THE ACID - ALKALINE BALANCE
by
Walter Last
Our blood is slightly
alkaline, and the body makes every effort to maintain this alkalinity at a
constant level. For this purpose, we normally have an ample reserve of
alkalizing minerals.
Most of our foods
supply minerals. The total balance of minerals in a particular food may be
either acid or alkaline. Mineral salts are composed of an acid group (anion),
such as chloride or phosphate, and of an alkaline group (cation), mainly metal
ions such as sodium, calcium or potassium. If one of these groups is stronger
than the other then the salt is either acid or alkaline on balance.
In plants strongly
alkaline metal ions are usually combined with weak organic acids There may be a
surplus of organic acids not bound to cations, and this will make the food
taste acid, as in fruits. However, in the body these free organic acids, as
well as those bound to metal ions, are oxidized. In the end, this leaves an
alkaline residue. Therefore, we say vegetables and fruits are alkalizing or
alkaline-forming.
Animal tissue, on the
other hand, contains a high percentage of strongly acid phosphoric acid bound
to weak reacting proteins and other bio-chemicals. The organic compounds in
food of animal origin will be oxidized, and a strongly acid residue remains.
Accordingly, we may classify our food as either alkaline-forming or as
acid-forming.
·
Alkaline-forming
Foods are grass juice, sprouted seeds,
vegetables, fruits, almonds, most legumes, the outer parts of potatoes,
bananas, millet, buckwheat and brown rice.
·
Acid-forming
Foods are meat, fish, eggs, cheese,
most grains and nuts, peanuts, peanuts and the core of potatoes.
·
Neutral Foods: fats and oils.
In order to maintain
an ample alkaline body reserve, we should eat approximately four times the
weight of alkaline-forming food compared to acid-forming food, or 80%
alkalizing to 20% acidifying food. There are food tables available to show the
amount of acid or alkaline equivalents in different foods. However, I regard these
as practically useless. Some of the listed foods may change their values in the
body due to metabolic problems.
Sugar, which is
chemically neutral and also fruits are usually acid-forming in sensitive
individuals and no matter how alkaline-forming a food is supposed to be, if you
are sensitive or allergic to it then it is acid-forming for you. On the other
hand heavy meat eating can lead to an over-alkaline condition as explained
below. Alkalizing minerals may remain bound to phytates and not be available
from whole seeds unless these are sprouted or fermented. Even the same food may
change from alkaline forming to acid forming if it is incorrectly combined with
other foods or when you are emotionally upset.
All of this is
contrary to what you would expect by using acid-alkaline food tables.
Furthermore, the values in these tables reflect the mineral content of the
food, which varies greatly depending on soil conditions, production methods,
storage and cooking. Therefore, the only reliable and meaningful method is to
observe your own body, your skin sensitivity, tendency towards inflammations,
allergic reactions and possibly test your urine and saliva acidity.
Acidity Problems
The main reasons why
people become overacid are:
1. inefficient metabolism
2. allergic reactions,
3. eating sweet foods when the blood-sugar regulation is poor;
4. acids accumulating after eating fruits,
5. strenuous muscle activity,
6. Candida problems.
Chronic overacidity
has a serious effect on the body. It causes a continual loss of minerals needed
to neutralize excess acid; the body becomes hypersensitive to pain and outside
influences and the whole metabolism becomes more and more inefficient.
Furthermore, the more acid the tissues are the more histamine is being
released. This means acidity causes and greatly increases inflammations and
allergies and makes the skin very sensitive to insect bites and other irritants.
Overacidity is on the
one hand a cause and on the other hand an effect of a poor blood-sugar
metabolism, as in diabetes, hypoglycemia and in the widespread conditions
leading to these diseases. People with a weak carbohydrate metabolism cannot
properly oxidize glucose to carbon dioxide and water. These end products are
normally expelled with the urine and the air, and leave the body in a neutral
balance. However, in a weakened condition, any excess of glucose, as after
eating sweet foods, is only partly metabolized to form organic acids.
This leads to an
accumulation of organic acids and an overacidity of the body tissues, which is
felt as pain, most prominent in arthritis and rheumatism. If the alkaline
reserve is insufficient to neutralize these acids, more and more calcium will
be mobilized from the bones for this purpose causing the bones to become
brittle and the tissues and joints to calcify. Furthermore, tumors grow only if
the surrounding tissue is too acid. This acidity may be due to the lactic acid
production of the tumor itself. However, sensitive individuals are too acid all
over which leads to rapid tumor growth and much pain.
Alkaline Foods become Acid-Forming
Because of this
incomplete oxidation sugars, which are chemically neutral and even fruits,
which are chemically alkaline, are highly acid forming in mineral-deficient
bodies. It is similar with lactose. If this cannot be properly utilized, it
forms a mucic acid, which causes mucus congestions as well as pain.
Other foods, which
often form mucus and acids because of partial oxidation, are refined starches
and wheat products. Also incorrect food combinations can cause normally
alkaline-forming foods to become acid forming, and so can disturbed emotions
during or after a meal, and eating when not well.
Basically, this shows
us the vicious circle - or downward spiral - in which many diseased people are
caught:
Because the food lacks sufficient alkalizing
minerals, the metabolism becomes inefficient, and acids accumulate in the body,
which require additional alkaline reserves for neutralization and cause the
metabolism to become even more inadequate. This in turn produces more acids and
so forth.
Alkalizing the Body
Fresh green vegetable
juices and vegetable broths are the strongest alkalizing foods, especially the
broth of boiled potato peelings. Fruits and their juices, including cider
vinegar, however, increase the acidity of those who are calcium deficient and
with a tendency to allergies and colds.
However, dissolving
dolomite or eggshells in vinegar or lemon juice until nearly neutral, produces
a highly alkaline remedy. Alternatively, baking soda or potassium bicarbonate
may be used to neutralize acid fruit juices and alkalize the body. For those
with a normal carbohydrate metabolism, on the other hand - often those with
raised blood pressure, being insensitive and showing signs of too much calcium
- unneutralized fruits and their juices, especially acid citrus fruits, are
excellent.
Using large amounts
of vitamin C in the form of ascorbic acid increases body acidity. This can lead
to inflammation, increased pain and other problems in susceptible people
(overacid/low-calcium type). Therefore, it is advisable to use either the
neutral sodium or calcium ascorbate or to neutralize the ascorbic acid with
dolomite, eggshell powder or baking soda.
If, on the other
hand, one is too alkaline, it is preferable to use ascorbic acid supplements
unneutralized or only partly neutralized with potassium bicarbonate, milk of
magnesia or magnesium oxide in order to dissolve calcium deposits and stone
formations.
During acute allergic
reactions it is advisable to alkalize the body quickly. This may be done by
taking repeatedly a teaspoonful of baking soda with plenty of water, best
before breakfast or during the reaction.
A newcomer in the
health arena is ionized alkaline water. This is produced with electrodes that
divide the water into an acid and an alkaline fraction. The alkaline water has
a pH of 8 to 10 and an excess of electrons and antioxidant activity. Drinking a
liter or two daily is a good way to neutralize overacid conditions. A similar
product in capsule form is Microhydrin produced by Royal Body Care to recreate
the health-giving properties of Hunza water. You can find a variety of water
ionizers as well as Microhydrin advertised on the Internet.
However, it should be
stressed that the best alkalizing. Food or water cannot bring lasting
improvement if one continues to eat food to which one is allergic, or if one
eats sweet foods when the blood-sugar regulation is poor.
Using Sodium
Bicarbonate
Baking soda (not
baking powder) or sodium bicarbonate together with carbonic acid (dissolved
carbon dioxide) is the main buffer system that maintains the blood at a
constant pH of about 7.4. When there is not enough sodium bicarbonate in
the blood, it becomes too acid and histamine is liberated - the body becomes
oversensitive to pain as well as to allergenic influences, such as insect
stings. In addition, mucus production increases, providing a breeding ground
for germs.
The recommendation to
use sodium bicarbonate for quick neutralization is contrary to the frequently
stated opinion that baking soda is always harmful. Baking soda should not be
used in cooking, as any alkaline reaction tends to destroy vitamins and makes
many minerals less available, it is not advisable with gastric ulcers either,
as it causes an acid over-reaction afterwards. If used with a meal, baking soda
interferes with the digestion. However, these problems do not arise if baking
soda is used as recommended by sensitive individuals to neutralize fruit acids
and ascorbic acid or to minimize allergic reactions. If there is the
possibility of an allergic reaction from a meal, it is best to use the
alkaliser already 30 minutes after the end of the meal or as soon as any
discomfort develops.
Sensitive individuals
easily become overacid when eating fruits or drinking fruit juices. This
happens especially with oranges or tomatoes or any other acid fruits. To
neutralize fruit juices add a pinch of baking soda several times until it does
not fizz anymore when stirred. You have to be careful not to add too much as
that gives a rather unpleasant taste. If that does happen, then just add a
little more acid. When eating whole fruit you may just drink a small amount of
water in which half a teaspoon of baking soda has been dissolved.
Furthermore, baking
soda, possibly in combination with potassium bicarbonate, is valuable in order
to neutralize the duodenal content after meals. If the intestinal content is
too acid, the pancreas enzymes cannot work efficiently. Baking soda is the
natural alkalizing agent released by the pancreas and gall bladder to
neutralize the acid stomach content. If used as a general digestive supplement,
it is preferable to wait about two hours in order to allow sufficient time for
the gastric phase of digestion. With a light meal this interval may be somewhat
shorter and after a heavy meal or with flesh foods one may wait even longer for
at least 3 hours.
Body too Alkaline
With insensitive
people the body metabolism usually is too alkaline. This is associated with potassium
deficiency and may lead to calcium deposits, as with arthritic deformations and
kidney stones. Another problem is a lack of gastric acid resulting in poor
protein digestion and mineral absorption. Bacterial overgrowth may extend into
the stomach, causing belching, foul breath and gastric complaints.
A main reason for
this condition is a weak liver, usually in combination with a high meat diet.
If amino acids, the building blocks of proteins, are used as fuel, the amino
group is split off and converted to urea in the liver. But this process
requires additional energy as well as specific enzymes, both of which are in
short supply in a weak liver.
Therefore, an
increasing amount of ammonium salts are formed which use the body store of acid
anion groups, such as phosphates and chlorides. In active people, there is a
plentiful supply of metabolic acids, such as lactic acid from muscle activity.
However, if these people lead a sedentary lifestyle then not sufficient
metabolic acids are produced to neutralize the excess ammonia and the body
becomes too alkaline.
An additional factor
is the formation of ammonium salts in the kidneys from glutamine and other
amino acids. Normally, this occurs only to neutralize excess acids in the
urine. However, with heavy meat eaters this may also be used to dispose of
surplus amino groups, requiring additional acid ions for neutralization.
The most common cause
of over alkalinity is a sluggish metabolism (slow oxidizers), which leads to a
lack of normal metabolic acids. Patients with cardiovascular and other
degenerative diseases are often affected in this way. The inflammation response
is suppressed and histamine remains tightly bound to proteins making
skin and body insensitive. When the body is too alkaline, use plenty of acid
fruits, ascorbic acid, possibly cider vinegar and take acids with
protein meals.
The Regulation of
Body Acidity
The body tries to
maintain the acidity of the blood constant within a very narrow band between pH
7.35 and 7.45. This is actually a slightly alkaline reaction. "pH"
is a measure of acidity or alkalinity and indicates the hydrogen ion
concentration in a fluid. These hydrogen ions are the actual originators of
acidity. A pH of 1 indicates the highest hydrogen ion concentration and with
this the highest acidity. At the other end of the scale is a pH of 14 with the
lowest hydrogen ion concentration arid the highest alkalinity. A pH of 7 is
neutral.
In younger years our
metabolism often is too fast, too many acids are being produced and the body
becomes chronically overacid. Later in life, however, with decreasing muscle
activity and vitality, more and more potassium is lost from the cells and the
metabolism becomes sluggish. With this, the body often becomes chronically too
alkaline. If the blood is too acid, this is called Acidosis, and when it
becomes too alkaline, we speak of Alkalosis.
By excreting with the
urine either more acid or more alkali, the body tries to maintain a normal
blood pH level. In addition, the breathing rate may be changed: increased
volume of breathing makes the blood more alkaline by releasing additional
carbon dioxide into the air. Decreased breathing, on the other hand, increases
the carbon dioxide level in the blood and makes it more acid. The balance in
the blood between carbon dioxide and sodium bicarbonate (baking soda) is the
main "buffer system" to keep the blood pH constant.
If the body succeeds
with these measures of changed' urine pH and adjusted breathing rate to keep
the blood pH within the limits of 7.35 and 7.45 despite a deranged metabolism,
then the acidosis or alkalosis is said to be compensated. If, however, the pH
exceeds these limits, then the condition is called 'uncompensated'.
If the metabolism is
efficient then the acidity of the urine depends mainly on the acidity or
alkalinity of the diet. A diet high in acid-forming foods will naturally
produce acid urine. This is not dangerous as such, but it is an indicator that
the diet is unbalanced and may in time lead to exhaustion of the alkali body
reserve.
Likewise, on a diet
rather high in alkaline-forming foods, the urine is always quite alkaline. This
can easily lead to stone-formation in the urinary tract and shows that the
cells have not enough fruit acids for efficient energy production. This often
causes elderly heavy meat eaters to become too alkaline while young vegetarians
commonly use too much sweet food and that makes them too acid.
A normal mixed diet,
containing about 80% of alkalizing and 20 of acidifying foods should give
slightly acid morning urine of about pH 6.4, provided the metabolism is
reasonably efficient. Urine formed in the body after meals is naturally
slightly alkaline as a result of the production of gastric acid.
Test Your Body Acidity
In order to obtain an
indication of the acid-alkaline balance of your body, you may test your first morning
urine from time to time. In evaluating the result you should take into
account if your present diet in general and the last meal in particular was generally
balanced or rather acid or alkaline forming. If you test the urine during the
day, the result may be much more variable because of the alkaline tide after
eating.
Indicator paper for
testing the acidity of body fluids should preferably have a range from about pH
5.5 to pH 7.5. However, it may be available only from 5.4 - 7.0 or from 6.0 -
8.0. If you expect to be too acid then buy the low pH and if too alkaline the
high pH paper. You may obtain it from a scientific supply shop, possibly also
from a chemist, a health professional or a health food supplier. For an
approximate test you may also use litmus paper.
In addition, it is
valuable to check the saliva acidity, especially if there are any
digestive difficulties and if you do not seem to get sufficient value out of
your food, also as part of allergy testing. An allergenic food makes the saliva
too acid. The saliva approximates the pH of the lymph fluid.
Normally, the saliva
acidity before a meal is 6.4 -6.7, while 30 - 60 minutes after the meal it
should be above 6.8. If the level is below 6.4 before the meal and especially
if the pH after the meal remains below 6.8, we may assume that the contents of
the small intestines are too acid for the pancreas enzymes to unfold their full
activity. In this case you may take an alkaliser 2 to 3 hours after the meal.
With suitable test
paper or better with a digital pH meter you can also try the following test 2
to 3 hours after a meal: Accumulate a lot of saliva in the mouth and then
swallow it. Fill the mouth with saliva a second time and again swallow it. Then
test the pH in the newly formed saliva. It should be nearly neutral or slightly
alkaline, best between 6.9 and 7.4. If it is much lower you may wait 2 hours
and then repeat the test. If the saliva remains acid the body is generally
overacid and mineral or calcium deficient. With allergies and often with
advanced cancer the body is very acid, down to pH 4.5, due to overproduction of
lactic acid.
Instead of using pH strips you may use the
yellow powder turmeric or possibly just some curry powder. Dissolve a teaspoon
of the powder in half a litre of methylated spirits or rubbing alcohol, shake
and let it settle to produce a yellow solution. However, in an alkaline
solution it becomes a ruby red, it turns colour right at a pH of 6.8, the pH
that urine and saliva should be most of the time. To make a test pour some of
the yellow solution into a test tube or a small drinking glass. Add a few drops
of urine or saliva, if it turns red then what was added had a pH greater than
6.8, if it stays yellow then the pH is still acid and less than 6.8.
Also red
cabbage juice can be used as pH indicator. Finely chop some red cabbage, pour
hot or boiling water over it and soak for 10 to 20 minutes, then filter through
some gauze or tissue. In a small clear glass add a small amount of the filtered
juice to a similar amount of a test liquid (e.g. urine, saliva, lemon juice or
sodium bicarbonate), stir gently and compare with the colour chart. Keep the
rest of the juice refrigerated, use within a week or two. Also other purple
juices containing anthocyanin work in a similar way, just experiment.
Alkalizing and
Acidifying Supplements
If one wants to
alkalize the body quickly because of a cold or pain, then it is advisable to
take half a teaspoon of baking soda with water before breakfast for several
mornings and possibly also at bedtime. Drink another glass of water or herb tea
afterwards to flush it quickly through the stomach. On a low sodium diet use
potassium bicarbonate or Milk of Magnesia instead. You may use
Food-Muscle-Testing to find a suitable alkaliser. Also over-breathing,
breathing faster and deeper than necessary, makes the body more alkaline by
releasing excess carbon dioxide with the breath.
Commercially a
mixture of 2 parts of baking soda and I part of potassium bicarbonate is
available and may generally be used for alkalizing the body during an allergic
reaction or after a meal if the pH remains below 6.5, take half a teaspoon of
the alkaliser in water or herb tea. If the pH remains between 6.5 and 6.8 after
the meal, a quarter teaspoon is sufficient.
If, on the other
hand, the level is above 6.7 before the meal and especially if the pH does not
rise much after a meal, the body may have difficulty producing gastric acid. In
this case you may take one or two hydrochloric acid tablets with proteins,
depending on the size of the meal. These tablets contain hydrochloric acid
bound to Betaine or Glutamic Acid, sometimes also pepsin is present.
You may save money
buying a diluted 3% hydrochloric acid from a chemist and take half to one
teaspoon in half a cup of herb tea after a protein meal. Possibly use a straw
to protect the teeth, also use a plastic spoon rather than a metal spoon for
any contact with acids. With mild gastric acid deficiency it may also be
helpful to use half a teaspoon of ascorbic acid or some lemon juice or cider
vinegar with protein meals. You may experiment with Food-Muscle Testing to see
if you may need more acid for digestion: hold a protein food with and without a
hydrochloric acid supplement to assess if you are deficient in gastric acid.
For details on this method see Muscle Testing.
Also see Hydrochloric Acid in Healing Foods.
Sometimes there is a
lack of gastric acid despite general overacidity, often indicated by soft
fingernails. This causes deficiency of proteins, vitamins and minerals. In this
case use hydrochloric acid supplements as well as sufficient alkaliser.
Alkalizing with Calcium and Magnesium
A recommended way of
obtaining more calcium and magnesium and at the same time alkalize the body is
by neutralizing dolomite with vinegar or lemon juice. When this is metabolized,
the acetic or citric acid tends to be broken down and converted to energy while
the mineral remains to alkalize the body. This is most important for sensitive
and overacid individuals who tend to be chronically deficient in calcium.
Keep several
tablespoonfuls of finely powdered dolomite together with a glassful of vinegar
or lemon juice in a jar Preferably stir or shake the mixture occasionally to
speed up the reaction. Drink about 50 ml of the decanted liquid once daily
before a meal, best diluted with water or other liquid. If a calcium supplement
is taken with a meal then the calcium tends to combine with fatty acids in the
food and form soaps, which are not absorbed. Also the casein in milk tends to
bind calcium.
When using dolomite
in 50 ml of 5% vinegar we get approximately 500 mg of calcium and 300 mg of
magnesium. Add more dolomite when no more bubbles appear after adding more
vinegar or when the neutralized liquid remains too acid or does not reach a pH
of about 5. Dolomite contains inert residue, therefore you cannot simply wait
until it is all used up. In regard to vinegar, it would be best to use organic
cider vinegar but this is also ten times more expensive than bulk white
vinegar, while normal cider vinegar may contain pesticides. Therefore, if you
have limited financial resources then white vinegar is adequate for this
purpose.
After the initial
reaction keep the dolomite-acid mix refrigerated, especially when using lemon
juice. With lemon juice and other acid citrus juices you may also just mix half
a teaspoon of dolomite powder with citrus juice, and pour off the juice after
30 to 60 minutes. Use fresh dolomite powder for the next lot of citrus juice.
If you take magnesium supplements separately, then you may just use egg shell
powder for neutralizing fruit acids.
Dolomite or egg shell
powder may also be used by sensitive individuals to neutralize acid yoghurt or
Kambucha tea, or acid fruit such as pineapples or sometimes tomatoes. A pinch
of sodium bicarbonate may be used in addition for full neutralization.
Individuals with an insensitive body and raised blood pressure, on the other
hand, do not need additional calcium and may neutralize part of their food
acids with magnesium oxide or magnesium carbonate. Instead of acids in food you
may also use ascorbic acid to neutralize with magnesium powder or dolomite.
Dolomite supplies
calcium and magnesium in the generally desirable ratio of 2 : 1. However, if
you are already routinely using magnesium chloride or only additional calcium
is required to reduce an overacid condition, then you may use powdered egg
shell or powdered shell grit or commercial calcium carbonate for neutralizing.
This applies especially to individuals who experience cramping or weakness when
taking any additional magnesium. 50 ml of neutralized vinegar will carry about
800 mg of calcium into the body.
If we would simply
take calcium carbonate or dolomite instead of neutralizing vinegar we would
have to use up our precious supply of gastric acid to neutralize and dissolve
the carbonates. Many individuals have mineral deficiencies precisely because of
a lack of gastric acid. If, on the other hand, we use an inorganic mineral
supplement, such as calcium or magnesium chloride, then we can absorb the
calcium or magnesium but it will not reduce any overacid condition of the body.
In good health the
ratio of calcium to phosphorus in the blood is 10:4. If there is a glandular
imbalance, especially in regard to the parathyroid glands, then this ratio will
be maintained at a different level, causing long-term health deterioration. In
particular, a high ratio of phosphorus to calcium sensitizes the body and
increases inflammatory tendencies.
In addition to this
regulation by the parathyroid glands, the calcium-phosphorus ratio is also
affected by our food choices. If we consistently eat food high in phosphorus
and low in calcium, then this tends to make the body overacid, depletes it of
calcium and other minerals and increases the tendency towards inflammations.
These effects can be minimized by selecting suitable foods. You may judge from
the following list of symptoms if you might have an unbalanced
calcium/phosphorus ratio in your blood or your food. A low phosphorus intake is
also indicated with cancer and leukemia. However, this ratio may change, as for
instance in alternating periods of acute attacks and deposit formation in
arthritis.
As you can see from
the following food list, it is easy to obtain sufficient phosphorus. In fact,
if the calcium level is high, magnesium generally is in short supply rather
than phosphorus. If the calcium level is low, however, a special effort must be
made to obtain a steady supply of calcium-rich/phosphorus low food, spread out
during the day. During digestion fatty acids tend to form soaps by combining
with calcium and thus make the calcium unavailable for absorption. Therefore,
any calcium supplements or calcium-rich foods are best taken without fats or
oils before meals.
You may wonder how
the body can maintain the blood ratio in favor of calcium despite its relative
scarcity in food. The reason is that normally about 1 g phosphorus, but only
150 mg calcium are expelled daily with the urine. In metabolic imbalance, this
excretion ratio is changed. In addition, using more phosphorus will lead to the
excretion of more calcium together with the excess phosphorus.
Table 1:
SYMPTOMS OF CALCIUM - PHOSPHORUS IMBALANCE
|
Calcium level too
high |
Phosphorus level
too high |
|
Colds
and 'flu are rare Insensitive to pain and noise Insensitive skin Signs of magnesium deficiency Blood pressure raised Blood is too alkaline Caries of the crowns Tartar on teeth Calcium kidney stones Stiffness, rigidity Fusion of vertebrae Arthritic deposits causing bone deformations Arteriosclerosis |
Frequent
colds and 'flu Sensitive to pain and noise Sensitive skin Signs of calcium deficiency Tendency to low blood pressure Blood is too acid Caries near the gum Gums very red & tender: pyorrhea,
gingivitis Tendency to inflammations and swellings Red-rimmed eyes Acute arthritic attacks Allergies, palpitations Headaches, nausea |
From the following
list, select mainly food with a favorable ratio according to your symptoms. An
excess of up to 1:3 in favor of phosphorus might still be regarded as
metabolically neutral. If the ratio is worse, as for instance in grain
products, add suitable calcium supplements to the meal. In addition to the
ratio itself, the actual amount of the excessive mineral is, of course,
important. Therefore, within limits, the generally recommended daily calcium
allowance is rather meaningless if not geared to the levels of phosphorus and
magnesium. With low blood pressure the calcium intake should be about double
the intake of magnesium. However, with high blood pressure it is better to have
equal amounts of magnesium and calcium or sometimes even to have more
magnesium. The higher the phosphorus intake, the higher should be the combined
calcium and magnesium intake.
Table 2: CALCIUM - PHOSPHORUS
RATIO OF FOODS
|
|
Ca/P ratio mg/100 g |
|
Ca/P ratio mg/100 g |
|
Bone |
36,700/16,400 |
Dried
apricots |
67/108 |
|
Kelp,
dry |
1200/300 |
Raisins |
62/101 |
|
Molasses
|
684/84 |
Sweet
potatoes |
31/52 |
|
Sesame
seeds |
1160/616 |
Filberts |
209/337 |
|
Carob
flour |
352/81 |
Cottage
cheese |
90/165 |
|
Turnip
greens |
246/58 |
Salmon |
188/328 |
|
Kale |
249/93 |
Beetroot |
16/33 |
|
Parsley |
203/63 |
Cauliflower |
25/56 |
|
Mustard
greens |
183/50 |
Almonds |
234/504 |
|
Dandelion
greens |
187/66 |
Soy
beans, dry |
226/554 |
|
Endive |
181/54 |
Pumpkin |
21/44 |
|
Watercress |
151/54 |
Capsicum |
12/28 |
|
Beet
greens |
119/40 |
Spirulina |
396/1023 |
|
Leaf
lettuce |
68/25 |
Buckwheat |
114/282 |
|
Green
Barley powder |
1100/590 |
Bananas |
8/26 |
|
Grass
juice |
150/75 |
Beans,
dry |
135/460 |
|
Spinach |
93/51 |
Jerusalem |
14/78 |
|
Broccoli |
103/78 |
Potatoes |
8/53 |
|
Cheese |
750/480 |
Herring |
66/254 |
|
Goats'
milk |
129/106 |
Eggs,
whole |
54/205 |
|
Cow's
milk |
118/93 |
Egg
yolk |
141/569 |
|
Cabbage |
67/54 |
Lentils,
cooked |
25/119 |
|
Celery |
39/28 |
Pecans |
73/289 |
|
Pineapple,
raw |
17/8 |
Walnuts
|
99/380 |
|
Turnips |
39/30 |
Coconut,
dried |
26/187 |
|
Grapes |
16/12 |
Peas,
dried cooked |
11/89 |
|
Butter |
20/16 |
Peanuts |
69/401 |
|
Carrots |
37/36 |
Brazil
nuts |
186/693 |
|
Tofu |
128/126 |
Barley |
16/189 |
|
Grapefruit,
whole |
16/16 |
Mushrooms |
6/116 |
|
Cucumber |
25/27 |
Sweet
corn |
3/111 |
|
Dates |
59/63 |
Corn,
dried |
22/268 |
|
Lemon
juice, apples |
7/10 |
Rice,
brown |
37/292 |
|
Watermelon |
7/10 |
Cashew
nuts |
38/373 |
|
Pears |
8/11 |
Millet |
20/311 |
|
Apricots,
fresh |
17/23 |
Sunflower
seed |
120/837 |
|
Plums |
12/18 |
Rye,
wheat |
37/380 |
|
Orange
juice |
11/17 |
Oats |
53/405 |
|
Onions |
27/36 |
Torula
yeast |
424/1713 |
|
Peaches |
9/19 |
Brewers'
yeast |
210/1753 |
|
Sardines |
430/575 |
Bran,
rice/wheat |
100/1300 |
|
Eggplant |
11/21 |
Wheat
germ |
72/1118 |
|
Peas,
fresh |
62/90 |
Pumpkin
seeds |
51/1144 |
|
Parsnip |
50/77 |
Meat
average |
10/200 |
|
Tomatoes |
13/27 |
Liver
average |
15/540 |