Virtually all degenerative diseases including cancer, heart disease, arthritis, osteoporosis, kidney and gall stones, and tooth decay are associated with excess acidity in the body. While the body has a homeostatic mechanism that maintains a constant pH 7.4 in the blood, this mechanism works by depositing and withdrawing acid and alkaline minerals from other locations including the bones, soft tissues, body fluids and saliva. Therefore, the pH of these other tissues can fluctuate greatly. The pH of saliva offers a window through which you can see the overall pH balance in your body.

Cancer cannot exist in an alkaline environment. All forms of arthritis are associated with excess acidity. Acid in the body dissolves both teeth and bones. Whatever health situation you are faced with, you can monitor your progress toward a proper acid/alkaline balance by testing your saliva pH.

Water (H₂O) ionizes into hydrogen (H+) and hydroxyl (OH-) ions. When these ions are in equal proportions, the pH is a neutral 7. When there are more H+ ions than OH- ions then the water is said to be acid. If OH- ions outnumber the H+ ions then the water is alkaline. The pH scale goes from 0 to 14 and is logarithmic, which means that each step is ten times the previous. In other words, a pH of 4.5 is 10 times more acid than 5.5, 100 times more acid than 6.5 and 1,000 times more acid than 7.5.

Minerals with a negative electrical charge are attracted to the H+ ion. These are called acid minerals. Acid minerals include: chlorine (Cl-), sulfur (S-), phosphorus (P-), and they form hydrochloric acid (HCl), sulfuric acid (H₂SO₄), and phosphoric acid (H₃PO₄). Minerals with a positive electrical charge are attracted to the negatively charged OH- ion. These are called alkaline minerals. Nutritionally important alkaline minerals include calcium (Ca+), potassium (K+), magnesium (Mg+), and sodium (Na+). (Cancer patients tend to have an excess of sodium).. Also important for cancer treatment and prevention are the alkaline trace minerals rubidium and cesium. To determine if a food is acid or alkaline, it is burned and the ash is mixed with water. If the solution is acid or alkaline then the food is called acid or alkaline. Ash is the mineral content of the food.

If your saliva is too acid you may wish to increase the alkalinity of your body. Ways to do this include:

1. Eat mostly alkaline foods. The general "rule of thumb" is to eat 20% acid foods and 80% alkaline foods. Minimize the "strongly acid" foods.

It is the sulphur in the concentrated protein of meat, fish, eggs and hard cheese, and phosphorous in meat and soft drinks that makes these foods so acidic.

Fats and oils have a neutral pH, neither acid nor alkaline. Plant-based beverages (tea, coffee, cocoa, herbal teas, beer, wine, juices of fruits and vegetables) are generally mildly alkaline. The above summary is based on a detailed Acid Base Food Table you can download. If you want more information, there are some articles you can download here. The most economical cesium dietary supplement we have found is cesium carbonate powder available from here.

The healthiest dairy products to consume have never been pasteurized or homogenized. Look for "raw" milk, and cheese made from raw milk. The healthiest way to consume grains and legumes is in the form of sprouts.

2. Supplement your diet with alkaline minerals. The main alkaline minerals in the body are calcium, magnesium, sodium and potassium. These minerals complement each other. For example, calcium is needed to contract a muscle and magnesium is needed to relax it. At a cellular level, your cells maintain a balance of potassium inside and sodium outside, but this pumping of potassium and sodium requires magnesium. The calcium concentration in cells is controlled by sodium. All four of these minerals work together in the body. Problems arise in the body when one or more of the minerals are deficient or when the minerals are out of balance with each other.

People in North America tend to consume too much calcium and sodium and insufficient magnesium and potassium. This is often reflected in urine tests which show calcium and sodium being excreted while magnesium and potassium are being retained. (This is why we are not interested in urine pH. An alkaline urine simply shows that some alkaline minerals are being discarded by the body. Of much greater interest is the pH of saliva, which reflects your success in creating an alkaline condition within your body.)

In the North American diet, excess calcium is coming primarily from dairy products, and excess sodium is coming from "prepared foods" that are loaded with salt. Largely missing from the diet are magnesium and potassium that would come from eating fruits and vegetables. A diet based on fruits and vegetables, grains and legumes, with a small amount of dairy, would give the body all four of the alkaline minerals in better balance. This is the diet we recommend in point number 1 above. Given that the kidneys will excrete excess minerals and retain what the body needs, it is not necessary to be overly concerned about consuming "right" amounts of calcium, magnesium, sodium and potassium. Just make sure that your diet contains all four of the alkaline minerals in reasonable balance.

Bones and teeth are made from calcium phosphate. You can consume calcium in the form of bone meal or calcium hydroxyapatite which contain the needed phosphate, or you can take your calcium with a separate source of phosphate, such as lecithin. To preserve your bones and teeth it is good to consume at least one gram of calcium and one tablespoon of lecithin daily. We mention lecithin in several places on this website because it provides many benefits to the body. Vitamin D is needed for absorption and utilization of calcium, and doctors are recommending more (the Canadian Cancer Society recommends at least 1,000 IU daily for all Canadians) as the benefits of vitamin D become known. Teeth are held in the gums by connective tissue, and formation of connective tissue needs vitamin C. About 3 or 4 grams of vitamin C daily is required to prevent receding gums and the formation of pockets between the teeth and gums.

Tooth enamel is rebuilt both from within and without by an enzyme called adenosine diphosphatase. This enzyme is one of dozens of enzymes in the body that are inactivated by fluoride. It is best to avoid all sources of fluoride.

The positively charged H+ ion in acid saliva will pull the negatively charged phosphate ion right out of the tooth. Alkaline saliva is necessary to preserve and rebuild tooth enamel. Drink acidic liquids (eg. lemonade) through a straw to minimize contact with the teeth. Rinse the mouth with water after consuming an acidic food or liquid.

Calcium supplements generally contain some magnesium, but it seems that more is needed. Magnesium supplements are readily available on the Internet. You can  to find the lowest price. Or take a tablespoon of "milk of magnesia" before going to bed. There is evidence that magnesium helps to prevent cancer. After nine months, women on magnesium supplements increased bone density by about 11%. - Journal of Nutritional Medicine, 1991; 2:165-178.

One teaspoon of sodium bicarbonate (baking soda) can be mixed with water and taken morning and evening. If you take your vitamin C in the form of crystals, you can mix a teaspoon of vitamin C crystals with the teaspoon of sodium bicarbonate. Add water and wait until the fizzing stops before drinking it. The sodium bicarbonate will neutralize the acidity of the vitamin C. (Make sure your baking soda does NOT contain aluminum. You may need to buy it from a health food store.) Alternatively, there is a nutritional supplement that contains vitamin C buffered as magnesium ascorbate, sodium ascorbate, calcium ascorbate, and potassium ascorbate as well as other nutrients designed to heal the arteries and prevent heart disease. Highly recommended! 

If you want to eat salt, use unrefined sea salt. It is gray in color and comes in large crystals. Put it in a grinder and keep it on the dining table beside the pepper grinder.

Dr. Gerson (page 246) gave his cancer patients a 10% potassium solution. Perhaps you can find a potassium drink in your local health food store. Potassium tablets are commonly available. Search on the Internet for a suppliers of potassium chloride, potassium bicarbonate, potassium citrate, and potassium iodide if you cannot find them locally.

Salts of the alkaline minerals cesium, rubidium and potassium have been found by Dr. Brewer to be particularly effective in fighting cancer.