Cancer & pH & Enzymes

Cancer and pH

To understand why some tissues in the body are deficient in oxygen and therefore prone to cancer, it is helpful to understand the nature of acidity and alkalinity. Cancerous tissues are acidic, whereas healthy tissues are alkaline. Water (H2O) decomposes into H+ and OH-. When a solution contains more H+ than OH- then it is said to be acid. When it contains more OH- than H+ then it is said to be alkaline.

When oxygen enters an acid solution it can combine with H+ ions to form water. Oxygen helps to neutralize the acid, while at the same time the acid prevents oxygen from reaching the tissues that need it. Acidic tissues are devoid of free oxygen.

An alkaline solution is just the reverse. Two hydroxyl ions (OH-) can combine to produce one water molecule and one oxygen atom. In other words, an alkaline solution can provide oxygen to the tissues.

The pH scale goes from 0 to 14, with 7 being neutral. Below 7 is acid and above 7 is alkaline. The blood, lymph and cerebral spinal fluid in the human body are designed to be slightly alkaline at a pH of 7.4.

At a pH slightly above 7.4 cancer cells become dormant and at pH 8.5 cancer cells will die while healthy cells will live (Barefoot, pages 66-67). This has given rise to a variety of treatments based on increasing the alkalinity of the tissues such as vegetarian diet, the drinking of fresh fruit and vegetable juices, and dietary supplementation with alkaline minerals such as calcium, potassium, magnesium, cesium and rubidium.

In Holland the vegetarian diet promoted by Dr. Moerman has been recognized by the government as a legitimate treatment for cancer. Results indicate that Dr. Moerman’s diet is more effective than standard cancer treatments (Jochems, 1990).

Enzymes to Dissolve Cancers

Dissolving cancerous tissue requires enzymes. Dietary supplements containing the ten or more pancreatic enzymes are helpful, with the most important enzymes being trypsin, chymotrypsin and amylase. These enzymes dissolve the protein and sugar coating of the cancer cell making it vulnerable to the attack of white blood cells. This has been known since 1905 (Griffin, page 81). The coating on the cancer cell is made of mucus and fibrin. Mucus is a glycoprotein (sugar and protein). Fibrin is a protein floating in the blood that allows blood to clot. This camouflage of mucus and fibrin prevents the white blood cells of the immune system from recognizing the cancer cell. Too much protein in the diet and refined foods such as white sugar and white flour deplete pancreatic enzymes, helping to open the way for cancer.

You should be able to obtain a good enzyme supplement at your local health food store or pharmacy. Pineapple and papaya are good sources of enzymes. “Pancreatic enzymes and vegetable enzymes are part of the supportive theory. You have the papaya melons as the source of the enzyme Papain and pineapple as a source of the enzyme Bromelain. The demasking effect of these enzymes against the pericellular layer of the malignant cell is something very concrete in the immunology of cancer. Now I prefer, rather than advising the use of bromelain or papaya tablets that the individual seeking these enzymes get them directly from the fresh ripe pineapple and papaya fruit. As much as half a pineapple a day should be ingested…You have nothing to lose by eating fresh pineapple and papaya melons.” – Dr. Krebs, Jr.

Alternatives newsletter November 2002.

Dietary sources of all kinds of enzymes are good, and the consumption of at least 70% fresh foods vs. 30% cooked foods helps ensure a supply of enzymes for the body (cooking at temperatures above 116°F destroys enzymes in the food). Fresh foods generally contain all the enzymes required for their own digestion, easing the burden on the digestive system. However, certain foods are more easily digested when cooked because heat breaks down starch (potatoes, for example). Cooking softens cellulose making foods easier to chew which, in turn, makes nutrients more available. However, juicing also breaks down cellulose and frees the nutrients while retaining the enzymes that would be destroyed by cooking.

Unsprouted seeds contain enzyme inhibitors which can be neutralized by cooking, however soaking or sprouting the seeds also removes the enzyme inhibitors and sprouts have a high concentration of vegetable enzymes and other nutrients. Therefore, it is a good idea to soak your grains and beans in water for a minimum of 12 hours before eating them. Soaked grains and beans are called “pre-sprouts” and are much more digestible because the enzyme inhibitors have been deactivated. Allowing the seeds to sprout for three days allows the synthesis of new proteins, plus there is a dramatic increase in the vitamins and essential fatty acids within the sprouts.

Cooking food thoroughly kills bacteria and viruses, which is why with raw foods cleanliness becomes very important. The temperature of food and beverages also makes a difference to digestion. Warm food relaxes the stomach and aids digestion. Cold food and beverage contracts the muscles of the stomach, hindering digestion. It is not good to have cold foods or beverages with meals. Lightly steaming vegetables warms and softens them while retaining most of their nutrients.

Generally as people age the digestive system becomes less powerful, producing less hydrochloric acid, less bile and less enzymes. Therefore, supplementary betaine hydrochloride, digestive enzymes and bile with each meal are often recommended. This not only helps digest the food, but provides a dual benefit of improving nutrition in the body and freeing up pancreatic enzymes for other purposes, such as digesting cancer. As a treatment for cancer, additional enzymes can be taken when the stomach is empty – between meals and in the middle of the night. For more information refer to Dr. Kelley’s book Cancer: Curing the Incurable Without Surgery, Chemotherapy, or Radiation.