If you know anything about the diet industry then you’ve undoubtedly heard of the alkaline diet. That’s the one where you’re supposed to eat more foods that are alkaline than acidic in order to keep your pH levels alkaline. It’s based on the premise that acidity in the blood causes disease.
However, if you also know anything about the miraculous feat of engineering and design that is the human body, then you’ll realize that nothing much has been left to chance in this creation. And that includes regulation of its internal pH levels.
There is in fact an entire system of checks and balances in place to do just that. Ensure that the balance between acidity and alkalinity is maintained at the correct levels for optimum performance. Quite independently of whether the fuel it receives is more alkaline or more acidic.
Whilst the concepts behind the alkaline diet are not supported by any hard, cold evidence, few would argue that the diet itself is actually pretty healthy. It encourages eating more fresh fruits, vegetables, seeds and nuts which are alkaline, rather than more acidic meats, dairy, sugar and processed foods in general. Similar recommendations to those made by most reputable dietitians in fact! Only not for pH reasons.
Alkaline Diet Creator And Champion Of Unproven Alternative Therapies In Trouble
Now the co-founder of the pH theory, co-author of the book about it The pH Miracle, and the creator of the diet itself, one Robert Young (ahem) PhD is in trouble with the law. But not over the Alkaline Diet. His problems it seems are rather bigger than that.
For a start, his PhD in nutrition is not, according to the BBC, legitimate. It’s a correspondence degree he got doing a course through a non-accredited school that no longer exists.
In reality, he has no recognized medical qualifications whatsoever. And that means he’s been practicing medicine without a licence, a crime that carries a penalty of more than 3 and a half years jail time.
Then there are the terminal cancer patients he’s treated with rather pricey baking-soda infusions. Who would have thought baking soda was so expensive! Seems it was supposed to flush the acids out of their system and presumably cure their cancer.
One British cancer sufferer died several months after receiving $77,000 worth of ‘treatment’ from ‘Dr’ Young. Prosecutors are now arguing that leading terminally ill people to believe expensive unproven, alternative therapies will cure them is theft by fraud and he’ll be facing charges on those counts as well.