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Show WHAT TO EAT and WHY . -foillton Gaud 155 Noted Food J Authority Describes the ACID- and ALKALINE-ASH ALKALINE-ASH FOODS and Explains Their Role in Maintaining the ACID-BASE BALANCE of the Body By C. HOUSTON GOUDISS East S9th Street. Mew Xerk CUT. ACIDITY is the topic of the hour. On every side we hear - people complaining that they have too much acid in their systems, that they suffer from acid stomach, acid headaches, acid mouth, acidosis. In fact, most adults fancy themselves victims of a great battle between acid and alkaline forces, with the acid having the bet-3 digestion. But the fact is that the body performs a clever bit of chemical engineering and the final effect on the blood is alkaline. - Homemakei's Responsibility A balanced diet must include sufficient base-forming foods to neutralize and counter-balance the effects of the acids formed in metabolism. That is one reason why it is so important for the homemaker to provide her family with plenty of milk, fruits and vegetables, in addition ad-dition to the necessary meat, fish, eggs and cereals. In general, one is likely to feel better when base-forming foods predominate, at least slightly, in the diet over acid-forming foods. Some authorities believe that this may be due not so much to their effect on the acid-base balance as to the fact that they provide such splendid amounts of vitamins, minerals and fiber. However, one must not make the mistake of becoming so enthusiastic enthu-siastic over building a highly alkaline al-kaline diet that one overlooks good foods necessary to round out a balanced diet. To those homemakers who take seriously the important job of feeding a family, and wish to ba correctly informed, I shall gladly send a chart showing which foods are alkaline and which acid. It can be used as a helpful guide in planning a balanced diet. Send for this chart and increase your food knowledge. In the meantime, don't under any circumstances cir-cumstances allow misguided individuals indi-viduals to frighten you into joining join-ing the vast army of acid-minded people who are so concerned over the possibilities of acidosis that they haven't time to enjoy life. tabolism, the blood normally remains re-mains remarkably constant and slightly alkaline, due to a highly efficient buffer system. Perhaps you wonder, if this is so, why doctors and dietitians talk so much about the acid-base balance. bal-ance. -- The Acid-Base Balance To understand this phrase, you must know that every food leaves an ash when burned in the body, just as ashes remain when coal or wood is burned in a furnace. In the body, the ash consists of valuable valu-able minerals which are required in large amounts to maintain optimal op-timal health. Some foods, such as meat, fish, eggs and cereals, leave an acid ash because the predominating minerals are phosphorus, chlorine chlor-ine and sulphur. Other foods, chiefly milk and most fruits and vegetables, leave an alkaline ash because the remaining minerals are principally calcium, magnesium, magne-sium, potassium and sodium. These are the base-forming foods. Besides the alkaline ash and acid ash foods, there is a group of foods, including sugar, cornstarch and purified fats, which are so highly refined that no minerals remain after they are burned ; and some other foods, such as butter ter of it. They confuse gastric acidity which is entirely normal, for the healthy stomach is always al-ways strongly acid with the potential acidity of foods which leave an acid residue following fol-lowing digestion. And many of them are convinced that they should take drastic steps to overcome over-come the danger of acidosis. i -- The Vogue of Acidosis There are fashions in disease, just as in dress, home furnishings and automobiles. y!!,,9. Ten years ago, we f s heard much about f ' 4 the evils of. auto-1 auto-1 1H intoxication, and it f - I was some time be- p. fre people realized that they had been I V'tf ' mis!ed by the ex- iS treme claims of f W those who had . some sort of rem- wa edy to sell. And now it is acidosis that is the most talked of complaint. Friends caution cau-tion one another against this or that food, with the mistaken idea that it causes or aggravates an acid condition. Food faddists have frightened thousands by suggesting suggest-ing that acidosis is brought about and cream, leave a balance of the two types of ash. These are known as neutral foods. -- Cannot Trust Your Tongue The sense of taste cannot be relied re-lied upon as a guide in determining determin-ing which foods are acid and which alkaline. For example, cereals, ce-reals, whieb are bland to the taste, have) an acid reaction following fol-lowing digestion. Bread, likewise, is acid forming, although you would not suspect that fact from its taste. On the other hand, potatoes, po-tatoes, though somewhat similar to bread in flavor and food value, are one of our most valuable alkaline alka-line foods, and dried lima beans are the most highly alkaline of any food known. If it seems curious that such bland foods should have an acid ash, you may find it even harder to believe- that oranges, lemons, grapefruit, peaches and tomatoes, which taste acid in the mouth, leave an alkaline ash following by mixing various kinds of foods. Endangered Indeed, we have come to a point where the fear of a so-called acid condition is assuming proportions which indicate the possibility of real trouble nnless the American people get the true facts and put aside these foolish delusions. Physiologists believe that fear and worry have a detrimental effect ef-fect on digestion, and, in turn, on the general health. Thus eating meals in constant fear of acidity may upset the digestion and bring about the very symptoms that you are trying to avoid. One well-known well-known authority contends that perhaps 90 per cent of digestive distress, attributed to the kind or combinations of food eaten, is actually ac-tually due to unfavorable mental or emotional states, and other causes such as over-eating, even when fatigued, or consuming at one meal too many foods that are difficult to digest. It, therefore, becomes apparent that thousands of people are contributing to their own discomfort as a result of fear, ignorance, or a blind belief in misleading mis-leading claims which are opposed to scientific facts. --Acidosis --Acidosis Uncommon The danger is not from acidosis, but from the fear of this bugbear, and from self medication in the belief be-lief that certain remedies are required re-quired to overcome a fancied condition. con-dition. For in spite of the large amount of acid produced in me- |