Why An Alkaline Approach Can Successfully Treat Cancer
In the 1930’s, an interesting natural cancer treatment was proposed as a simple, effective answer to cancer – almost any cancer. This treatment approach is not well known because it is considered alternative or experimental – or even dangerous – by the medical and scientific community and hence has been referenced primarily in obscure publications outside the mainstream press.
This treatment approach is called alkaline therapy or pH therapy, and is based in part on observations of cultures without significant incidence of cancer and in part on scientific observations of and experimentation with cellular metabolism.
Dr. Stegall’s comments: As I have mentioned in previous posts, the jury is still out as to whether an alkaline diet is beneficial in cancer treatment. We know that cancer is associated with a lower (more acidic) pH, but the question remains: does cancer result from an acidic pH, or does cancer cause an acidic pH? Cancer cells release a lot of lactic acid as a byproduct of the way they produce energy, so I tend to believe that the acidic pH is a sign of cancer, rather than a cause of it.
With that said, many of the aspects of the alkaline diet are still very sound. A focus on organic produce, while minimizing grains and sugar, is essential. I do not recommend avoiding protein sources such as meat, chicken, and eggs, because they are needed for overall nourishment and to maintain muscle mass. There is a huge difference between grass fed beef and grain fed beef, just as there is a significant difference between organic chicken and hormone-fed chicken. So it is not correct to label all sources of animal protein as bad, as proponents of alkaline/pH therapy tend to do.
Distilled Water – The positive view…
In today’s increasingly chemicalized world, the purest, safest water is steam distilled – the closest thing to pure H20, which is what nature intended for our bodies. Rainwater is distilled water, created by natural evaporation, condensation, before falling to the earth as precipitation. In pre-industrial times, rainwater sustained populations, but now becomes polluted merely passing through the atmosphere. Fruits and vegetables contain distilled water, but unless organically grown, produce also contains chemical residues from pesticides, herbicides, fertilizers, etc.
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Dr. Stegall’s comments: This article is a very important one, because we MUST have high quality water. Simply putting a filter on your faucet for drinking water is not nearly enough! I do believe that distilled water can be beneficial when used under the right circumstances. However, we must be careful to supplement with the correct minerals (which are not present in distilled water).
Distilled Water – The negative view…
Distillation is the process in which water is boiled, evaporated and the vapour condensed. Distilled water is free of dissolved minerals and, because of this, has the special property of being able to actively absorb toxic substances from the body and eliminate them. Studies validate the benefits of drinking distilled water when one is seeking to cleanse or detoxify the system for short periods of time (a few weeks at a time).
Fasting using distilled water can be dangerous because of the rapid loss of electrolytes (sodium, potassium, chloride) and trace minerals like magnesium, deficiencies of which can cause heart beat irregularities and high blood pressure. Cooking foods in distilled water pulls the minerals out of them and lowers their nutrient value.
Dr. Stegall’s comments: As I mentioned with the above article, distilled water does not have minerals and we must be careful to supplement with the correct minerals. A high quality mineral supplement is typically enough. With that said, distilled water is important for detoxification but should probably not be used all the time.