Acids: 

Acids are are substance that react with metal and have a pH-balance of less than 7.0. They taste sour and are present in all foods, particularly in fruits, vegetables and diary products. Different types of Acids provide different functions in your body, such as allowing your body to absorb certain minerals into your digestive tract.

                                                   


Names of Acids in fruits, vegetables and Diary products:

     CITRIC ACID

This weak acid is present in all citrus fruits, such as oranges, grapefruits, lemons, limes and kumquats. It is used as an additive for flavoring in food and soft drinks, color removal from hair, and for flavoring wine and beer. In human metabolism, citric acid is involved in the conversion of fat, carbohydrates and proteins into energy.

   

  PHYTIC ACID

  This Acid contains phosphorus and its found in whole grain, bran, hulls of seed and nuts and soy products. it binds with calcium, zinc, iron and magnesium, limiting their obsorption in your digestive tract. Therefor, most of these minerals pass through your gut and into your feces. Dietitan Mary Grosvenor, former researcher at the UCLA Medical Center, recommends that you cook the Phytic acid-containing food to break down some of the Phytic acid to allow better obsorption of minerals into your body. Otherwise, you can develop nutritional deficiencies such as osteoporosis from lack of calcium  and iron anemia from lack of iron.

    LIPOIC ACID

 This type of acid plays a vital role in carbohydrate and fat metabolism. It also helps Vitamin C and E to protect your cell membranes from damage by free radicals. According to biologists George Mateljan, author of "Worlds Healthiest Foods", green leafy vegetables and any vegetables with green pigment contains high level of lipioic acid. These include 

broccoli, lettuce, spinach, collards and bok choy.

digestion is both alkali as well as acidic
alkali-bile juice of liver contains alkali for digestion of bi carbonates
acidic-gastric juice contains Hcl for digestion of protine

 DIGESTIVE SYSTEM-ACIDS AND BASES
NEUTRALIZATION AND HEALTHY DIETExperiment Objective:
Students will examine acid-base chemistry and
neutralization of stomach acids in a mini plastic stomach.

Learning Goals:
Students will observe first hand acid and base properties
in the food they consume everyday. Students will test the
pH of these foods/liquids and learn the simple method of
neutralizing stomach acids with base and antacids. Students
will be able to explain the importance of acid-base balance.
LESSON IMPLEMENTATION OUTLINE
Introduction:
When you eat foods—such as bread, meat, and vegetables—they are not in a form that
the body can use as nourishment. Food and drink must be changed into smaller molecules
of nutrients before they can be absorbed into the blood and carried to cells throughout the
body. Digestion is the process by which food and drink are broken down into their
smallest parts so the body can use them to build and nourish cells and to provide energy.
Digestion involves mixing food with digestive juices, moving it through the digestive
tract, and breaking down large molecules of food into smaller molecules. Digestion
begins in the mouth, (chew and swallow), and is completed in the small intestine.
Content Background:
The stomach is like a mixer, churning and mashing together all the small balls of food
that came down the esophagus into smaller and smaller pieces. It does this with help from
the strong muscles in the walls of the stomach and gastric juices that also come from the
stomach's walls.
The stomach is attached to the end of the esophagus. It's a stretchy sack shaped like the
letter J. It has three important jobs:
1. to store the food consumed.
2. to break down food into a liquid mixture with acids
3. to slowly empty that mixture into small intestine
In order to aid in the digestion of food and to protect
your stomach against bacterial growth, the stomach
secretes gastric acid consisting mainly of hydrochloric
acid at a pH of about 2. The stomach is protected by a
mucous lining which can be damaged if the acidity
becomes too high, possibly causing an ulcer. Heartburn,
indigestion, or upset stomach is also a result of too
much acid in the stomach. For many people, acid indigestion can originate from eating
too much, eating too quickly, eating high-fat foods, or stressful situations.
Treatment of indigestion involves lowering the production of stomach acids or
neutralizing the acid. Antacids, such as Tums and Rolaids, neutralize acid in the stomach
raising the pH level to between 3 and 4. This can significantly relieve symptoms for most
people. Antacids provide relief more quickly and are less expensive than other
medications. Most antacid products contain active ingredients, which are alkaline (or
basic) that react with acid during neutralization.
Neutralization reaction is one in which an acid loses its acidic qualities and a base loses
its alkaline qualities. After neutralization reaction an acid is no more acidic and a base is
no more basic. They become neutral like water.
Lab Activity Instructions:
Students will perform the stomach acids and neutralization experiment individually and
can work together with others during the experiment. Instructors will explain with the
materials for the experiment and briefly demonstrate the steps. Allow one instructor for
presentation and other instructors as assistants around the lab.

 

                               COMMON ACIDS AND BASES

Alkaline Body Balance: The Single Most Important Thing You Can Do For Yourself

How to maintain a healthy alkaline body balance for optimal health.

What many people don’t know is that many of the foods they regularly consume negatively affect their alkaline body balance. The human body is a naturally alkaline environment. When an individual consumes an overly acidic diet, they throw off their body’s healthy pH balance, which makes them susceptible for illness and disease. In fact, when the body’s pH balance is too acidic, an individual is at an elevated risk of suffering from heart disease, arthritis, cancer, diabetes, and other diseases.

Another reason why an individual should work to promote a healthy alkaline balance is because cancer cannot survive in an alkaline environment. On the pH scale, which ranges from one to fourteen, fourteen being highly alkaline, the human body should be about an 7.4 to 7.6 naturally. At a pH of 8.5, cancer cells can no longer survive. Therefore, a high alkaline diet can potentially decrease one’s risk of cancer or even help fight the disease.

How to Control the Body’s PH Levels Through Diet:

The best way to support a healthy acidic-alkaline balance within the body is to consume diet that is composed of 50% to 80% alkaline foods. For proper nutrition, it is still necessary to consume some acidic foods. These foods should just be limited to less than half of one’s diet.

Therefore, one’s diet should consist mostly of alkaline foods, including:

● Dried fruit, such as raisins, apricots, dates and bananas
● Potatoes
● Salad greens, including lettuce, spinach, and both red and green cabbage
● Leafy, green vegetables
● Assorted vegetables, like beets, peppers, garlic, squash, zucchini, and cucumber
● Natural fats, like nuts and black olives
● Certain grains, like buckwheat and corn
● Dairy products, including fresh butter, unpasteurized milk, soft cheeses, and whey protein
● Herbal teas and fresh vegetable juices

While alkaline foods are extremely healthy, it can be very difficult to maintain a high alkaline diet. A dieter must limit highly processed foods, sugary foods, fruits, meat, alcohol, and soda, as these foods are acidic.

Unfortunately, these foods can be difficult to cut back on, since they make up the majority of many people’s diets. However, it is important to remember that people who consume a great deal of acidic foods are generally those that are constantly ill or suffer from disease. Dieters must also remember that they do not have to avoid acidic foods completely, but simply limit them to around 20% to 40% of their diet.

What Can a Dieter Expect From a High Alkaline Diet?

Consuming a high alkaline diet can do wonders for one’s health. People that are frequently lethargic, anxious, irritable, and/or suffer from frequently colds or nasal congestion can benefit from a high alkaline diet. An alkaline diet can help prevent against the flu and even help the body produce less mucous.

Women that suffer from benign breast cysts or ovarian cysts can also benefit from a high alkaline diet. This diet can also protect the bones from osteoporosis, the muscles from losing mass, and help to prevent kidney stones. These are so many benefits from a high alkaline diet that many people never stop to consider. Even those concerned with losing weight will be happy to see what this diet can do for their body. Eating to support a healthy alkaline body balance will help dieters lose weight, prevent disease, and support great overall health.

Acids and Bases

Acids are chemical compounds that release hydrogen ions (H+) when placed in water. For example, when hydrogen chloride is placed in water, it releases its hydrogen ions and the solution becomes hydrochloric acid.

Bases are chemical compounds that attract hydrogen atoms when they are placed in water. An example of a base is sodium hydroxide (NaOH). When this substance is placed in water, it attracts hydrogen ions, and a basic (or alkaline) solution results as hydroxyl (—OH) ions accumulate.