Lemon Juice Before Breakfast

Teaching people about food has helped grow my knowledge. Take lemon juice, for example. I tell people to drink it first thing in the morning within 30 minutes of squeezing the lemon because it alkalizes their body, and cancer and does not grow in an alkaline body. My students then ask why. My answer…three doctors (one western and two oriental) and a raw food chef have told me so, that’s why. That is not the best answer, especially for a skeptical mind. In the next few posts I will address some of the questions that have been raised.

What is the Body’s pH?

pH is the measure of acidity or basicity, based on the amount of hydrogen (H) in the body. Water (H₂O) has a neutral pH of 7. Lower pH is acidic and higher pH is alkaline. Adult women are approximately 55 percent water and adult men are approximately 60 percent water (although estimates vary). The average pH of the human body ranges between 7.35 to 7.45, or slightly alkaline, according to the Harvard Medical School’s Brigham and Women’s Hospital.

How is Lemon Juice Alkaline?

The website www.newtreatments.org explains how lemon juice is alkaline and not acidic as most people think. I have read several similar explanations, but this one is the most straightforward.

After about 30 minutes of exposure to air (oxygen), lemon juice becomes cationic. The confusion comes when one thinks in terms of acid and alkaline. Lemon juice would always be thought of as acid, but, while fresh, is anionic (which corresponds to alkaline). If you had an acid urine pH and you used Dr. Reams' lemon/water drink as he suggested, your pH would become more alkaline. This seems illogical when you think of lemon juice as acidic. But it's not, its anionic. In addition to fresh lemon juice, the only other thing that is purely anionic is pure calcium.

Who is Dr. Reams? According to http://www.newtreatments.org/reams, “Dr Carey Reams was both a physician and an agronomist. His medical degree, completed in England, included an undergraduate degree in chemistry. Upon returning to the US to practice medicine, Reams chose to retain his independence by avoiding membership of the AMA (American Medical Association).” Dr. Reams created the Biological Theory of Ionization. I had not heard of Dr. Reams until now, and I will be reading further, but his work seems to be fascinating. If you want to read more, here is another site that has much of information: http://healingtools.tripod.com/linksi.html. Just scroll down to his name in the list.

What Mainstream Western Medicine Says

The following is taken from an article by the Brigham and Women’s Hospital and seems to be in contrast to Dr. Reams work:

Lowering the body’s pH has nothing to do with preventing cancer.

…there are no human studies supporting alkaline diets for the prevention or treatment of cancer. Test-tube studies, however, have shown that some cancer cells grow faster in an acidic solution. They've also shown that some chemotherapy drugs become more effective if the area around a tumor cell is altered to be more alkaline. However, we can't assume that what happens in a test-tube also happens in the human body. In fact, the opposite effect could occur and have dangerous consequences.

A person cannot significantly change the body’s pH through food.

The body's pH levels may change slightly as a result of eating some foods, but will remain in the tightly held range of 7.35 - 7.45. For instance, some fruits and vegetables as well as dairy products may raise the pH of your urine, whereas meat products and cranberries may lower the pH of your urine. However, even if you eat large quantities of these foods, your blood pH will barely change and only for a short time.

The body automatically maintains the proper pH, regardless of what you put into it.

When your pH shifts outside this range and becomes too acidic or too alkaline, your body automatically corrects itself to bring things back to normal by:

• Increasing or decreasing respiration - When you breathe more rapidly, you blow out more carbon dioxide. This raises your pH so it becomes more alkaline and less acidic. Conversely, slowing down your breathing causes you to release less carbon dioxide, which lowers your pH making it less alkaline.

• "Mopping up" excess hydrogen ions - Neutralizing substances in the blood such as bicarbonate and hemoglobin, mop up excess hydrogen ions and prevent pH from becoming too acidic.

• Eliminating the excess - Your kidneys excrete excess acidic substances into urine to prevent pH from becoming too low. Conversely, if your pH starts to become too high or alkaline, the body uses similar tools in reverse to bring down the pH.

The bottom line: The body fights hard to keep your pH balanced. It's nearly impossible to achieve and maintain a high-alkaline pH for a prolonged period of time.

How Well do Standard Western Cancer Treatments Prevent or Cure Cancer?

Unfortunately, we almost all know someone who is suffering or has died from cancer. Teresa Holler, author of Holler for Your Health www.holler4health.com, cites very compelling information regarding cancer rates. Her data review shows that in 1901, 1 in 8,000 people had cancer. Today 1 in 2 people have it. By 2020 it is projected that 1 in 1.5 people will be diagnosed with cancer. Research shows that the overwhelming cause in this incredible rise in cancer is environmental factors, with less than 30% of cancer being genetic.

Many of these people have undergone terribly difficult radiation and chemotherapy treatments. Their suffering is immense. If they survive the treatments, the success rate of eliminating cancer varies depending on a number of factors, including the type of cancer. Several personal observations of friends and family have shown me that when a cancer is “cured”, another cancer eventually replaces it, the suffering starts over, and death from cancer is the result. In the early 1990s, a good friend of mine (who is a former critical care nurse), told me that multiple cancers are rare. Her husband was “cured” of cancer and a few years later developed a different cancer and ultimately died from it. This scenario may have been rare at one time, but no longer. Another scenario is that a person has several cancers at one time.

Keep in mind that western medicine has been practiced for about 300 years, and 25 percent of American deaths are caused by cancer. The American Cancer Society says that one-third of these deaths are linked to poor diet.

What Oriental Medicine Says

Oriental medicine, practiced for approximately 5,000 years, tells us differently. Why should we listen? Because some Asian people who are not heavily influenced by western culture have longer, healthier, more vibrant lives than Americans do, partly the result of good, nourishing food. The news program 60 Minutes and other news sources reported that Okinawans, for example, are some of the healthiest, most long-lived people in the world.

I reviewed a website discussing the Okinawa Centenarian Study http://www.okicent.org/study.html, which is fascinating. The study’s researchers are investigating the roles of genetics and environmental factors in the long, healthy lives of Okinawans. Here is part of the findings concerning environmental factors and cancer:

Compared to North Americans, they have 80% less breast cancer and prostate cancer, and less than half the ovarian and colon cancers. Some of the most important factors that may protect against those cancers include low caloric intake, high vegetables/fruits consumption, higher intake of good fats (omega-3, mono-unsaturated fat), high fiber diet, high flavonoid intake, low body fat level, and high level of physical activity.

Note that Okinawans eat a diet that is heavy on vegetable and fruit consumption. Veggies and fruit have anti-oxidants, which help prevent cellular damage, and cellular damage is where cancer begins. The vast majority of vegetables and fruits are alkaline, not acidic. Many of them contain cancer-fighting properties. There are many more fascinating findings in the study. Because this blog post focuses on food, I am not discussing other parts of the study, but I highly recommend reading it.

There are numerous tables on the internet that list alkaline and acidic foods. To see what these foods are, you can go to this website: http://www.essense-of-life.com/moreinfo/foodcharts.htm. This website is provides an example of a food chart and is not recommended by me for any other reason. This website: http://www.alkalizeforhealth.net/ contains great information on cancer and diet.

What Does This Mean to Me?

I will continue to read and learn more. I promote moderation in my food consumption and lifestyle. I eat meats (acidic), fruit and vegetables (alkaline), fermented dairy (alkaline) and rice (acidic). I promote health through eating healthy, nutrient dense food. Because my food is nutrient dense, my food consumption is much diminished and I crave almost nothing, except for the occasional raw food. Making dinner is becoming hard because we have no strong cravings. Another benefit is that eating nutrient dense food eliminates all of the uncertainty and anxiety around finding the “right diet.” Talk about freedom!

I can choose to listen to western medicine and ignore the alkaline versus acidic debate, or I can explore it because living proof of success exists: through the Okinawans, through the recent testimonials of self-cure by mothers who are part of the Holistic Moms Network, and through many other testimonials that you will find if you look. The bottom line - lemon a day can at best help you alkalize and prepare your body for the acidic foods that will enter it later in the day and at worst do nothing. For me it is an easy choice.

Comments

[Jan]

The proof is the pudding, in spite billions of dollars spent over decades of research to find a cure for cancer; cancer continues to proliferate in the west! The basic principles of health are very simple - albeit contrary to western lifestyle. Read the China Study or go see the movie "Forks Over Knives". There are many voices with many ideas, but the only ones worth listening to are those who have arrived. The only long term cancer survivors I know don't abide by the common western lifestyle and diet.

[Rod Carlson]

Interestingly enough I hear all the health people saying that lemon is alkaline and orange juice is acidic. They use the idea that if you burned the lemon in air (oxygen) the byproducts or residue would be alkaline for lemons and acidic for oranges. Not only is this logic flawed but actually wrong. Studies show that citric acid (all citric acid even oranges) makes the urine alkaline

jn.nutrition.org/content/7/6/679.full.pdf

The burn it to ashes idea and measure its pH is wrong because in fact citric acid cannot be metabolized directly by the cell of our body, thus unlike sugar your body does not oxidize it (burn it) like glucose (sugar). What the body does with citric acid is a bit of mystery, but it comes out alkaline salts when urinating. There is a real problem with people who say that because your urine is more alkaline that your body must also be as well. That logic of course is flawed because the person assumes that the reason the urine is more alkaline is because the pH of the blood and cells have turned that way. Although this may be true what is missing is if the body say uses a storage of alkaline materials (such as bone calcium) to neutralize the excess acidity and metabolize the citric acid. In that case you could end up with higher pH (alkaline) in the urine but low acidity pH in various places in the body where the citric acid is being metabolized. I also strongly advocate that localities of acidity are going to be higher in the body when consuming citric acid, just as its an acid going down your throat and into the stomach the transformation into an alkaline isn't going necessarily going to be uniform inside the body blood system. It could be acid in your toes and alkaline in your fingers if (facetious example) if your fingers were where the citric acid gets metabolized. As you stated it a bit more complex as to whether a substance is leaching the body of alkalinity, the burn to ashes and measure its pH is flawed. One because the body does not burn the citric acid completely to carbon dioxide, as many organic salts are released as metabolic salts (acids and bases) when consuming citric acid. Its also flawed in that we don't know how much of the acidity is excreted through the intestinal system (anal) and how much is absorbed. Then we don't know how much is metabolized with oxygen, but we do know its not completely burned like glucose (because of the organic salts present in the urinary system). And finally one cannot assume that because its alkaline coming out of the urine that it translates into alkalinity in the blood or that even if alkaline in the blood that its not causing leaching of alkaline materials (bone mass for example) to try to buffer it in the urine/blood. Long story is that all this alkaline/acid theory is interesting but not a proven science. I'd be apt to try bicarbonate (baking soda) water in the morning to see if the alkalinity (indisputableness of its alkaline on the body) helps or hinders how you feel overall. But then to say that lemons are alkaline and oranges are acidic inside the body, is not only unproven but actually untrue. Fact of the matter even if lemon is turned into a alkaline substance its still an acid until its metabolized. So it acidifies the body exposed at minimum before being metabolized. Like I said after being metabolized who knows whether that is good or bad it does cause alkalinity in the urine which is true. But again that means nothing.

[Rod Carlson]

One last thing its a proven fact that if you want to call lemons alkaline because the urine byproducts (higher pH) alkaline. Then the the same is true of oranges. The link I listed shows that eating oranges causes higher alkalinity in the urine as well. Both have citric acid BTW. Its the citric acid and how its being metabolized that determine the urine by products. So basically I put a zero to the idea that lemons are in final analysis alkaline to the body and oranges are not. I'm kinda tired of hearing people make crap up to sound intelligent and buck trends. I'm going to say that lemons start out an acid as any kid knows and that what happens thereafter is a bit of a mystery and seems to not be understood even though everyone will make silly assertions otherwise. Like I said I'd never argue that baking soda wasn't a alkaline to the body. But who knows if neutralizing the stomach acid is all that healthy, antacids do this and are known to create acid reflux. You see if you keep an open mind you can read interesting things and totally comprehend reality despite all the repeaters of good lines.

[Rod Carlson]

One last point I'd like to make about administering sodium bicarbonate. Is again that would be a stomach antacid. The body wants acidity in the stomach to digest food. So neutralizing the stomach acid by using bicarbonate or any kind of alkaline base would cause a misbalance in digestion. I know vitamin B's cannot be digested in low stomach acid. Then of course throwing the body off kilter results in over compensation and the body will often over acidify the stomach (acid reflux). I'm going to go on a limb here and say that the only way to really have neutral food would be to make pH measurements on everything going into the mouth and titrating it with the right acid or base. But even that is flawed because of the inverse reasoning, which is we don't know how it will be metabolized and whether the end products through respiration or direct excretion will be acidic or basic. I'm all for people trying things to see if it might help, but don't get all righteous about things like this because its not easy to understand or know its implications on something as complex as the human body. Again I repeat lemons are definitely acidic at least going down the hatch and may continue to be that way through 95% of the body, and we don't know the pathway that its metabolized (or if that might cause some kind of leaching), but we know the urine is more alkaline coming out. Would I eat a lemon? Of course, in moderation I feel better eating them but its not because its acid or alkaline. All this pH stuff means nothing, what does mean something is if you try a diet and it seems to make your body complain or not. I feel good eating a lemon a week. I went on a lemon diet when I was naively trying to do a stomach cleanse and I felt sick. Point is that scientific dogma gets you sick whereas listening to your bodies needs will get you healthy.

[Laura Combs]

Thank you for the thoughtful posts, Rod! An MD I know made some of the same arguments to me and, after all of this time, I can't remember if I even mentioned those somewhere in this blog. I agree, eat well and listen to the body - that is what matters.

[Charles]

People become mendacious, intransigent and combative when a suggestion coalesces which if followed, tends to decrease their income---and their prestige. The link describes my personal account of lemon juice reversing a severe hardened artery condition I had. My only regret is not going for medical tests first to get confirmation of my previous condition. Two caveats apply when using lemon juice---first, 100% full strength may be hard on the stomach lining, I suggest dilution with at least 10 parts of water OR use lemon juice---fresh only---to make a paste with green barley grass juice powder (may not appeal to all tastes) and drink with water; second, even diluted in water, it should be consumed fast, after which thorough rinsing should be done with plain water. The very high citric acid content can and will damage tooth enamel if allowed to remain. That should suggest what it will do to arterial calcium, and the bioflavonoid content will strengthen vessel walls. The potassium content helps the heart. Minimize the time the mixture is on the teeth to avoid the enamel issue. If using high chlorine water, don't even bother. Beware steamy showers! Otherwise remember lemon works but only by persistence, to obtain reward there is no escape from first doing the discipline. Do 2x per day for at least 2 months, thereafter, at least once weekly. Take on empty stomach. I went from life threatening condition to pristine and never even looked at so much as a medical student. The roles of taurine, horse chestnut and butcher's broom in arterial health are also described, and they are of great impact. No vascular surgeon could have helped me to any scintilla of the extent this natural regimen did, and it all cost under $400 for 6 months duration. Yes, it also left me without scars.

[Laura Combs]

Thank you, Charles, for reading and for the information.

[justin wood]

Great Post. Very informative and well written. Thank you for this.