Lemons and Limes

I posted a tiny comment on our Facebook page this morning about limes being 150% more acid than lemons and Leigh asked for clarification. "Hi," she wrote, "would love more explanation please. I thought limes and lemons were alkaline producing when eaten?"

It's a 'given' in alkaline theory that a lemon or lime is an excellent alkalizing method. And so it is.. with a little proviso I'm about to share.


Fundamental theory
The fundamental theory of alkaline balance is that we require sufficient alkaline minerals in our alkaline buffer. This 'buffer' is actually held in the blood and in other parts of the body so that when required to neutralise excess acid, it is available. A healthy body will have enough alkaline minerals that will be used by the body to produce enough Hydroxyl ions (negative hydrogen ions) to be able to react which the acids and neutralise them.


The key to the science is the idea that it's not the amount of acids and alkalis we consume, but the amount left over after metabolism. Sang Whang, author of Reverse Aging says that an absolute majority of our foods (about 98%) is made up of carbon, nitrogen, hydrogen and oxygen. Only protein contains nitrogen. These are the energy givers, and they actually burn, using oxygen as the fuel. After they burn, they become acid waste, including acetic acid, cholesterol, lactic acid, fatty acids, carbonic acid, uric acid and ammonia.


The 2% of the food that isn't any of the above is alkaline and acid minerals, including potassium, sodium, calcium, magnesium, iron, sulphur, chlorine, iodine etc..

So that a mere 2% of what we eat is classed as 'alkaline' if there is more of the first four above, and 'acid' if there is more acids in the 2%.


Where beginners get into trouble is trying to find 'alkaline food'. There's no such thing; all foods are a mix of acids and alkalis. Trying to live by an 'alkaline diet' will simply deprive you of the fuel that runs your body.


Now here's where I differ from the lemon argument. The lemon argument says it's a wonderful fruit because it has low-to-no sugar and a good supply of alkaline minerals that will be left over after metabolism. All true so far. But the taste of the lemon is acidic; indeed, it's loaded with citric acid. So you will stock up on your alkalis (within the limits of how much lemon juice you can drink) but you'll also be stocking up on citric acid. Just because the ratio of citric acid and alkalis is beneficial doesn't mean the citric acid can't hurt you.

You can't just change 'a little bit'.
It's my belief, (only from my own decade of observing people alkalizing), that if you are still following an acidic diet in any form, the excess acids that can't be immediately converted into salts and CO2, or released as urine, will be stored as toxins in the body fat. If you eat too much food, the excess acids that your body can't immediately handle will be shunted off into fatty tissue, where it can't hurt you, at least in the short term. It's the body's modern way of protecting the vulnerable kidneys from overload, and the rest of the body from inflammation, which is the effect of excess acids.

Lemons aren't enough..
So yes, your lemon has increased your alkali reserves, but it's odds on that if you are already excessively acidic and your body has taken this strategic retreat on, then the lovely alkalis you just got will be used up and the acetic acids will be sent off to your buttocks waist or belly fat.

Just have a think about the acid/alkaline ratio between one lemon juice and a pizza. It's obvious your lemon juice is 'wasted' as soon as it becomes available in your buffer.

My feeling is that you really need to eat less. Excess eating means excess and immediate acids and the need fro the body to take immediate action to alleviate a plunging blood pH. I have read a number of doctors who say that you'll begin converting live bone from your skeleton within hours of eating an oversize steak, just because you have to; blood pH is so important it comes first in line for remedial action. Moderate exercise also has a major part to play in burning up excess acids. Not flat-out hardcore gym work; that produces its own acids, but I find it hard to live without the benefits of my 5 km walk around the Cape most days.


An Acidic Body is Voracious
So a lemon drink in the morning is going to supply 2% or less alkaline minerals (per volume) for your alkaline buffer, but an acidic body is voracious for alkalis, and my feeling is that unless you commit to a more rounded approach to alkaline balance, you are wasting your time. Sure, a lemon will help cleanse a sluggish liver in the morning, or make you feel sharp for a while.. but the body is always working to keep that blood pH down, and you're going to have to change more about your lifestyle than a lemon drink!

I intentionally didn't finish my discussion of Hydroxyl ions as pH, because it's a bit heady. However you can download my white paper on the subject here.  It's been reproduced on countless websites round the globe, and it really does take you to the next level of understanding the difference between alkalinity and pH.