The Relationship of Body’s pH and Cancer: How To Fix Your pH Balance

Roma Kunde
Roma Kunde
September 10, 2024
10
min read
Technically reviewed by: 
Adele Morris
The Relationship of Body’s pH and Cancer: How To Fix Your pH Balance
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Curious about how your body’s pH levels might impact your cancer risk? This article explores whether keeping your body slightly alkaline can help lower your risk of cancer. We’ll discuss the connection between body pH and cancer, the potential benefits of an alkaline diet, and some simple tips for maintaining a balanced pH. Read on to find out how to fix your pH balance to improve your health.

Understanding Body pH and Cancer

Let’s start with the basics about pH and why it’s important to your body.

What Is Body pH?

Body pH refers to the level of acidity or alkalinity in your body. It’s measured on a scale from 0 to 14, with 7 being neutral. A pH below 7 is acidic and above 7 is alkaline. Your body naturally balances its pH, keeping your blood slightly alkaline (around 7.35-7.45) [1]. Maintaining this balance is essential for optimal health, as it supports bodily functions like digestion, energy production, and overall cellular activity [2].

Cancer’s Preferred Environment 

Cancer cells grow in low-oxygen, acidic environments by using glycolysis for energy, but more research is needed to confirm if changing body pH can help prevent or treat cancer.

Cancer cells grow in low-oxygen environments. For example, an experiment showed that fibroblasts (cells that help build and repair tissues) exposed to nitrogen instead of air started showing cancer-like traits [3]. Otto Warburg's research found that cancer cells use a different way to get energy called glycolysis, instead of using oxygen like regular cells. This process keeps cancer cells in an alkaline state inside while creating an acidic environment around tumors [4].

Because cancer cells grow well in acidic conditions, cancer and acidity are often linked [5]. So, some scientists wondered whether keeping the body’s pH more alkaline might help prevent or treat cancer. However, these ideas come from lab studies and not from research on actual human tumors [6]. Only more research can verify these speculations. 

Alkaline Diet and Its Health Benefits

The alkaline diet focuses on consuming foods that supposedly reduce acidity in the body, which can improve your health in the long term. So, does the intake of acidic or alkaline foods affect the blood pH? The straightforward answer is no because pH is tightly regulated by your body. Changing your diet might affect the pH of your saliva or urine since they are waste products, but it won’t significantly impact your blood's pH [7].

However, this diet still has some potential benefits. Eating plant-based foods and reducing processed and acidic foods can:

  • Enhance heart health by lowering blood pressure, cholesterol levels, and the risk of heart disease [8].
  • Boost kidney function by reducing the workload on your kidneys and maintaining a healthy balance of electrolytes [9].
  • Help with weight management due to the high fiber and nutrient contents and lower calorie values of these foods [10].

Even though an alkaline diet and cancer prevention can’t be directly linked, this diet can still contribute to your general well-being by encouraging a healthier lifestyle.

If you’d like to give it a chance, here are some simple alkaline diet recipes you can try at home for a quick, nutritious meal [11]:

  • Quinoa Salad. Mix cooked quinoa with cherry tomatoes, cucumbers, and a lemon-tahini dressing.
  •  Chickpea Curry. Sauté chickpeas with onions, garlic, and curry spices; serve over brown rice.
  • Sweet Potato and Black Bean Tacos. Fill corn tortillas with roasted sweet potatoes, black beans, and avocado.
  • Spinach and Mushroom Stir-Fry. Toss spinach, mushrooms, and bell peppers with soy sauce and garlic. 

These recipes are light, plant-based, and easy to prepare, making it simple to follow an alkaline diet that promotes overall health.

The alkaline diet emphasizes plant-based foods to promote overall health, but while it doesn't significantly affect blood pH, it can improve heart health, kidney function, and support weight management by reducing processed and acidic foods.

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Alkalization Therapy and Cancer Treatment: How It Works

Alkalization therapy is an alternative treatment that tries to raise the body's pH to slow cancer growth, but there isn't enough scientific proof to show it works. Eating healthy with fruits, vegetables, and hydration supports overall well-being.

Medical science is still exploring whether cancer progression can be stopped by altering the body's condition. Many questions remain about the underlying mechanisms and if cancer can be cured. 

The concept of alkalization therapy builds on early research by the abovementioned Otto Warburg, who studied cancer metabolism [4]. While current treatments often focus solely on cancer cells, some research suggests treating the whole patient [12]. 

In essence, alkalization therapy aims to neutralize the tumor microenvironment’s acidity through dietary changes or medications. This might potentially enhance the effectiveness of cancer treatments by targeting the metabolic behavior of cancer cells [13].

Thus, alkalization therapy doesn't compete with traditional cancer treatments. Rather, it aims to improve their beneficial effects, reduce side effects, and lower costs by improving the overall well-being of the patient during therapy [12].

Some examples of alkalization therapy include dietary interventions like an alkaline diet for cancer patients and the oral or intravenous administration of alkalizing drugs [12]. For instance, potassium citrate is used to increase urinary alkalinity, and sodium bicarbonate can help raise blood and tissue pH [14].

While this is a work in progress, future research can focus on combining standard therapies and alkalization therapy to offer hope in treating difficult cancers.

Practical Tips for Maintaining a Balanced Body pH

The two key aspects that play a great role in our health are diet and lifestyle. Let’s focus on their contribution to balancing your pH.

Dietary Tips

Eating healthy has many benefits, including an indirect yet positive impact on body pH. Therefore, you must:

  • Focus on a diet rich in fruits, vegetables, and whole grains, which have an alkaline effect on the body [15].
  • Limit high-sodium processed foods, sugar, and excessive red meat, which tend to be more acidic [16].
  • Stay hydrated throughout the day to regulate your body’s acid-base levels and help your body’s natural detoxification processes function effectively [17].
  • Aim for a balanced diet rather than strictly alkaline foods for general health and well-being [11].

You can even try innovative products like alkaline water. It has a higher pH level than regular tap water, often due to added minerals like calcium and magnesium. However, according to available studies on alkaline water and cancer, it has a minimal effect on the body’s pH balance [18].

Lifestyle Tips 

Simple lifestyle changes can go a long way toward balancing your body’s pH. Regular exercise enhances circulation and supports the body’s natural buffering systems, which help maintain a balanced pH level [19]. Stress management techniques like meditation or yoga can lower cortisol (stress hormone) levels, reducing stress-induced acidity and further promoting a more balanced pH [20]. 

To track your progress, use at-home tests like Diagnox's pH Test strips. These allow you to easily monitor your urine and saliva pH levels at your convenience. For more information on how to check body pH levels and other useful health recommendations, check out our blog today.

References

[1] NIH Staff, "Physiology, Acid Base Balance," National Institutes of Health, [Accessed September 9, 2024].

[2] W. Aoi and Y. Marunaka, "Importance of pH homeostasis in metabolic health and diseases: crucial role of membrane proton transport," BioMed Research International, vol. 2014, pp. 598986, September 2014, [Accessed September 9, 2024].

[3] H. Goldblatt and G. Cameron, "Induced Malignancy in Cells From Rat Myocardium Subjected to Intermittent Anaerobiosis During Long Propagation," Journal of Experimental Medicine, vol. 97, no. 4, pp. 525-552, April 1953, [Accessed September 9, 2024].

[4] O. Warburg, "On the Origin of Cancer Cells," Science, vol. 123, no. 3191, pp. 309-314, February 24, 1956, [Accessed September 9, 2024].

[5] A. Tafech and A. Stéphanou, "On the Importance of Acidity in Cancer Cells and Therapy," Biology, vol. 13, no. 4, p. 225, March 2024, [Accessed September 9, 2024].

[6] S. Harguindey, G. O. Jose, L. Pedrazb, A. Paradisoc, and S. J. Reshkind, "The Role of pH Dynamics and the Na+/H+ Antiporter in the Etiopathogenesis and Treatment of Cancer. Two Faces of the Same Coin-One Single Nature," Biochimica et Biophysica Acta, vol. 1756, no. 1, pp. 1-24, September 24, 2005, [Accessed September 9, 2024].

[7] D Anderson Cancer Center Staff, "Alkaline diet: What cancer patients should know," MD Anderson Cancer Center, [Accessed September 9, 2024].

[8] RUSH University Medical Center Staff, "Health Benefits of a Vegan Diet," RUSH University Medical Center, [Accessed September 9, 2024].

[9] National Kidney Foundation Staff, "Plant-Based Diet and Kidney Health," National Kidney Foundation, [Accessed September 9, 2024].

[10] MD Anderson Cancer Center Staff, "5 benefits of a plant-based diet," MD Anderson Cancer Center, [Accessed September 9, 2024].

[11] Harvard Health Publishing, "What is a plant-based diet and why should you try it?," Harvard Health Publishing, [Accessed September 9, 2024].

[12] H. Wada, R. Hamaguchi, R. Narui, and H. Morikawa, "Meaning and Significance of 'Alkalization Therapy for Cancer," Frontiers in Oncology, vol. 12, pp. 920843, July 13, 2022, [Accessed September 9, 2024].

[13] L. Schwartz, T. Seyfried, K. O. Alfarouk, J. Da Veiga Moreira, and S. Fais, "Out of Warburg Effect: An Effective Cancer Treatment Targeting the Tumor Specific Metabolism and Dysregulated pH," Seminars in Cancer Biology, vol. 43, pp. 134-138, April 2017, [Accessed September 9, 2024].

[14] I. F. Robey, B. K. Baggett, N. D. Kirkpatrick, et al, "Bicarbonate increases tumor pH and inhibits spontaneous metastases," Cancer Research, vol. 69, no. 6, pp. 2260-2268, March 2009, [Accessed September 9, 2024].

[15] J. M. Berardi, A. C. Logan, and A. V. Rao, "Plant based dietary supplement increases urinary pH," Journal of the International Society of Sports Nutrition, vol. 5, art. 20, pp. 20, November 2008, [Accessed September 9, 2024].

[16] R. A. Carnauba, A. B. Baptistella, V. Paschoal, and G. H. Hübscher, "Diet-Induced Low-Grade Metabolic Acidosis and Clinical Outcomes: A Review," Nutrients, vol. 9, no. 6, p. 538, May 2017, [Accessed September 9, 2024].

[17] NCOA Staff, "10 Reasons Why Hydration is Important," National Council On Aging, [Accessed September 9, 2024].

[18] T. R. Fenton and T. Huang, "Systematic review of the association between dietary acid load, alkaline water and cancer," BMJ Open, vol. 6, no. 6, pp. e010438, June 2016, [Accessed September 9, 2024].

[19] D. Street, J. Bangsbo, and C. Juel, "Interstitial pH in human skeletal muscle during and after dynamic graded exercise," Journal of Physiology, vol. 537, pp. 993-998, Dec 2001, [Accessed September 9, 2024].

[20] I. F. Robey, "Examining the relationship between diet-induced acidosis and cancer," Nutrition and Metabolism (London), vol. 9, art. 72, August 2012, [Accessed September 9, 2024].

About the Author
Roma Kunde

Roma Kunde is a freelance content writer with a biotechnology and medical background. She has completed her B. Tech in Biotechnology and has a certificate in Clinical Research. She has 6 years of writing and editing experience in fields such as biomedical research, food/lifestyle, website content, marketing, and NGO services. She has written blog articles for websites related to construction chemicals, current affairs, marketing, medicine, and cosmetics.

About the Reviewer
This blog was
Technically reviewed by: 
Adele Morris

Adele Morris served as the editor and proofreader of this blog, displaying her exceptional editorial skills and expertise in the field.

The blog was also reviewed by the Diagnox content team. Diagnox Staff consists of a multidisciplinary team of scientists, content writers, and healthcare professionals with an expertise to create and review high-quality, informative, accurate, and easy-to-understand content for both professionals and everyday readers. Our staff follows strict guidelines to ensure the credibility and authenticity of the information, reviewing them independently and verifying them by various scientific and technical sources to ensure accuracy. Our review team believes in delivering knowledge free from bias to improve public health and well-being.

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