Greetings! For the past few weeks, we have been studying about acids and alkalies! By God’s grace, we should now know some of the health effects, that are the result of excess acids and a deficiency of alkalies. In today’s study, lets give a little more thought to the physiological processes within the body wherein these acids and bases are involved.

 

 

The Lungs

Both food and oxygen are taken by the blood to the cells and are there converted into heat and energy by a process similar to combustion. When common fuel is burned a by-product is formed–a gas or smoke which must be removed from the furnace by a stack and not allowed to pass into the house or automobile because it is deadly. In like manner the burning of food and oxygen in the body cells produces a carbonic acid gas which is taken by lymph and blood to the lungs to be exhaled, thus saying the body from harm. If this elimination should cease for a few minutes, life would cease. (It is released as carbon dioxide and water.) About thirty quarts of carbonic acid gas are exhaled per hour by one person. About one-third of the body wastes, which are poisons, go out from the lungs. We should always so arrange our ventilation that these wastes will quickly go out-of-doors rather than accumulate in the room, and so that the lungs will always have a good supply of fresh, clean air. We should breath deeply, maintain a good posture to assist in proper breathing, and refrain from any practice which may hinder the lungs in putting oxygen into the blood and receiving its waste products.

The Kidneys

The processes which consume the food and convert it into heat and energy and tissue produce other by-products which are acid, but being “ash” they cannot be exhaled by the lungs. These are taken by the blood to the kidneys for elimination. The urine is slightly acid. When “acidosis” is developing, the urine may become so acid that it causes a burning sensation. That is nature’s warning that trouble is brewing. It is not necessary to take soda for this, as it can be corrected within a few hours with foods, which will be named in next weeks class. The kidneys are removing acid waste so rapidly that if they should cease for twenty-four hours, death would occur in a short time. They of necessity use much water to keep the blood pure because it is by water that they remove these wastes from the blood. The kidneys will be more fully explained in a later study.

The Pores and the Perspiration

The skin is provided with approximately 1, 500, 000 sweat glands which excrete the perspiration which is acid unless it is very profuse. The perspiration is nearly all water, the evaporation of which is an important part of the cooling system of the body. About one quart of water comes out of the pores in twenty-four hours are insensible perspiration; during exercise or hot weather it is much more–it may be a quart per hour. If the pores should cease to function for a day, more or less, life would cease in the body. It is very important that the skin be washed often to remove this waste or some of it may be absorbed into the body again.

 

 

The Total Elimination

The body is producing these acid wastes by converting food and oxygen into heat and energy and food into tissue. The wastes of the cells as they wear out are also acid. Exercise increases this waste, and therefore fatigue is partly an increase of acidity, which means that we become rested by decreasing our acidity and increasing our alkalies.

In addition to these poisons which are naturally produced within the body, some people deliberately but unnecessarily put extra acids and poisons into the body and so overwork the pores, lungs, and kidneys–especially the kidneys. The faster the total of all acids accumulates in the blood the faster they will be passed to the kidneys, and so a test of the acidity of the urine is a good index of the general condition throughout the body.

The Remedy

The correction of “acidosis” is not taking soda or other medicines, but in lessening the intake and increasing the output of the body acids, and increasing its supply of alkalies; if given this help, nature will take of the matter. Manifestly drinking copiously of water will help much to speed the process of elimination through the pores and the kidneys–especially the kidneys. The pH of the urine can be changed in a few hours with food.

Object Lesson

It’s interesting that in the body, processes are constantly at work to eliminate harmful substances, such as carbonic acid and other acid wastes. God made wonderful  organs such as the lungs and kidneys, to assist in this great work; in removing toxins from the body. If these physiological processes were not instituted we would be dead. Praise the Lord, that this is not the case and that He has created a wonderful plan so that we would have abundant life.  In like manner, in the plan of redemption, God’s objective is to remove sin from us. He has given His son to die on the cross and also to minister in the Heavenly Sanctuary. Right now, He is cleansing the sanctuary from sin, and is continuing the work of salvation. Do we have a part to play? Oh yes! “For we are labourers together with God” (1 Cor. 3:9). We must let sin go, anything that comes In between our souls and the Saviour; so that we can experience sweet fellowship, with the One Altogether Lovely, moment by moment! Is this your desire? Prayerfully this is the desire of us all. Like the lymph and the blood that are set in motion, to assist in bringing substances to the lungs (to be removed), we are here for you! If you have a special prayer request that you would like us to carry to Jesus on your behalf, please let us know in the comments below. The identity of the prayer requests shall be concealed. Blessings!

 

*Study adapted from Abundant Health, by Julius G. White.