When we build a fire, there is an ash left behind by the burned fuel. The same is true of our body when it burns food for fuel. The food leaves an ash. That ash will either be alkaline or acidic, depending on the food.

Acidity and alkalinity are measured on what is called the pH scale. How acidic a food is on our plates is often the opposite of how acidic the ash residue will be. For example, acidic fruits and vegetables tend to leave an alkaline ash, while alkaline meats and cheeses tend to be acid-forming in the body. Our bodies also produce acid as a by-product of normal metabolism. Because our bodies are designed to be alkaline, this acid must be buffered with alkaline substances. However, our bodies cannot manufacture acid buffers. Food and supplementation are the only means of replenishing alkalinity in the body.

Due to the Standard American Diet (SAD), most people suffer from an unbalanced pH that is too acidic. In other words, their bodies are full of acid waste. Because the body was meant to be alkaline, this condition forces the body to borrow minerals, like calcium, from the body’s organs, ligaments, muscles, and bones to neutralize the acid in an attempt to safely remove it from the body. It is this process that causes the formation of stones.

Acid, not calcium supplementation, is the real cause behind kidney stones. The largest study ever published on calcium and kidney stones, concluded that high calcium intake is associated with a decreased risk of stones. Moreover, the study found that those who consumed less than 850 mg of calcium per day were at an increased risk for kidney stones. (New England Journal of Medicine, 1993) Another study showed that acid-forming foods are a risk factor for developing kidney stones.