MILK SERIES: PART FOUR
If you enjoy an acid lifestyle, which may consist of an over consumption of alcohol, acid-forming foods, and too much stress (whether it be from overwork, not enough sleep, or negative relationships), your pH will more than likely be in the “red” on the pH scale.
What does an “acid” or “red” pH reading mean?
As discussed in “Are you Acid or Alkaline?”, a pH below 7.0 is an indication of an acid body. When the body is more acid than alkaline, it means that the body can no longer keep up with the consumption of acid foods, stressors and toxins, and it is not able to cleanse the blood of the acid “consumed”. An acid body invites disease and sickness. (i.e. Have you ever noticed that you will generally get sick after too many late nights, prolonged stress, and eating foods– that you might not normally “indulge” in?)
If someone has a very acid lifestyle but finds themselves with a very alkaline reading (let’s say, 7.8), this can indicate that the body is using its own defense mechanism to correct the issue. Good, right? Not exactly. When there is an overabundance of acid in the blood, the body will attempt to purge the blood by leaching alkaline minerals (like calcium) directly from the bones, tissues and teeth. It is the body’s “SAVE ME” attempt, to correct what is wrong in the body. Your bones, tissues and teeth need those minerals– when they are depleted… bring on the osteoporosis!
“It is estimated that 1 out of every 2 women over the age of 50 will be affected by osteoporosis in her remaining lifetime.”
Pasteurized, homogenized milk (and dairy) is HIGHLY acid-forming. Consuming milk and dairy products creates acid in the body and lowers, I repeat, LOWERS, pH.
If the average family consumes roughly two gallons of milk each week, that is about 104 gallons of milk, per year, per family. If the average family consumes 104 gallons of milk each year, and milk builds strong bones, why is it that “10 million individuals already have osteoporosis, and 34 million more have low bone mass, placing them at increased risk for this disease” ? Osteo Stats.
Something obviously does not add up there.
A beautiful relative of mine was diagnosed with osteoporosis in the past year. She has been a strict vegetarian for years, and her doctor informed her that she had to add meat back into her diet immediately. I disagree with this advice entirely. In fact, her diet was heavy in dairy products– cheeses, and other acid-forming foods, such as breads, pasta, crackers, wine…
It is my own educated opinion (and other trained holistic healers), that adding in animal products, for the sake of decreasing the risk of bone deterioration and bone fragility, will not alleviate or remedy the real problem*. In fact, in order to reverse or halt bone loss, I would suggest that a great start would be to eliminate dairy products and focus on alkaline-forming foods.
*Aside from acidity, menopause also plays a role in osteoporosis. During menopause, estrogen levels plummet, and thus encourages bone loss.
In order to decrease the amount of acid in the blood, and in turn, decrease the likelihood of illness, including the probability of osteoporosis, it is crucial to focus on enjoying a diet high in alkaline-forming foods and low in acid-forming. I am not suggesting you entirely eliminate acid-forming foods from the diet, cold-turkey. But aim to drastically decrease the foods in the “red” and “pink” (chart below). 
So… you are out to dinner (or having dinner) and want to have a glass or two of wine (or something highly acid-forming)…
If you are dining out and would like to enjoy a glass of wine (highly-acid forming), enjoy a salad (with olive oil and lemon as the dressing), instead of the shrimp cocktail, crab bisque or bruschetta. If you are a vegetarian, try a platter of grilled vegetables, sprinkled with a touch of cheese, as an entree- instead of the pasta dish. If you would like to enjoy a meat entree, ask that it be grilled, and not fried. Then, instead of ordering a side of potatoes, fries, or rice… opt for the side salad and/or a side of vegetables. Almost all restaurants can substitute vegetables for their suggested side of couscous or a baked potato. Menus are not set in stone. You are the customer… don’t be afraid to request a healthier alternative than what they suggest. Oh… and try to refrain from digging into that bread basket– instead focus your attention on your company, beverage and/or salad. The bread in that basket is addicting, and highly-acid forming– not to mention, one bite always turns into 5 rolls (if you’re in my family, anyway).
Sipping on hot water with freshly squeezed lemon would be another way to divert your attention and help with digestion.
Osteoporosis? You have the control.
pH friendly alternatives to milk are here…
Have you ever thought about the connection between milk and osteoporosis? How do you feel about milk and dairy products?
[...] discussed in the previous entitled “Milk, pH and Osteoporosis– Who Knew?”, “When there is an overabundance of acid in the blood, the body will attempt to purge the [...]
Hi, Lauren,
I see non-herbal tea in the list of highly acid forming foods. Where might herbal teas fit on the spectrum?
I really enjoy reading your blog!
Jackie
Hi Jackie,
Herbal teas are difficult because, depending on the tea, it can range. I would say though, that the majority of herbal teas (peppermint, ginger, chamomile, mint, licorice…) are in the middle of the spectrum, or very low alkaline-forming.
You may be able to do a test to see how acid one is by a) noticing how it feels on your stomach after a few sips. There have been some red teas (herbal) that have left me feeling bloated and others, without noticeable effect or b) by actually testing it’s pH on litmus paper.
Truthfully though, look at the ingredients… I am always surprised to find strange ingredients (like butterscotch flavoring) in some herbals teas… However, minute amounts of these ingredients are o.k.
If you like your herbal tea, it is much better than decaf, non-herbal, coffee and other beverages.
If you are looking for a tea to aid in digestion… ginger and peppermint are great. Fresh squeezed lemon and warm water is nice too.
As someone dealing with osteopenia right now, I found this post very informative. I was wondering if you have any links to other resources on acidic/alkaline foods and our bodies responses to them (i.e. journal articles, medical reports, books, etc.)
Also, where do vinegars (in my mind equated with acidity) fit in on this spectrum?
Jenny,
Thank you for your message. I would look up books on pH if you are really looking for a chart of some sort. I just googled pH and found this site. The best way to tell if a food is alkaline though, is to question its proximity to nature. For instance, soy is very processed… it is a commodity crop (cheap, inorganic, pesticides…etc.), same with many grains these days… = acid. Sprouted grains (grains that have not been heated to high temperatures) still contain nutrients and are much more alkaline. There are not many well publicized books on the subject of pH (as this topic is still very taboo). I promise, however, that a more alkaline diet will benefit you, your bones, and your body.
You are right!!! Vinegar is acidic (so is wine)! It is also not good for Candida… which can worsen a lot of ailments including osteopenia.
Hope this helps.
Pretty nice post. I just stumbled upon your blog and wanted to say that I’ve really enjoyed browsing your blog posts. In any case I will be subscribing to your feed and I hope you write once more very soon!
[...] Milk is often fortified with Vitamin A Retinoid, (An animal derived vitamin shown to cause weaken the bone– hello Osteoporosis). [...]