Diary 2 - What medicine for my gout?

I met this Malay man (in his 50s) at the entrance of a phamarcy in Selayang Jaya. When he saw me, he posed the following remarks.

"If you have any medicine for my gout, please share with me. I know you Chinese have a lot of herbs taking various kinds of diseases."

My response: "Your gout problem is related to the food taken in the past and may be at present as well. The first thing you should do is to reduce meat consumption. Better still if you can give up the meat gradually."

His response: "I have gradually reduced my meat consumption but occassionally take some fish".

My response: "Very good. You need to do more to reclaim your health. The next thing is for you to switch gradually from white rice to brown rice. I have to leave now. Anyway, I work in FRIM. You may visit my blog site to view my write ups on health. Best health to you."

Diary 1 - Interesting Encounters (16 & 22 Nov 2009)

While travelling between Subang and Alor Star airports (16 Nov & 22 Nov 2009), I met two Malays who told me the followings.

"I am 65 years old now and seldom fall sick. My secret is not to choose the nice and tastey food in the commercial world. If you want to maintain good health, choose food that are not nice such as ulam (fresh vegetables) and fruits."

"My family is not typical Malays in terms of taking food. In fact, we follow much of the Chinese ways of good eating and drinking habits. For example, we take little rice, eat more vegetable and fruits. Soup is a must in daily diet. We steam the fish instead of cooking in curry. Nasi lemak is no longer our favorite. Our family health is pretty good for the general standard."

Food for thought: The Malay community in general has lower level of awareness on the effects of food on their health. I am very to meet both of them. Writing health books has enabled me to meet interesting peoples with common interests.

The Yin and Yang Food

Food can also be classified into groups according their predominant yin and yang qualities. Kushi and Jack (2003) have divided the entire spectrum of foods and beverages into the following three broad categories. To stay healthy, we select to consume moderate foods in daily eating. See Kushi, M. & Jack, A. (2003). The Macrobiotic Path to Total Health. New York: Ballantine Books.


Moderate foods, consisting of a relatively harmonious blend of yin and yang qualities, is suitable for regular, occasional or infrequent use as a part of a balanced daily way of eating.

Extreme yang food items, which create tightness, hardness and other strong contractive effects, are generally to be avoided or minimized in a temperate climate.

Extreme yin foods, which create looseness, softness and other strong expansive effects, are generally to be avoided or minimized in a four-season climate.

In general, we may also associate food high in sodium and low in potassium as well as extreme yang and extreme yin food as acidic food. On the other hand, food high in potassium and low in sodium are alkaline. It is this classification that influences the pH value, i.e. the level of acidity of the body. If you consume more acidic food, your body will become acidic. If you continue to consume acidic food, the diseases and sickness will come to you. It is a matter of time. When inflicted with critical diseases and illnesses, you will age faster than expected. You will fall into the vicious cycle of diseases, if you do not change your eating habits.


Extreme yang food items (strongest at the top) Source: Kushi & Jack (2003)
1 Medication (some), refined salt or high-mineral salt
2 Eggs, caviar
3 Meat
4 Hard cheese
5 Poultry
6 Ginseng, shark fin, and some roots, herbs and supplements
7 Tobacco
8 Seafood, shellfish, red meat and blue-skin fish
9 White-meat fish
10 Salted, smoked, baked, grilled, roasted or crunchy foods and salty foods such as chips
11 Bread, crackers, cookies and other hard baked flour products

Moderate food items (strongest at the top) Source: Kushi & Jack (2003)
1 Sea salt
2 Sea vegetables
3 Whole grains
4 Beans and bean products
5 Vegetables
6 Temperate seeds and nuts
7 Temperate fruit and juices such as apple cider and carrot juice
8 Unrefined vegetable oils
9 Grained-based sweeteners such as amasake, barley malt and rice syrup
10 Bancha tea, barley tea and other traditional, nonstimulant, nonaromatic beverages
11 Spring, well or filtered water

Extreme yin food items (strongest at the top) Source: Kushi & Jack (2003)
1 Medication (many)
2 Drugs such as marijuana, LSD and cocaine
3 Chemically grown, processed or treated foods and water; gene-altered foods; irradiated foods
4 Vitamin pills and supplements (most)
5 Alcohol
6 Sugar, honey and other refined sweeteners
7 Coffee, decaf, black tea, mint tea, soft drinks and other stimulant or aromatic beverages
8 Tropical vegetables, fruits and nuts; spices and herbs
9 Saturated and refined vegetable oils, mayonnaise and margarine
10 Milk, butter, soft cheese, yogurt, ice cream, and soft dairy foods
11 White rice, white flour and other polished grains

Potassium-Rich and Sodium-Rich Food

Knowing different alkaline and acidic food does not ensure a healthy body. You need to understand the potassium and sodium ratio in food. Every type of food contains both potassium and sodium, but in varying amounts. The potassium and sodium contents in the food are going to affect your health for the rest of your life. The ratio of potassium and sodium in food is emphasized because

“it plays a role not only in cancer but also in high blood pressure, heart diseases, and diabetes, etc. In animal studies it was observed that when salt was added to food, the blood pressure rose, but when potassium was added, the blood pressure came down. It is not enough to reduce salt intake, one must also increase potassium intake” (Lai 1993).

Where can you get potassium-rich food? According to Lai (1993), “the high potassium foods are vegetables and fruits, with K/Na ratio highest for soy beans, banana, pumpkin, etc. The poor potassium sources are animals or processed food, with K/Na ratio less than 1, including candies, cookies, canned foods, bread and bacon”. See Lai, C.N. (1993). The Pursuit of Life. Singapore: Lapis Lazuli Light.


List of selected potassium-rich foods (vegetables and fruits)
(1) Vegetables: Cabbage, Carrots, Cauliflower, Celery, Cucumber, Mushrooms, Potatoes, Pumpkin, Spinach, Sweet potato, Tomato
(2) Fruits: Apple, Banana, Grapes, Guavas, Lemon, Orange, Papaya
(3) Grains, bread & pasta: Barley, Oatmeal, Brown rice, Whole grain rye
(4) Nuts & Seeds (Shelled): Almond, Brazil, Cashew, Sesame, Sun flower seed, Walnut
(5) Beans: Lentils, Mung bean, Peas (whole), Red beans, Soya beans

List of selected sodium-rich foods
(1) Meat & fish: Bacon, Pork, ham, Lobster, Tuna (canned), Pork, sausage
(2) Canned vegetables: Corn, Peas, Asparagus
(3) Cookies: Biscuits, White bread, Cheese, Cake (plain), Candy, Cookies (assorted), Pies (apple)
(4) Dairy products: Butter, Eggs

What happened if one takes little potassium-rich food? A colleague of mine was hospitalised and placed in ICU for a few days as he could not move his legs in mid-2009. He was reminded by the medical doctor that his weak legs are related to not choosing potassium-rich food in daily food consumption.

The Acidic and Alkaline Food

All food digested in your body metabolizes into an ash residue. This ash residue can be acidic, neutral or alkaline, depending on the mineral contents of the original food. If you want to be healthy, you need to understand the difference between acidic and alkaline foods. If you consume a lot of acidic food, you may suffer from common ailments such as colds or allergies more than others. If this food habit continues, other diseases may follow.

How do you know whether a kind of food is acidic or alkaline? This is determined by the types of minerals in it and the quantity of these minerals. It is not determined by the taste of the food on your tongue. In general, when minerals such as potassium, sodium, calcium, magnesium and iron enter the body, they become alkaline while phosphorus, chlorine, and sulphur become acidic after consumption. Even though vinegar and lemons have sour taste, the acidity is dissolved in the body, leaving behind potassium, sodium, calcium, magnesium and iron, hence they are alkaline (Jiang 1999). See Jiang S.H. (1999). Eating this Way is Healthiest. Taipei: Yuan Shen Press. (In Chinese)

The list of alkaline food and acidic food is shown below.

List of alkaline food
(a) Grains: millet
(b) Vegetables: Vegetables, sea vegetables, sprouts
(c) Beans and bean products: Green beans, green peas, Lima bean, soya bean, red beans, to fu, sprouted beans
(d) Fruits: Fresh fruits and fruit juice
(e) Cooking ingredients: Miso

List of acidic food
(a) Grains: Brown rice, white rice, wheat, oats, rice bran, oat bran
(b) Meat: Meat, fish, sea food, eggs
(c) Vegetables & nuts: Preserved vegetables, beans, nuts
(d) Fruits: Preserved fruits
(e) Starch & food processed from starch: White bread, noodles, biscuits, flour, wheat flour
(f) Food manufactured from white sugar, chemically produced sugar and salt: Sauce, ice-cream, chocolate, soft drinks, canned fruits, frozen fruits, refined sugar
(g) Cooking ingredients: Onion, garlic, ginger, animal oils, olive oil, pepper
(h) Special food: Oily fried food, fermented food, addictives, processed, sauced food, butter, cheese, honey, wheat germ, yogurt
(i) Drinks: Pasteurized milk, yogurt, alcohol, beer, soft drinks, coffee, tea, ice-cream, cow’s milk

It is useful to remember the research by Dr. William Howard Hay (1866-1940): the human body requires 20% acidic food and 80% alkaline food to provide the necessary energy in maintaining the body’s healthy condition. It is necessary to stress that these sources of acidic food and alkaline food have to come from non-animal sources.

Whether you are faced with any disease or not, regular medical check-up on the body’s pH value provides a good indicator on your health condition. When it shows acidic results, this is a time that you need to consider alternative medication. You need to properly examine the food you consume and then take positive steps to reclaim your health.

The Health Food

The 21st century is the era to attain and reclaim your health. This can be effectively achieved via daily food consumption.

You take food to maintain life because in food are the calorie and nutrients needed by the body. As mentioned earlier, every type of food would contain protein, carbohydrates, fats, fibre, water, minerals and vitamins. Different types of food–animal and plant-based have different contents of nutrients as described below.

Carbohydrate is main source of calories. Example: rice, bread and potato.

Vitamins and minerals/ash maintain function of cells and ensures normal digestion to take place. Example: fresh fruits and vegetables.

Protein helps growth, repairs cells and provides calories. Example: beans, fresh fruits, meat, yogurt.

Fat helps balance the discharge of hormones, provides vitamins, provides calories and maintains body temperature. Example: sweets, cakes, meat , yogurt.

Water helps control body temperature and maintains liquid balance.

Fibre helps digestion and facilitates the discharge of cholesterol. Example: fresh fruits and vegetables.



Never think that there is no protein in vegetables. According to June Ka Lim (a Macrobiotic diet consultant in Malaysia), protein from plants may not be the best because they are not complete protein. For vegetarians, to get the best source of protein, it is important to take cooked whole grains with beans and seeds. These include

Whole grains: brown rice, barley, whole wheat berries, rye, corn, whole oats and buck wheat.

Beans and bean products: Adzuki beans, lentils, chickpeas, black soybeans, to fu (soybean curb), tempeh (fermented soybean product) and natto (fermented soy product).

Seeds: Sesame seeds, Sunflower seeds, Pumpkin seeds, Squash seeds

There is a need for you to have more knowledge about the protein in food. Since young, we have been educated that the best source of protein is meat. Such perception is so deeply rooted that we just accept the idea that without protein from meat, children cannot grow properly while adults have no energy to engage in laborious tasks. Vegetarians are often regarded by the society at large as having inadequate protein from meat. Cancer patients also think that without protein from meat, they cannot fight the cancer cells. Unless such unfounded views are discarded, it is difficult for us to live without diseases and without medicine.

The same is equally true for the consumption of food containing vitamins and minerals. In nutrition, both minerals and vitamins are categorized as micro-nutrients meaning that our body merely needs a minimum amount daily. The lack of understanding has led to modern man dependent on all kinds of food supplements claiming to contain minerals and vitamins. For instance, when a person has running nose, cough or fever, it is common to consume vitamin C tablets. Similarly, people are taking high-calcium food supplements believing that they could help avoid osteoporosis. The market is full of different brands of food supplements. Are they the best vitamins and minerals? Wouldn’t it be better if they are derived from the natural source?

In reality, the best source of minerals and vitamins is derived from vegetables and fruits. For example, if the body lacks zinc, it is best to obtain it from mustard, ulam raja (Cosmos caudatus), pegaga (Centella asiatica), spinach, lady’s fingers, yellow bean, red bean, green bean and black bean (Chia 2004). See Chia, J.S. (2004). What’s in Your Food? Subang Jaya: Pelanduk Publications.

Food Causes Diseases

Medical professionals and pharmaceutical companies spend much time searching for the right medicines and developing new technology for various diseases. There is limited research on the association between health problems and food. Consequently, the media too gives wider coverage on the latest development in the treatment of diseases while disease prevention is generally neglected.

The truth is tasty and nice food could bring disease. On disease and illness, Jiang Shu Hui of Taiwan, a Chinese physician, gave us the best explanation, i.e. “accumulation of toxins, occurrence of illness and diseases”. Where do the toxins come from? According to Jiang (1999), if the body is acidic, it just cannot digest the extra protein. When one continues to consume acidic food, all the cells and body systems would be submerged in an acidic environment. Over the years, illnesses and diseases are unavoidable. It would start with simple illnesses such as headache, running nose, fever and cough. If you continue to eat food which is acidic, more critical diseases and illnesses may follow. See Jiang S.H. (1999). Eating this Way is Healthiest. Taipei: Yuan Shen Press. (In Chinese)


Stages of Diseases Formation
Jiang (1999) continues to explain that there are three stages for a disease or illness to develop.

The first is the imbalance stage, you find yourself feeling body discomfort after waking up in the morning. You may have high fever, cough, headache, ulcers, running nose, skin itch or abnormal increase in body weight. You may also have more appetite for food, especially sodium-rich food, but in the mean time face digestion problem. You may feel tired easily and have poor memory. These are the signals that you have consumed too much fats and salty food but less food rich in fibre. These symptoms are telling you that your body is going to have more serious health problems. You need to adjust your diet to reclaim your health. If you continue to consume acidic food, the body will have to work extra hard to discharge the toxin through various channels such as the skin and urinary system. If these toxin discharging channels are overloaded with work, they cannot function efficiently. For example, your digestion will be facing blockage and hence constipation develops. The body’s immune system is now weak; you are entering the second stage.

In the second stage, a lot of toxins are in the body and the body is trying very hard to discharge them. You now have frequent running nose, fever, foul smelling sweat, frequent urination, yawning, body ache, skin itch and poor breathing. Some people may experience swollen body parts. Women may face irregular menstruation cycle and period pain. It is because the toxins cannot not be discharged.

The final stage is the formation of diseases, a result of accumulation of toxins in your body. Upon diagnosis, you are told that you already have one or more of the critical illnesses or diseases. It could be heart diseases, diabetes, migraine, osteoporosis, gout, eye problems, gall stones, kidney stones, kidney diseases or even tumour formation. At this stage, if you seriously adjust your diet, exercise and seek appropriate medication, your health could still be improved.

Your Liver and Its Functions

In this chemical age, thousands of chemicals are added to the food we consume everyday. It is a fact that pesticides, herbicides and hormones are used in food production. For example, the use of drugs to control animal disease and to promote faster and more efficient growth of livestock is a common practice in the poultry and livestock industry. Plants are sprayed with toxic chemicals like pesticides and herbicides. Increasing amounts of our food are processed, refined, frozen and cooked. All these contribute to the destruction of delicate vitamins and minerals in food. Researches have shown that harm is caused to the body, especially the liver through the exposure to pesticides, herbicides, air fresheners, preservatives, antibiotic, bleaching agents, dry cleaning agents, paint, etc (Lai 2006). See Lai, C.N. (2006). “Caring for your liver: protecting your environment”, Lapis News, 3rd Issue, June-August 2006.

Pesticides and herbicides are the main culprits to our health and the environment. They are complex chemical compounds not easily broken down. They are passed down to the surface and ground water and into the water body. They pollute the water we drink. Being at the top of the food chain, man is the most efficient accumulator of desirable and undesirable elements which include minerals, toxins and heavy metals.

The liver acts as a filter for your blood and lymph fluids. The junk food you consume has to be processed or else it would circulate and accumulate in your body. The liver processes and breaks them down for excretion. The liver also processes ingested toxins from cigarettes and alcohol.

The liver is our body’s largest internal organ and chemical factory. Its weight is between 1.2 and 1.6 kg for adults. A major function of the liver is to detoxify the toxins in the body. The liver is the body’s main defence against metabolic poisoning, breaks down toxic substances such as chemical additives, drugs, pesticide and hormones into less harmful substances, stores them or eliminates them. Many of these toxic chemicals that enter the body are fat-soluble. They dissolve only in fatty or oily solutions and not in water. It is thus difficult for the body to excrete. These fat soluble chemicals have a high affinity for fat tissues and cell membranes which are made of fatty substance. Toxins may thus be stored in these fatty parts of the body for a long time and they are released during exercise, stress or fasting. The liver converts the fat-soluble chemicals into water soluble chemicals to enable their excretion from the body through watery fluids such as bile and urine. If the detoxification pathways of the liver become overloaded, there will be a build up of toxins in the body.

When too much food is consumed, the work loads of the liver increases and bottlenecking occurs in the liver too. If the liver has to store too much unusable toxins, then liver damage may occur. Hence it is easier for you to have diseases. For example, if there is too much nutrients accumulated in the liver, they will damage its cells. If you take too much sugar and meat, there will be too much fat in the liver, leading to liver hardening and liver cancer. This is because too much protein would lead to toxin accumulation. Normally, the liver contains 4 to 7% of fats. Once the fat content in the liver exceeds the wet weight of 10%, the problem of fatty liver arises. If the liver is busy processing toxic materials, its function in releasing energy is neglected.

Essential fatty acids are needed for the body’s nervous system to function, for cells to be built and repaired, for blood to clot and the brain to perform properly. To facilitate fat digestion, bile is secreted by the liver. Bile is stored in the gall bladder from which it is released and used in fat digestion and the absorption of nutrients. Bile breaks down oils and fats into droplets or fatty acids in a process called lipolysis. This eases extraction of nutrients by gut bacteria before the fat leaves the digestive system and is excreted. The bile also aids in digestion and the lack of it causes the symptoms of indigestion such as nausea, bloating, flatulence and wind would occur.

Similarly, your liver is important for protein digestion. When protein is broken down in the gut into amino acids (the end products of protein digestion), ammonia, a highly toxic substance, is released. The liver extracts ammonia from the blood and converts it into much less toxic urea (containing nitrogen). Urea is then transported in the blood to the kidneys where it is eliminated.

When you eat sugary food, the level of glucose in your blood rises. Some of the sugar is used by the body for energy. Your pancreas produces insulin to help reduce the glucose (the end product of carbohydrate digestion) level while the rest is converted into glycogen (a more complex molecule, also called animal starch) and stored in the liver and muscles for future use if the blood sugar level in the blood falls.

Other important functions of the liver include manufacturing blood clotting substances, processing worn-out red blood cells, removing haemoglobin and storing it as iron for future use. The liver also stores vitamins A, B12, D, E and K. It is also a major contributor of heat to the body.

The liver is connected to your digestive and eliminative systems. If your liver is not healthy, fat digestion and waste excretion will be difficult resulting in diseases in the long run. So, let’s take care of our liver. Do not over burden it with unhealthy food. A failing liver could bring heart problems. Before many cancers happen, normally the liver is the first to get sick. If your liver cannot digest fat properly, the result is too much fat in your blood. This means more work for the heart, possibly causing it to be overloaded. Give the liver a proper rest. The liver’s repair time is effective from 11 p.m. till 3 a.m. Avoid sleeping after 11 p.m. and has supper two hours before sleeping to ensure that your liver has enough time to rest and regenerate.

What Causes Diseases?

Diseases do not occur easily. Other infectious diseases caused by viruses or bacteria entering the body are “caused in general, by toxic substances manufactured by the disturbed organs themselves or by toxic material in food and air” (Bieler 1965). See Bieler, H. (1965). Food is the Best Medicine. New York: Ballantine Books.



Our body has various adaptive mechanisms that can clear a normal amount of toxic substances. However, when “these safety channels are clogged, overburdened or suppressed, the vital force can no longer slowly and safely maintain harmony, and disease results” (Trattler 2001). The causes of disease listed by Trattler (2001) are as follows: See Trattler, R. (2001). Better Health Through Natural Healing: How to get well without drugs or surgery? Australia: Hinkler Books.

Accumulation of toxic material in the body. While it is acknowledged that other causes do exist, most factors that predispose a person to disease result from an accumulation of poisonous substances in the body which, when the channels of elimination cannot adequately remove them, will invariably initiate a disease process. These accumulations ultimately lead to changes within the cell and eventually within the whole body.

Incorrect or unbalanced diet. Modern food processing and refining leads to an unbalanced, low-fibre, unnatural diet which drastically decreases the nutrient value of food. Excessive use of mineral fertilizer can upset the natural balance of the soil, producing nutritionally inferior and deficient food. Pesticides and additives place a further burden on the body to detoxify unwanted and poisonous substances. Improper diet is a major cause of nearly all forms of diseases.

Improper posture and body mechanics. Habit, poor muscle tone, accident or injury may interfere with normal nervous activity or the circulation of the blood and lymph, leading to tissue degeneration and defective function.

Destructive emotions. Fear, anxiety, hate, self-pity and resentment can affect the body by upsetting digestion, blood flow, hormone balance and the general biochemistry of the entire body.

Administration of suppressive drugs and vaccines. This inhibits the eliminative efforts of the body by placing further demands on it for drug detoxification is a growing cause of disease. Many drugs and vaccines in particular, can cause allergic reactions, chronic allergies and other long-term health problems.

Excessive use of alcohol, coffee and tobacco. These social drugs, although widely accepted and used, are major factors in many disease processes. They can severely damage the liver, lungs, pancreas, thyroid, adrenal glands, and other parts of the body and mind.

Environmental causes. The air, water and soil are becoming more susceptible to pollution as population increases and we continue to treat the earth without proper respect.

Occupational hazards. Chemical contact and poor air quality are common factors in declining health.

Certain inherited factors. These weaknesses only become evident when the body comes under stress from one or more of the other causes of disease above.

Parasitic, viral or germ infection. This is not a primary cause of disease but rather its result. Pasteur, the father of the germ theory, stated “The germ is nothing, the soil is everything”, meaning that a germ can only thrive in a suitable environment. The body is host to millions of micro-organisms, some beneficial, others pathogenic. If ‘harmful’ bacteria are allowed to multiply, then typical symptoms of disease result.

Among the various causes of illnesses and diseases, acidic food is a major and often determining cause. Consumption of too much acidic food leads to accumulation of toxic materials within the body. This accumulation of toxic material is due to poor circulation, poor elimination and lack of exercise.

When the doctor informs you that your uric acid is high, it is a signal that you should take care of your diet. It simply means that when the uric acid is high, all the cells in your body have become acidic. What follow would then be modern diseases and illnesses such as high blood pressure, diabetes, kidney disease and even cancer.

What we eat is supposed to uplift our energy level to face the various challenges in modern society. Unfortunately, the food we consume daily is more acidic than food consumed 100 years ago. We are so busy with our daily chores that we hardly observe the food we take. More and more chemicals are added to our food just to satisfy our taste. Many urbanites turn to fast food for lunch and dinner. Such food weakens our body’s immune system to fight various diseases and illnesses. The acidic food is indeed killing us slowly without realizing it. Very often, acidic food causes normal discomforts such as headache, body ache, running nose and fever. These are the symptoms that the body has become acidic and this could lead to other more serious health problems. Hence, it is not uncommon to find people with high blood pressure and later diabetes, heart and kidney diseases. Below are the inter-linkages among some common diseases.
High blood pressure: long-term high blood pressure may lead to heart diseases.
Diabetes: too high sugar and fat levels in the blood have higher chance of heart diseases.
Obesity: This could lead to high blood pressure, diabetes and consequently brings about heart diseases and stroke.

Food and the Human Body

The body is made up of 60 trillion tiny cells. The different kinds of cells include blood cells, fat cells, muscle cells, nerve cells and skin cells. Each kind of cell has a special function. These different kinds of cells work together to keep us alive.

The foods we take keep the cells functioning. When we eat, our teeth chomp the food into tiny bits so that it is easier to swallow. The food passes down the throat and goes down a long tube into the stomach. Juices in the stomach mash the food into a soup. The mush is then squeezed through a long, coiled tube called the intestine. From the intestine, the goodness and badness from the food passes into our blood to be carried all around our bodies. In the process, the liver helps to break down the food while the kidneys assist to get rid of waste water. Our bodies cannot use all the food we eat. The bits we do not need pass out of the body as urine or stools.

It is the desire of every sentient being to live a healthy life. There is increasing awareness that there is a close relationship between health and eating habits. What type of food and in what ratio should we take to keep us healthy? According to Dr. William Howard Hay (1866-1940), a healthy body requires 20% acidic food and 80% alkaline food to keep it functioning properly.

However, the majority of modern man’s daily food intake is the reverse, i.e. consuming probably 20% alkaline food and 80% acidic food. Such imbalance and inappropriate food intake has tremendous impacts on human health. Over the years, as more acidic food is being consumed, the cells in the body also become more acidic. An acidic environment gives rise to various diseases.

If you wish to stay healthy, this 20 (acidic food): 80 (alkaline food) is an important reference in food consumption.

Composition of Food

The human body requires food to provide energy (for life processes and growth), repair and maintain cells and tissues. All food comprises macro-nutrients, micro-nutrients, water and fibre. The macro-nutrients are protein, fat and carbohydrates. These macro-nutrients provide energy, measured in terms of calories, to maintain life. Micro-nutrients comprise vitamins, minerals and trace elements. They perform a multitude of cellular functions, which involve the efficient use and disposal of macro-nutrients. Vitamins and minerals are needed on a daily basis and in small amounts. The body also requires fibre (derived from plants) to promote good health and prevent diseases. The food-related definitions below (Wright 2002) may be useful. See Wright, K. (2002). Extend Your Life. Scotland: Geddes & Grosset.

Proteins: the structural components of the body that form the basis of cells, tissues and organs. They are composed of units called amino acids. Through digestion, proteins are broken down into amino acids that are absorbed by the body. The human body could produce 12 of the 20 amino acids while the remaining 8 (known as essential amino acids) are derived from food. Foods containing proteins are from two sources, animals (such as red meat, poultry, fish, milk, cheese, yogurt and eggs) and plants (beans, peas, pulses, whole grains, nuts and seeds). Since proteins form about 10 to 15% of the daily total calorie intake, nutritionists recommend that only a small amount is needed at each meal.

Fats: contain fatty acid molecules that are either saturated (solid) or unsaturated (softer or more liquid). These are vital components of the membrane that surrounds all types of tissue cell and control the passage of substances into and out of the cells. They are stored inside cells as fuel reserves and are broken down when required to release energy. Cholesterol is a form of saturated fat manufactured from saturated fatty acids by the liver. Cholesterol is involved in the production of steroid, hormones and bile salts. The body is capable of supplying the required amount of cholesterol from a small food intake. Foods that are high in saturated fats are red meat, full fat dairy products and eggs.

Carbohydrates: these are simple or more complex forms of sugar molecules which are broken down by the digestive processes into glucose. Glucose is absorbed into the blood stream and utilized by the body. Processed food such as biscuits, pasta, sweets, cakes, chocolates and sauce consist mainly simple sugar that provides the body with calories (i.e. energy molecule in the form of glucose). Over consumption of such foods could lead to obesity, diabetes, atherosclerosis and tooth decay. Starches are complex carbohydrates comprising chains of glucose molecules. Foods such as cereals, grains, fruits, vegetables, bread and potatoes are mainly composed of starch and they also contain fibre, vitamins and minerals. These foods prevent obesity and over weight problems.

Fibre: This is found in the cell walls of plants and thus is present in plant-based foods. Fibre occurs in various forms and the most common is cellulose, the main constituent of the cell walls of plants. Foods rich in cellulose are foods containing whole-wheat bran such as wholemeal flour and bread, wholemeal pasta and brown rice. Cellulose is insoluble fibre; it does not break down in water. It binds to water and adds bulk to the waste products of digestion and facilitates efficient operation of bowel. Other forms of fibre are pectins found in fruits, citrus peel and vegetables and hemicelluloses found in oat bran, seeds, peas, beans, grains, vegetables and fruits. These two forms of fibre have gel-producing effects, are able to bind to cholesterol and excess bile salts and promote a slower release of food from the stomach, allowing more time for nutrients to be broken down and absorbed. Hemicelluloses are important sources of helpful fatty acids, provide energy for cells in the lining of colon. A well known form of hemicellulose is porridge (from oats).

Vitamins: They are required in metabolic processes such as growth and repair of tissues and organs, utilization of food and functioning of the immune, nervous, circulatory and hormonal systems. Vitamins are either fat soluble or water soluble. Fat soluble vitamins include vitamin A, D, E and K. These types of vitamins (with the partial exception of D and K) are derived from food and the excess is stored by the liver. Any excessive intake of fat soluble vitamins, especially A and D, (which may result from an overdose of supplements) can have toxic effects due to their accumulation in the liver. The water soluble vitamins are C and the B group. These vitamins dissolve in water and cannot be stored in the body and they must be derived from food daily. The excess of these vitamins is simply excreted.

Minerals: These are present in rocks, metals and living beings and they play an important role in metabolic processes such as combating illness and the effects of ageing. Minerals such as calcium and phosphorus are present in significant amounts in our bones and teeth. On the other hand, iron, iodine and sodium occur in very small quantities. Minerals needed in minute amounts are called trace elements. For example, sodium which is readily obtained from natural foods is essential in minute quantities for the correct functioning of nerves and as a vital constituent of cellular and tissue fluids. Potassium is an important component of cell and tissue fluids, helping to maintain the electrolyte–water balance and is also essential for nerve function. In particular, the imbalance in potassium and sodium levels in the body may lead to development of diseases. A low potassium/high sodium ratio is a factor in the development of high blood pressure and stress.

Causes and Linkages of Diseases

Scientists have found that these main diseases are linked, that is one disease can cause another.


Obesity is linked to cardiovascular disease, diabetes, hypertension, lipid disorder, stroke, kidney ailments, respiratory disease, gall bladder disease, osteoarthritis, hormonal abnormalities, nerve & eye problems.

Heart disease is linked to diabetes, high blood pressure.

Stroke is linked to diabetes, high blood pressure.

High blood pressure is linked to eye disease, blood vessel damage, coronary artery disease, kidney failure, stroke, dementia, erectile dysfunction.

Diabetes is linked to stroke, eye disease, kidney disease, impotence, weak bone, anaemia, erectile dysfunction.

Kidney disease is linked to heart disease, anaemia, weak bone, nerve damage, diabetes, high blood pressure.

Cancer is linked to organ damage after cancer cells spread.


Because of these linkages, ‘people with high blood pressure are seven times for likely to suffer from a stroke, four times more likely to have a heart attack, and five times more likely to die of congestive heart failure than people with normal blood pressure’ (Robbins 2001). See Robbins, J. (2001). The Food Revolution: How Your Diet Can Help Save Your life and the World. Mumbai: Magna Publishing Co. Ltd.


The level of blood pressure is a determinant of the risk for common cardiovascular diseases, including coronary heart disease, cerebrovascular disease and heart failure (Panagiotakos et al. 2002). See Panagiotakos, D., Chrysohoou, C., Pitsavos, C., Tzioumis, K., Papaioannou, I., Stefanadis, C. & Toutouzas, P. (2002). “The association of Mediterranean diet with low risk of acute coronary syndromes in hypertensive subjects”, International Journal of Cardiology 82: 141-147, www.elsevier.com/locate/ijcard

Medical research in the US has established high blood pressure and high cholesterol as major risk factors for heart disease (Kushi & Jack 2003). See Kushi, M. & Jack, A. (2003). The Macrobiotic Path to Total Health. New York: Ballantine Books.


Diabetes plays a key role in the development and progression of heart disease (Ghosh & Rodrigues 2006). See Ghosh, S. & Rodrigues, B. (2006). “Cardiac cell death in early diabetes and its modulation by dietary fatty acids”, Biochimica et Biophysica Acta 1761: 1148-1162, www.elsevier.com/locate/bbalip


According to the Malaysian Association for the Study of Obesity president, Professor Dr. Mohd Ismail Noor, most over-weight people are diabetic (Lee 2008). See Lee, R. (2008). “5 million may get diabetes”, New Sunday Times, 13 April, 2008.