Since then, a lot has been said about the importance of acidic/alkaline balance in the body. Some claim that an alkaline body is crucial to good health, and to avoiding degenerative diseases and ageing.

The author of the pH Miracle, Dr Robert Young is a highly respected leading scientist, microbiologist, naturopath, health nutritionist and educator. He states that: "The prime origin and cause of cancerous tissue is the over-acidification of the blood, then the tissues, due to lifestyle and dietary choices."

Acidic pH can be the result of emotional stress, immune reactions, acid-forming diets, toxic overload or other processes that deprives cells of oxygen and nutrients. The body compensates for acidic imbalance by using alkaline minerals. A diet that does not contain enough minerals will trigger a build up of acids in the cells, or acidosis.

Acidic imbalance reduces the body's capacity to absorb minerals and nutrients. It decreases energy production in the cells, slowing down cell repair. It also impairs the body's ability to detoxify heavy metals, making it more susceptible to fatigue, illness, and eventually disease. More angerously, it makes tumor cells thrive.

Prolonged time in the acid pH state, or acidosis, can cause rheumatoid arthritis, diabetes, lupus, tuberculosis, osteoporosis, high blood pressure, and cancer.

No tests can yet accurately measure how acidic your body is, because current diagnostic methods reveal only that acid wastes are present in body fluids (blood, lymph, urine, mucous, and saliva), but not in what quantity. That's because fluids are constantly circulating through the tissues cleansing excess acid wastes.

Consequently, although it is possible to measure the alkaline/acidity of body fluids, it is not yet possible to assess the acidity state of body tissues (skin, organs, glands, muscles, ligaments, arteries and vessels) based solely on blood, urine, or saliva acidity tests.

More concerning is the fact that non-eliminated acid waste is reabsorbed through the colon into the liver, and put back into general circulation, until it deposits in the tissues.

Acidosis is believed to be the basic foundation of all disease. We need to understand the simple process of alkalizing our body and the important role a properly alkalized body plays in restoring and maintaining overall health. Our glands and organs function properly in exact proportion to the alkaline and acid levels in our system.

The Impact of Acidosis on Your Organs

Heart- The heart is one of the most alkaline-dependent organs. Correct heartbeat is altered by acid wastes. An alkaline system creates an ideal heart function.

Stomach- Digestive difficulties may indicate production of acid residue in the system. Symptoms are belching, bloating, not eliminated intestinal gas, regurgitation, hiccups, lack or limitation of appetite, nausea, vomiting, diarrhoea, constipation and colic in children.

Liver- One of the liver's main functions -in over three hundred- is processing acid toxins, and producing alkaline enzymes, as your first line of defence against poisons. Nourishment from the gastrointestinal tract enters the blood via the liver. The load on the liver is much heavier when acid waste products are constantly floating in the blood.

Pancreas- The pancreas is highly dependent on a correct alkaline diet. To have proper blood sugar balance, you must maintain a primarily alkaline-forming diet.

Kidneys- Kidneys keep the blood alkaline, and extract acid. Over-stressed kidneys, with too much acidity, can create kidney stones. These are composed of waste acid cells and mineral salts that become gummed together into a waste acid substance.

Colon- It is important to keep the colon clean of accumulated acid wastes. These toxins can collect on the colon walls and harden in cases of diarrhoea or constipation. They can sometimes get reabsorbed into the bloodstream.

Lymphatic System- Lymph fluid carries nutrition to the cells and removes acid waste products. It flows best in an alkaline environment. In an overly acidic body it slows down, creating chronic, long-term, life-threatening conditions. Hindered lymph flow increases acid storage in the tissues. Not drinking enough purified water will also slow down the lymph. Improperly digested waste products are reabsorbed via the lymphatic ducts of the small intestine.

Negative Emotions Trigger Acidity - Have you ever been so upset that you get an upset stomach? All negative emotions create an acidic environment. Does "you're letting your problems eat away at you" sound familiar?

Fear- is the underlying cause of most diseases. It's detrimental to your life and your health. It causes anger and anger causes hate, which can consume you with relentless suffering. Love and understanding cleanse the body and heal it, creating an alkaline environment inside.

Food Combining- is key to creating an alkaline environment. Proper food combination can reduce putrefaction, therefore acidity, and create a more alkaline condition.

Alkaline Diet- For most people the ideal diet is 75 percent alkalizing and 25 percent acidifying. Scientists have discovered that the body fluids of healthy people are alkaline (high pH) whereas the body fluids of sick people are acidic (low pH). Balancing the pH is a major step towards well-being and optimal health.