Eating a Low-Ph Diet

[smatsushima1]

A thought occured to me after reading the old article from Charles Poliquin, “Question of Strength”
( http://www.T-Nation.com/readTopic.do?id=1257805 ). Well after digesting the info about stomach acid levels and protein synthesis, I thought, instead of taking betaine hcl can’t you just eat the right foods to keep your stomach-acid levels low?

HCl: You Are What You Assimilate!

Q: Besides zinc and magnesium, what other deficiencies do those of us seeking muscle and performance need to worry about?

A: The most common one, which actually causes zinc and magnesium deficiency, is hydrochloric acid (HCl) deficiency.

Back when I was an undergrad many moons ago, they used to tell us that you lose about 1% stomach acid per year after the age of 40. Well, that’s not true anymore because our high stress levels these days decrease HCl. We did a study at our Chicago facility where we gave 160 clients an HCl test. Only two people passed it with a medium score; 158 had a horrendous score.

If there’s insufficient hydrochloric acid, proteins will pass into the intestine and putrefy instead of being digested. Carbohydrates will also be left to ferment without adequate digestive enzymes from the pancreas. Fat digestion is also dependent on the acid’s influence on the pancreas to secrete lipase and the gall bladder to secrete bile. Poor digestion of these macronutrients means poor absorption of our basic energy sources.

Over the last four years, I’ve been amazed how a correction in HCl deficiency has led to not only dramatic improvements in physique and strength, but also improvements in a variety of health parameters. Interestingly enough, in strength-trained individuals those improvements are often associated with gains of 15 to 18 pounds of lean body mass within two months! Why? They are now absorbing proteins and minerals.

So if people were to take the infamous vinegar application before their carb meals as well as eating many low-ph foods, would this help to normalize their stomach-acid levels and therefore, an increased performance and physique? Just a thought…

[Jinx_Me]

Keeping the body’s ph levels alkaline does not equal keeping stomach acid low. Many digestive problems, including heart burn, are the result of low stomach acid, not excess acid.

That said, you’re on the right track in that eating alkalizing foods is good for recovery and overall health (and therefore body comp). That’s one reason why fruits and veggies are important.

I eat a large volume of veggies, but I still take betaine before a large meal, esp. if the veggies are mainly cooked, since their enzymes are pretty much gone. Betaine is cheap and effective. Apple cider vinegar is also great with carb meals, especially big ones.

[smatsushima1]

ohh woops…looks like i got the two mixed up

thx anyway though

[Rah_Knee]

i think you both may be a little confused, or just not making your points very clear. alkaline implies basicity. he’s asking if eating certain foods can actually increase the acidity of your stomach fluids.

regadless, vinegar is so weakly acidic compared to hydrochloric acid that it would probably not effect much change in stomach pH, but it’s probably better than downing a few glasses of bicarb in water.

fwiw, i’ve read of doctors in the past having patients drink dilute hydrochloric acid solutions to correct digestive problems. by no means am i suggesting that anyone here drink some HCl, but if you did, it wouldn’t be unheard of.

[edvizard]

Increasing you alkaline base would increase you bicarbonate reserves, which in theory might help performance…although supps like beta alanine etc play specific roles in the removal of H+ during exercise, hence they are likely to have more acute effects.

Also, regarding fruits, some respected sources seem to indicate that low sugar fruits will increase alkalinity, but high sugar fruits, and especially juices, will increase acidity.