow to the heart muscle. As stated above, cholesterol forms to product the arterial wall from
acidity in the blood.
• Fat is produced by the body to trap and neutralize acidic waste in the body. As Dr. Robert O.
Young, author of The pH Miracle for Weight Loss, puts it, "The body retains fat as a protection
against the overproduction of acids produced by the typical American diet....Your fat is actually
saving your life."
 • Inflammatory related diseases such as allergies, arthritis, fibromyalgia, psoriasis, and even stroke
are related to low-grade metabolic acidosis.

Drinking alkaline water can help restore your body's pH balance and reduce its acidity.

3. Your Drinking water should have a negative ORP measurement.

• The value of ORP quantifies the amount of energy in water by numbering electrons.
• ORP values are expressed as millivolts, or mV.
• Drinking water should have a negative mV number of at least -50mV.
• Water with an ORP of -50mV will have enough negative ions to attract and neutralize excess
acids.

4. Your Drinking water should have a pH level at or above 9.5.

• pH is the measure of the acidity or alkalinity of a solution.

• pH measures the concentration of hydrogen and hydroxide ions on a scale from 0 to 14, with 7.0
considered neutral.
• Pure water at 25 °C has an equal concentration of dissolved hydrogen ions (H+) and hydroxide
ions (OH-) and is considered "neutral."
• Solutions with a pH level below 7.0 are acids.
• Solutions with a pH level above 7 are bases (alkaline).

The healthy human body contains both acids and bases. The organs maintain the pH of arterial blood between 7.35
and 7.45. To counteract the amount of acids consumed by eating, drinking, and breathing, the body will take alkaline
substances from other body parts, such as bone. By drinking alkaline water, you are able to counteract the intake of
acids and help the body regulate its pH in a more healthy way.

Alkaline Water Benefits

Restores the pH balance in the body.

• Alkaline water can neutralize the acidity of the body caused by stress, modern diet, air pollution,
and many bottled waters. Click here for the truth about bottled water.
• A higher pH in the body reduces the need for fat and cholesterol to protect the body from
damaging acids.Click here for weight loss information.
• Alkaline water is negatively charged and an "antioxidant." Antioxidants reduce cellular and DNA
damage caused by free radicals.Click here for anti-aging information.
• Negatively charged alkaline water creates energy by giving up ions to positive ions.
• Alkaline water tastes lighter with a pleasantly sweet flavor.
• Using water with a higher pH level improves the taste of beverages and food.
• Cooking with alkaline water improves the taste and quality of foods and using acidic
water when boiling eggs improves their quality. Click here for more information on acidity within
the American diet.

Provides superior hydration and nutrition at the cellular level.

• Ionization breaks clusters of water molecules into smaller micro-clusters, reducing the size of the
clusters from the 11-16 molecules in standard water to just 5-6 molecules in ionized water.
Smaller clusters pass through cell walls more easily and hydrate the cells more quickly.
• Faster hydration allows the body to regulate its temperature more efficiently.
• Micro-clusters of mineral-bearing ionized water also deliver nutrients more efficiently to the cells.
• Detoxifies cells more efficiently than standard drinking water.
• Due to their smaller size, micro-clusters of ionized water molecules are expelled from the cells
more efficiently, carrying damaging toxins out of the cells and flushing them out of the system.
• The negative charge of ionized alkaline water will attract the positive ions of acids and neutralize
them within the body. Click here for more information on detoxification within the body.