Diabetes, Acidity and
Treatment with Sodium Bicarbonate

by Dr. Mark Sircus

New Paradigms in Diabetic Care e-Book

A highly acidic pH level (created by all the above) puts the pancreas, liver, and all the body's organs at risk. Because of the important role played by the liver in removing acid waste from the body, liver function is particularly at risk when acids accumulate. When acidity prevents the liver and pancreas from regulating blood sugar, the risk of diabetes will increase.

We already know that sodium bicarbonate dramatically slows the progress of chronic kidney disease but few have followed the logical conclusion that it would also be a front line defense against diabetes. From prevention to treatment and to part of a cure, common Baking Soda is an essential tool in working with diabetic and metabolic syndromes. Obviously it does not take the place of an alkaline diet and water but bicarbonate is a front line medicine that doctors and patients can employ orally and transdermally in baths.

Sodium bicarbonate injections are already indicated in the treatment of metabolic acidosis, which may occur in severe renal disease, uncontrolled diabetes, and circulatory insufficiency due to shock or severe dehydration, extracorporeal circulation of blood, cardiac arrest and severe primary lactic acidosis. But sodium bicarbonate can be used safely at home orally and transdermally (and should always be used with magnesium chloride for greatest effect) in all stages of diabetes.

According to Dr Lynda Frassetto, an acid - alkaline researcher from the University of California, "We have been forced to turn an evolutionary corner". Our bodies are so overwhelmed with cellular acid-waste that "We simply do not handle acid waste the way we used to." People as diverse as Edgar Cayce, Dr. William Howard Hay, MD and Dr. Theodore A. Baroody, ND, author of "Alkalinize or Die", along with Dr. Robert O. Young, PhD, Dsc, ND are trying to alert us to what is actually killing us and causing untold needless suffering.

Dr. Young, states: "Excess acidity is a condition that weakens all body systems. Excess acidity forces the body to borrow minerals - including sodium, calcium, potassium and magnesium - from vital organs and bones to buffer (neutralize) the acid and to safely remove it from the body. As a result, the body can suffer severe and prolonged "corrosion" due to high acidity - a condition that may go undetected for years. Over-acidity affects virtually every person in Westernized society because of our dietary and lifestyle choices and ecological exposure - resulting in creating our own "internal environment where dis-ease can easily manifest, as opposed to a pH-balanced environment which allows for normal body functions - necessary for the body to resist dis-ease. The pancreas is one of our body's organs charged with the awesome responsibility to "alkalinize" us... can you start to see how our serious acidosis has overwhelmed our pancreas' ability to operate effectively, that then results in a state called "diabetes."

Not only does high acidity make you vulnerable to diabetes. The impact of diabetes on the body increases the level of acid waste. Therefore improper pH balance puts diabetics at greater risk for complications such as kidney failure, gangrene and blindness. A diabetic suffers from an excess of glucose in the bloodstream, glucose that cannot be delivered properly to the body's cells due to lack of insulin. As the liver absorbs more and more of the excess glucose, its ability to remove toxins from the body becomes impaired. As the toxins multiply, the acid level in the body increases.

Because glucose is not delivered properly to the body's cells, the cells start to malfunction. They expel increasing amounts of acid waste. Some of the excess acid filters through the kidneys, causing damage that can lead to kidney failure. Some of the acid accumulates in the liver, further damaging the liver's ability to remove toxins. Acid that is not filtered out or stored can attach to and harden the cell walls, further preventing the cells from absorbing nutrients. Eventually the cells die, starting with the glucose-dependent eyes and the extremities where it's more difficult for nutrients to reach. Blindness and gangrene can result.

Many different causes exist for the disease called Renal Tubular Acidosis which also causes the blood to become too acidic and leads to kidney failure if not treated early.[1] Without proper treatment, chronic acidity of the blood leads to growth retardation, kidney stones, bone disease, chronic kidney disease, and possibly total kidney failure. In all cases, the first goal of therapy is to neutralize acid in the blood, and this is done with IV and oral sodium bicarbonate, though different treatments may be needed to address the different underlying causes of acidosis.

Fortunately, a significant reduction of acids in your body can lead to organ regeneration and improved health. A diet that's more alkaline can help you reverse the damage caused by acidity and diabetes. The right combination of fresh vegetable juices, for example, can help your body break down and destroy excessive acid waste. For a doubly positive impact, eliminate refined carbohydrates from your diet. Not only do refined carbohydrates make it difficult to control your blood sugar balance, but they also increase your body's acidity. Vitamin and mineral supplements specially formulated to balance pH are an important part of your strategy with spirulina, wheatgrass and barley juice on top of the list in this regard. These are actually the best full spectrum vitamin and mineral supplements. Real food, not synthetic supplements, are hugely more effective.

[1] http://kidney.niddk.nih.gov/kudiseases/pubs/tubularacidosis/