Any studies supporting those views? The pH-theory of illness sounds quite bogus to me--the body has all sorts of pH-buffers build in, and can produce it's own acids and bases.
The pH-theory of illness originated in Japan as best I can tell, and has spread to China in recent years. Perhaps Korea too.
Basically, the idea is that the body prefers a slightly alkaline pH (stay with me now). Rice, meat, cooked foods, coffee, black tea and smoking all acidify the blood, where as fresh vegetables and green tea de-acidify it. Acidified blood then leads to cancer, heart disease, and other chronic ills.
Ok, but the body naturally maintains blood pH in a narrow range. If this theory has any truth to it, then it wouldn't be "acidified blood" that's bad for you, but the energy and nutrients consumed, and the byproducts created and disposed of, in the course of maintaining proper pH against an acidifying diet. Low-pH urine might be a sign of the body working overtime to keep the blood neutral.
To this end, you can buy water ionizers that produce alkaline water, and drink that rather than normal water. According to the product literature I saw (my neighbors in China had one installed--a lot of money for a retired couple), the original research looked at villages around the world where people lived longer than their average countrymen. The common thread was slightly alkaline water (supposedly). I went online to check sources, and indeed, there was a lot of university-affiliated research along these lines in Japan.
This was 6 years ago. I'm sure you can find more information online, if you are curious.
My personal journey started after I had a severe virus attacking my liver, this was the third time in my life that I had a liver disease and I was really ill, I was extremely tired and weak for a month at least with a very slow recovery after that.
I had hepatitis (I think it was A) at age 7, mononucleosis at age 21 and anonymous hepatitis at age 35. I am almost 40 now and don't want to be sick again when I'm 49...
I read a lot about raw food on the internet and tried it myself. I used to eat the SAD (Standard American Diet) even though I was born, grew up and still live in Israel.
4 years ago I switched to a vegan diet and a year and a half ago I started on a raw vegan diet.
The best diet for me personally is 811rv, this does not mean it is the right diet for everyone, but you should at least try it before dismissing it as rubbish. It is not a quick fix, it takes a lot of effort, mainly in the social pressure from close friends, family and the society in general. this idea is so alien that everyone will be against it. Think for yourself and research the subject. It can't hurt you to eat healthier, right?
An apple a day keeps the doctor away - its just not true! You need to make the apple the main course and eat many apples during the day.
Here are some pointers regarding nutrition:
nutridiary.com (free journal where you can log what you eat and it calculates the nutritional value of the food)
I find it easy to accept that your diet works--especially that it works for you. Just the notion that it works for the reasons outlined, seems outlandish to me. (But I do not have enough information either way.)
Basically, the idea is that the body prefers a slightly alkaline pH (stay with me now). Rice, meat, cooked foods, coffee, black tea and smoking all acidify the blood, where as fresh vegetables and green tea de-acidify it. Acidified blood then leads to cancer, heart disease, and other chronic ills.
Ok, but the body naturally maintains blood pH in a narrow range. If this theory has any truth to it, then it wouldn't be "acidified blood" that's bad for you, but the energy and nutrients consumed, and the byproducts created and disposed of, in the course of maintaining proper pH against an acidifying diet. Low-pH urine might be a sign of the body working overtime to keep the blood neutral.
To this end, you can buy water ionizers that produce alkaline water, and drink that rather than normal water. According to the product literature I saw (my neighbors in China had one installed--a lot of money for a retired couple), the original research looked at villages around the world where people lived longer than their average countrymen. The common thread was slightly alkaline water (supposedly). I went online to check sources, and indeed, there was a lot of university-affiliated research along these lines in Japan.
This was 6 years ago. I'm sure you can find more information online, if you are curious.