Prevent Bone Loss – Calcium, Vitamin D Ineffective When pH Less Than 7

A healthy pH is even more important for preventing bone loss and low bone density (osteoporosis) than calcium, vitamin D, and magnesium, because low pH leaches calcium and magnesium from bone, increasing bone loss. Low pH is likely the reason why vitamin D and calcium often don’t help with osteoporosis. Soda and megadoses of vitamin C significantly lower pH and increase bone loss. People who eat less fruit and more meat and grain (bread, pasta) have low pH. Certain forms of mineral supplements raise pH. The high volume of acid forming food of the typical Western diet not only increases risk and progression of osteoporosis but also obesity and heart disease.

What is “a healthy pH”?

Measuring the pH of a liquid determines whether the liquid is acidic or alkaline. A pH below 7 means the liquid is acidic, pH above 7 the liquid is alkaline. The phrase “the pH of the body” refers to the pH of the watery solution inside the cells of the body. The phrase “a healthy pH” means that generally the pH inside the cells of the body is about 7.0.

The only way to measure body pH is to get inside a cell by cutting it (cutting flesh). Saliva pH gives a good indication of what body pH was about 30 minutes to an hour ago. It is necessary that saliva pH is measured an hour or more after drinking or eating anything at all, including pills of any kind, two hours if a large meal is eaten. Digestive acids will push saliva pH down, so you don’t want any digesting occurring when measuring saliva pH. The goal is to keep saliva pH above 6.7 and below 7.5.

When pH is too low, less than 6.7, it’s called acidosis. When pH is too high, above 7.5, it’s called alkalosis. The uneasy and restless feeling of pH too far below 6.7 causes fatigue and irritability. The high energy, absentmindedness, and endless search for relief of pH too far above 7.5 can easily be mistaken for food allergies, ADHD, anxiety, and the like.

Urine pH is a measurement of the result of all intake of food, junk food, pills, etc. throughout the day of the day before. Generally, urine pH is out of date information. Saliva pH is much closer to real-time information if you want to see if what you’re doing is making a difference in normalizing your pH.

The body has many chemical mechanisms for keeping blood pH fairly constant at 7.35, including moving calcium and magnesium from bone to the blood stream.

Foods That Lower pH

Foods that lower pH are called acid forming foods and also acidifying foods. Many medications and alcohol lower pH. The pH of ascorbic acid (vitamin C) is very low at pH 2.2. Megadoses (1000 mg) and smaller doses (100 mg) of ascorbic acid lower pH. Ascorbic acid should be avoided and more alkaline forms of vitamin C (sodium ascorbate, magnesium ascorbate) should be used.

Carbon lowers pH. Soda is the number one offender of a healthy pH. The carbonation of soda (fizz, bubbles) is carbon dioxide filled bubbles. Soda has a pH of anywhere from 2.5 to 5.5. Soda that becomes flat lacks the carbon dioxide bubbles and therefore has a much higher pH. The glass of diet root beer pictured was left out for 24 hours and the pH rose from 4.5 to 6.5. Citric acid is a common ingredient in soda and also lowers pH. Soda’s inherent low pH, numerous chemicals, acid-forming sugar content, and large volume per serving makes soda the number one most unhealthy food product there is. Do yourself a favor and avoid it.

Soda, chewable vitamin C, and unencapsulated vitamin c (ascorbic acid) dissolves tooth enamel. A little ascorbic acid somehow caught between the lip and a tooth overnight can create a tiny cavity overnight, enough for plaque to start collecting and make the cavity worse.

This pH chart   provides much more information on food and minerals that lower pH.

Bones aren’t the only thing leached from by low pH. Water treatment plants add sodium hydroxide and other high pH substances to tap water to prevent the pH from dropping too low. Low pH water will leach lead from solder joints made with lead-containing solder. Lead-containing solder was banned in 1986. Low pH also leaches mercury from amalgam dental fillings (50% mercury / 50% silver). Low pH water contains more bacteria and viruses and therefore requires more chlorine to be safe enough to drink.

Think osteoporosis drugs are a good idea? Osteoporosis drugs are linked to serious jaw necrosis and esophageal cancer. If medication for osteoporosis is necessary, know all of your options (.gov)

Foods That Raise pH

Foods that raise pH are called alkaline forming foods and also alkalizing foods. Most fruits and vegetables have an acidic pH. During digestion the acids in fruits and vegetable are completely broken down leaving only the mineral content to affect pH. The mineral content of fruits and vegetables, mainly potassium, raises pH.

This pH chart   provides much more information on food and minerals that raise pH.

Testing Saliva pH

Testing pH level is easy. Test strips are sold at pet stores that sell fish. After about 45 minutes or more after a meal or beverage, wipe off lips with tongue, spit several times, spit on the pH test strip, wait for the test strip to change color, and match color of test strip with the color chart on the label.

A digital pH meter is very handy and easy to use, just make sure you don’t buy a digital pH meter made for gardening. Have the meter off, spit on it, turn it on, wait for the LCD measurement to hold still (a few seconds or so), read LCD measurement, and remember to shut it off. Normal digestive acids keep saliva pH a little below blood pH. A healthy saliva pH is above 6.7 and below 7.5. Saliva pH should be measured an hour or more after a meal or anything is eaten, two hours if a large meal is eaten. Digestive acids will push saliva pH down, so to get an accurate measurement you don’t want any digesting occurring when measuring your saliva pH.

It’s often said that 1) you have to measure your pH when you first wake up in the morning to get an accurate measurement of your pH, and 2) to be sure not to put anything at all in your mouth before measuring. These two are false. You may be able to gain a little information on how your body was doing during your short fasting while you were sleeping, but you can get an accurate measurement of your pH any time of the day. Also, when measuring your pH when you first wake up, you should either rinse your mouth out with water and wait another 10 minutes before measuring your pH – or don’t rinse and don’t wait and instead add 0.3 to your measurement. You want to measure fresh saliva, not 8 hour old saliva that’s been thoroughly mixed overnight with the ever growing bacteria in your mouth; bacteria release acid.

What Exactly Is Osteoporosis?

Osteoporosis is loss of bone strength potentially causing of bone fracture. Bone strength is the sum of bone density and bone quality. Bone quality is quality of bone structure, bone turnover (new bone creatin), bone damage accumulation, and bone mineralization. Bone strength is measured by BMC and BMD. Bone Mineral Content (BMC) is the amount of mineral at a particular point. Bone Mineral Density test (BMD) is measured in grams per square centimetre using a special low dose x-ray (DXA, DEXA).

Bone Loss: Boron, Magnesium, Calcium, Vitamin D, and Hyperparathyroidism