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Three different levels of pH need to be maintained in the body, and without the integrated ayurvedic approach, medical science might occasionally offer correct observations but fail to formulate solutions or answers.

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Vaidya R.K. Mishra shares his insight of Ayurveda in a series of articles and cutting edge white papers.

How to balance the balancing factor of health

An Ayurvedic Perspective On Acid-Alkaline Balance

Vaidya Rama Kant Mishra is a world renowned ayurvedic physician issuing from a family of Raj Vaidyas – whose healing practices date back thousands of years. A dermatologist by specialization, Vaidya Mishra is currently based in the US. He travels coast to coast offering educational workshops on Ayurvedic Transdermal Marma Theraphy – a multi-dimensional healing protocol that addresses several aspects of the physiology simultaneously, naturally inducing optimal well-being.

Mélina Takvorian (PhD) is currently working towards her second doctoral degree (in Ayurvedic medicine). Her interest in Ayurveda dates back to her first trip to India in 1998. Since then, she has written several articles on Ayurveda in different journals, she has conducted audio and video interviews with Vaidya Mishra, participated in ayurvedic cooking workshops. Dr. Takvorian approached Vaidya Mishra with some questions about the recent hype on acid-alkaline balance. Here is the conversation that ensued.

Takvorian: Vaidya Mishra, it is a great pleasure to be able to talk with you about this most recent hype of acid-alkaline balance. Years before the subject became so big, you were already talking about pH balance in many or your lectures. Today, many of your readers are eager to hear you broach the issue directly. What is pH balance?

Mishra: yes, indeed, I have been telling many of those who come seeking dietary advice and herbal recommendations about the benefits of a balanced pH for the human physiology. PH is a measure of acidity and alkalinity. It is a means of determining the negative log of the hydrogen ion (H+) concentration. Acidity is measured on a scale of 0 to 14. A reading of 7.0 indicates a neutral pH. The pH in the plasma is maintained within a narrow range of 7.35 to 7.45. There are many ways of determining a physiology’s pH balance, e.g., through the urine, the plasma, the saliva. Blood pH is preferred in many cases because urine pH can be affected by several factors after its collection. The saliva’s pH is the one closest to the blood and is amenable to monitoring changes on a regular basis. And as you indicate, it really has become an urgent question to broach nowadays for two reasons. First, it is an important but easy tool that can help monitor and optimize health on a daily basis; second, I find it really necessary to broach this topic specifically today, because it has become so popular. It is the latest hype as you say, but the problem is that it is approached in a fragmented, one-sided manner, and only an integrated perspective, such as Ayurveda’s, can show how to incorporate this tool more effectively, making the most out of it. Within the ayurvedic perspective, balancing pH does not just affect regulating acidosis, since a balanced pH is directly correlated with the overall health of the human physiology – physical, mental, as well as spiritual. According to Ayurveda, pH balance is an index for the total health of the body: when the pH is too high or too low, it disrupts the “balancing factor” itself, a situation which in turn can lead to complications under the guise of various disease.

T: What is this “balancing factor?”
M: The human physiology thrives on prana. You are probably familiar with this term as it is increasingly invoked in relation to yoga and meditation. However, the public generally ignores the fact that prana is the ultimate “balancing factor” of the human physiology. According to the ancient Vedic medical texts, prana connects the body to the soul, as well as to the mind and heart. Prana is the life-force. The Vedic texts explain how the human soul, a vibration partaking of the nature of God, is the kernel around which the human physiology is organized. The seat of the soul is the human heart. The body interacts with its soul, in the heart, through prana. Prana flows into the physiology from nature, the environment, and the body is set-up such that it can incorporate this prana into itself. Hence, an impaired prana, indicated for example through an imbalanced pH, has far-reaching consequences on the overall physiological, as well as mental, emotional, and spiritual health of the individual. Many alternative healers these days recognize that physiological dis-ease, or illness, is strongly correlated with the spiritual. Some even proclaim that disease has its primarily roots in the mental and the spiritual domains. They are right. The important thing for me, however, is not to tip the scale in the other direction. While “dis-ease” might have its origins in the mental and spiritual realms, there are many concrete factors that can bring it about. It is therefore necessary to take steps that can support the physiology to prevent potential health problems.
T: How would you define prana in concrete terms?
M: Prana is found everywhere! It is in the human physiology as well as in nature. Ayurveda explains that prana has three primary components called: soma, agni, and marut. Soma is characterized in the ancient texts as the substance that carries the vibrational energy of the moon, while agni carries the vibrational energy of the sun. Marut is an expression of the air and space elements. These three components of prana, found in nature, constantly interact with the human physiology through the body’s involvement with the environment. They are specifically channeled into the human physiology through the Mahamarma, the Adhipati marma, located on the foremost top part of the head. Prana also enters the physiology through the intake of food, water, breathing, as well as exposure to surrounding sound.

T: Ayurveda is very precise when it comes to classifying knowledge of the natural environment as well as the human physiology. Is prana classifed under the same names when it is active within the body, or does Ayurveda have a distinct terminology for it? In other terms, could you characterize these three elements of prana, that is, soma, agni, and marut, in terms of the human physiology?
M: Soma, agni and marut are the names given to these energies in the natural environment. When they appear within the human physiology, they express themselves as the three doshas, i.e., as kapha, pitta, and vata. The Vedas explain that soma carries lunar energy vibrations. They characterize it as a “nurturing” energy. In physiological and biological terms, it is the factor that helps to lubricate the physiology, providing it with stability, optimal absorption. Ojas, for example, is soma predominant (Ayurveda defines ojas to be the fine by-product of a healthy well-digested diet ingested at the appropriate time according to a good daily routine). So is the plasma tissue (rasa dhatu). Agni, on the other hand, is the vibrational quality that enhances the digestive capacities of the physiology. It is expressed in the physiology as pitta dosha. Note that Ayurveda understands digestion as a transformative principle occurring not solely on the gastro-intestinal level, but on the mental and emotional levels as well. The heart, for example, is regulated by sadhak pitta and constitutes a major seat for agni. It is the site where emotions and thoughts are processed and “digested.” In general, the thirteen transformative “flames,” or agnis, operating in the physiology are constantly on, you can say that they run 24/7, and their optimal functioning constitutes a very important aspect of human well being. Finally, marut corresponds to the activities of the vata dosha. All movement in nature depends on the marut principle, hence anything pertaining to the movement of pitta and kapha doshas in the physiology is associated with the vata dosha by definition. The Ayurvedic sutra says: “Pittam pangu kapham pangu, pangavo mala dhatavah, / vayunam yatra niyante tatra gachhanti meghavat.” It translates into: “not only are pitta and kapha crippled, but the tissues (dhatus) and the waste products (malas) cannot move without vata as well / wherever vata tries to carry them they go, just like the clouds are driven by the wind.”

T: It seems that while medical science unwittingly approximates the workings of soma and agni in terms of the acid/alkaline twin notion, it remains oblivious to the third factor, to marut and its expression in the human physiology as vata dosha?
M: The exclusion of marut or the vata dosha from the larger picture has many far-reaching consequences. Nowadays, medical science has reached the conclusion that different parts of the human physiology need to maintain a different pH balance, however, it still lacks the knowledge of how to bring about, as well as maintain, different pH balance points in the different areas of the physiology. Such balancing cannot be achieved without a consideration of the mobile factor, that is, of marut. Soma and agni can ultimately not be balanced if marut is excluded. When vata is subtracted from the kapha and pitta equation, one will be faced with a series of unexplainable occurrences when trying to strike the perfect balance. Three different levels of pH need to be maintained in the body, and without the integrated ayurvedic approach, medical science might occasionally offer correct observations but fail to formulate solutions or answers.

T: What are those three different levels of pH and where are they localized?
M: From the chest up to the head is considered to be the kapha area, hence balancing kapha in this area through the different means prescribed by Ayurveda will automatically result in a balanced pH for the head, brain, tongue, chest, and lungs. From the chest down to the navel area is the pitta dosha region. The pH in this area has to be acidic. It is the fiery - agni - area of the physiology, and all transformative agni organs are found there: the liver, the spleen, the stomach. From the navel all the way down is the vata predominant area where an alkaline balance is, once more, necessary. In ayurvedic terms then, balancing pH is not just a matter of balancing acid and alkaline components, in ayurvedic terms, agni and soma, but rather a matter of balancing agni, soma and marut.

T: Ongoing medical research does indicate that different parts and organs of the body have and need to maintain different levels of pH. Given Ayurveda’s confirmation of that observation, what then is the significance of monitoring the blood’s pH through the saliva if the body needs to maintain different levels of pH in distinct parts?
M: The notion of maintaining different pH balance points in the physiology originates with Ayurveda; in addition to that valuable observation however, the ayurvedic texts also provide explanation as to why there should be different pH points, as well as guidance as to how to correct and maintain those different pH balance points. I recommend monitoring the blood’s pH through litmus-testing the saliva in the morning, because it is a good indicator for the overall state of pH balance in the physiology. As to maintaining different pH levels in different parts and organs of the body, Ayurveda gives detailed description and explanation. For example, the digestive system goes from neutral through acidic to alkaline stages. Everything we ingest should initially maintain a neutral pH. The Carak Samhita calls that “madhur vipak.” In modern terms that means that in the first stage of digestion, in the mouth, saliva should be able to maintain the pH of the ingested food neutral, just like the ideal pH value of the blood. When the food is swallowed, however, and reaches the stomach, it has to turn acidic. The enzymatic environment in the stomach works towards enhancing acidity without which the digestive process would fail to occur. In accordance with modern medical findings, centuries before western science proclaimed itself on the subject, the ayurvedic Samhita explained that all ingested food had to acquire an “amla vipak” at this point, that is, a sour acidic quality.

( The Carak Samhita identifies three vipaks, tastes: madhur = neutral; amla= acidic; katu=alkaline.)

Modern science confirms the ayurvedic texts’ findings when it states that the stomach pH should be below 6.3 in order to allow for the digestion of proteins, for example. The Samhita, however, continues by saying that the small intestine should be a predominantly alkaline environment, and modern science, once more, confirms this fact by explaining that the small intestine’s alkalinity is necessary in order to enable the unhindered flow of the pancreatic enzymes. The same is needed for the bacterial flora to circulate in the large intestine.

T: What then is the relationship between prana and pH?
M: In ayurvedic terms, low pH will indicate high agni. According to the logic I explained earlier, within the human physiology a pH reading can be translated into the dosha system. A person with a low pH will exhibit signs of an overactive pitta dosha. High pH will indicate more soma, that is a kapha dosha predominance. Both cases need to be corrected, because they represent imbalances in the ayurvedic perspective, and might thus, in the long run, lead to health problems.

T: What are some concrete external signs that indicate a depleted prana, that is an imbalanced pH?
M: Some signs are bad breath; chronic fatigue; allergies; headaches. If prana depletion has been present over a long period of time, then an individual might experience, for example, chronic yeast/fungal infections; boils; canker sores; hypoglycemia; osteoporosis; joint problems; fibromyalgia; hot flashes; dryness and/or burning sensation in various parts of the body; PMS. Mood swings are also a very good indicator when taken into account with other key factors. Here is a quick and effective way of seeing the correlation between pH balance and emotional health. (See table 1).


Table 1: Daily prana/pH log
Use litmus paper first thing in the morning, measure the result against the strip chart, noting it in the third column, then enter a numerical value to characterize your daily mood, stress level, etc. “1” would be for sad, and “5” very happy, etc.

T: What is happening on the biological level when there is depletion of prana or imbalanced pH?

M: Scientific research notes a decrease in the body’s ability to absorb minerals and other nutrients; a decreased production of energy in the cells; a decrease in the body’s ability to repair damaged cells; a decrease in the body’s ability to detoxify heavy metals. Such factors make the body more susceptible to fatigue and an array of illnesses, and in the long run, may be conducive to the multiplication of cancerous cells.

T: May I ask a practical question before we delve further into the subject at hand? While visiting India, I had the great fortune of meeting with some highly venerated vaidyas, and of discussing general ayurvedic matters with them. One of the questions that came up was precisely the issue of pH balance, and of how, thousands of years ago, it was already an established ayurvedic practice! However, I never received a satisfactory answer as to how the vaidyas actually physically tested an individual’s pH in ancient times? What “technology” did they use in the absence of litmus paper strips?
M: I am glad you ask that question! You see, due to historical and political factors, the knowledge of Ayurveda has become fragmented and incomplete overtime. Personally, after studying Ayurveda formally for six years at the university, I had to study for another seven years with my father, and it was during those additional seven years that my father passed down to me all the family knowledge that had, in turn, been passed down to him by his father, and so on for many generations. It is with him that I learned the answer to your question while we were on one of our herb-gathering journeys in the whereabouts of our village in north-eastern India. He explained to me that in ancient times, in the absence of litmus paper, vaidyas would use the dried leaves of different plants to test the saliva’s, the urine’s, the blood’s pH. The litmus paper strip used nowadays has a color indicator that can be interpreted against a numerical chart. In ancient times, the vaidyas would use two kinds of leaves. One kind would be highly acidic by nature, and the other alkaline. When testing the physiology for acidity, the vaidya would use the acidic leaf. The contact of the saliva with the leaf, if the pH was too low, that is acidic, would not bring about any reaction confirming the saliva’s acidity. A further confirmation of the saliva’s acidity would be shown by testing the saliva against an alkaline leaf, the contact of the acidic saliva with the alkaline leaf would produce a discoloration on the leaf. The greater the discoloration, the higher the acidity… The process would be the reverse when testing for alkalinity.

T: How ingenious! What kind of repercussions does this have on your interpretation of prana in light of pH balance? Because, from what I understand, Ayurveda generally has a much larger context and is thus able to take into account many more details that contemporary science is unaware of. Does Ayurveda expand on the notions of acidosis and alkalinity, or are the current allopathic terminology and strategies sufficient to understand the issue from an ayurvedic perspective as well?
M: Ayurveda gives a detailed account of pH balance in terms of agni, soma, and marut, and not just agni and soma which would correspond to the acid/alkaline pair in medical parlance. But more specifically, even if we leave out the third component, marut, there are finer, more detailed aspects to the soma/agni pair that Ayurveda discusses. You can say that the western scientific approach is correct, but incomplete in the following sense. For example, Ayurveda identifies three kinds of imbalances for the fiery element (agni) in the physiology responsible for molecular and physiological transformations. The first imbalance is called “mandagni.” A “mandagni” situation occurs when the pH of all thirteen agnis goes high, while agni itself is low. “Tikshagni,” on the other hand, is when the pH is low and agni is high – tiksh meaning sharp in Sanskrit. In extreme conditions characterized by this situation, the body produces a lot of toxic waste, known as “amavisha” - amavisha can rupture the circulatory channels causing a lot of health problems. The third case of imbalance is called “vhisamagni.” This occurs when the body loses the intelligence to maintain the different pH balances in different parts of the body. In any of the above cases, different symptoms will indicate that the physiology is coping with an unnatural state of things. For Ayurveda, “samagni” (“sama” for equal) indicates the ideal state where a balanced pH, depending on the different needs of the areas of the body, reigns. So you see, it is not just a matter of low or high acidity (or high or low alkalinity). According to Ayurveda, there is an interaction between pH balance and the agnis and this introduces a more subtle, and more complex approach than the polar acid/alkaline balance approach that contemporary Science offer.

T: Could you explain, more specifically, how Ayurveda’s subtle and detailed approach sheds light on some of the interpretations that contemporary science offers? For example, medical science correlates an imbalanced pH with bone loss. Can Ayurveda provide any insights on that point?
M: One of the central differences between Ayurveda and contemporary science is the way the physiology is understood and categorized. In this light, Ayurveda places a lot of emphasis on the seven tissues, called dhatus, that organize the reception, flow, and elimination of used prana vibration in the physiology. These tissues/dhatus are incremental in nature, that is: the well-being of one tissue or dhatu depends on the well-being of the preceding dhatu. Hence if one is imbalanced in any way, that imbalance will carry on into the next level of tissue, and so on until the most subtle seventh level. But let me give you a specific example to answer your question. When an individual’s blood tissue or rakta dhatu is pitta imbalanced (that is low pH) it infuses or transfers high pitta/low pH into the next dhatu and so on into all other dhatus, i.e., to the muscle, fat and bone tissues. When the blood’s pH is constantly low, the bone tissue releases stored calcium to neutralize the blood’s acidic pH. This is a natural “defense mechanism” put into motion by the body in order to arrest the depletion of prana, because Ayurveda explains that the blood tissue is what holds prana more than any other tissue (“raktam jivam dharayati”). While this mechanism can help restore the blood’s imbalance, in the long run, if the body does not receive any additional amounts to restore the used-up calcium, the bone tissue becomes depleted in calcium and a variety of metabolic bone disorders associated with calcium deficiency ensue.

T: Aside from diseases associated with the loss of bone mass, what are some other cases of disease that can be associated with an imbalanced pH?
M: Current medical research indicates that there not only are correlatives between imbalanced pH and bone loss diseases, such as osteoporosis, but that mild acidosis (low pH) can actually cause such problems as: cardiovascular damage; obesity; diabetes; bladder and kidney conditions, including kidney stones; joint pain; yeast/fungal overgrowth. Research even ties it in with the acceleration of free radical damage, a condition that contributes to cancerous cellular mutations. Overall, a low pH can be the cause behind severe immune deficiency, chronic fatigue, impaired digestion and elimination processes, hormonal imbalances, premature aging.

T: It certainly seems like pH imbalance is a leading cause behind many of the ailments plaguing modern man! Any immediate general explanation as to what directly imbalances pH?
M: The American Journal of Clinical Nutrition recently concluded a seven-year study conducted in San Francisco on about 10,000 women on the relation between chronic acidosis and bone loss. The same study concluded that the chronic high acidosis was caused by a diet rich in animal foods and low in vegetables. An impaired diet doubled-up with mental and emotional on-going stress, as well as an electromagnetically overloaded environment would, according to Ayurveda, do the job!

T: What, specifically, is it about diets rich in animal foods, as opposed to vegetarian diets, that makes the difference?
M: I could give you a long list of reasons for why, in general, one should ideally favor a vegetarian diet – keeping in mind that Ayurveda itself, many a times, recommends the consumption of meat as well as animal derived products given an individual’s particular physiology or condition. However, with respect to pH balance, the logic is the following. Low pH can be caused in many cases by the insufficient presence of calcium. Calcium is not only the most abundant mineral in the human body it is also an element whose constant supply is necessary throughout the human life-span, with particular emphasis on phases of growth. An individual’s diet could be calcium deficient because of an incomplete diet, one lacking in essential nutrients, or, on the other hand, the physiology might be unable to process the nutrients. In either case, the physiology will try to compensate for this lack by re- absorbing the calcium found in its storage. Now, some animal products, such as red meat, tend to imbalance the absorption of minerals, specifically causing a depletion of calcium and chronic acidosis in the long run. Dietary supplements of calcium can help correct the situation, provided the individual is not counteracting the effect of the supplements by adopting further dietary or lifestyle habits that can encourage the former situation.

T: Calcium deficiency, then, is not just related to bone problems, but covers a larger array of health issues?
M: Yes, calcium is not only responsible for the formation and maintenance of bone and teeth, but it is a vital component for blood clotting, it helps control blood pressure, the release of neurotransmitters in nerves, it is also an essential component in the production of enzymes and hormones that regulate digestion, energy, and fat metabolism.

T: In terms of diet it is not just a matter of regulating the intake of acidic food to restore pH balance then? Can you explain further how diet relates to the question of prana and pH balance?
M: Over the years, I’ve developed some central concepts to best translate the ayurvedic guidelines about diet into contemporary terms. I categorize food into three: 1) intelligent, 2) dumb and 3) dead. What does it mean to say that a food item is intelligent? Intelligence has various attributes here. The quality of intelligence derives from the fact that the food knows how to adapt itself to its environment - it responds to and interacts with the physiological environment appropriately - it does not just sit there! Another attribute of intelligence derives from the fact that the food never acts on its own, in a selfish manner as it were, it rather works towards enhancing the environment if finds itself in by yielding its best qualities to it. How does this translate into concrete terms? Food that has an organic, pesticide free origin, and that is moderately cooked with authentic spices in a positive, loving environment is intelligent food (seasonable ripe, juicy fruits are also in this category). Dumb food consists of the same organic food but in its left-over state! In addition, an improper combination of even good intelligent elements, cooked in a negative environment, and consumed with stress - on the run - amounts to dumb food. Dead food, finally, is junk food or canned food - any item that contains preservatives - or food that contains naturally contradictory elements, such as milk and salt, or milk and sour fruits.
To give a more specific example, consider water. Water is a nutritionally intelligent element by nature, it should be able to adapt itself to and cope up with the different neutralization processes of the physiology, since as I explained, living intelligent foods have an internal cellular mechanism that leads them to adapt their pH to the needs of the different parts of the physiology. But there are different grades of water found on the market today, right? Not all water will be intelligent, some will be dumb, and some will even be dead! That is to say, they will not enhance the physiology’s own internal digestive mechanisms to work optimally, even worse, they will impair it. Water’s pH is measured just as easily as the saliva’s. If the water’s pH is low to start with due to an over-processing that takes away from its natural intelligence (ozonation is the latest fad here), then it will introduce an undesirable effect into the physiology. Mind you, this is not to say that all foods found in their natural state have a neutral pH, some, by nature, have higher acidity, while others have a lower one, and these foods are needed in accordance to the body’s state. However, all these foods possess a natural intelligence, in that they produce a specific, ayurvedically predictable, effect within the physiology. In conclusion then, intelligent food is full of prana; dumb food has less of it; and dead food is completed depleted of its prana stock, it is devoid of the necessary life-force. Dumb and dead foods can be labeled bio-acidic foods in today’s parlance.

T: It is up to a vaidya, then, to recommend certain foods rather than others when the body’s normal pH is imbalanced?
M: Yes, exactly. You see, the “potency” of anything ingested (“virya” in Sanskrit), for example, the potency/virya of food or drinks, or spices and herbs, even of breathed air, is also governed by the quantity of soma and agni the ingested or incorporated item carries. But the virya of an item is also impacted by how much the individual physiology is actually able to use up. That is, it depends on the physiology’s own intelligence. In the end, all these things and their usage by the body depend on the body’s pH balance. “Vipak” then is a major index factor in the digestion and assimilation of all that is eaten, drank, and breathed in.

T: How would you define vipak more specifically?
M: “Vi” from “vishesh” meaning “particular” and “pak” denoting a final end-product. The phrase is used to identify post-digestive matter. Everything we eat, breath, or drink has to go through the vipak system. Three parts of the human physiology have three kinds of vipak. The kapha area of the body extending from the mid-chest to the forehead is the “madhur vipak” area. Ayurveda explains that everything that is ingested is transformed into “madhur vipak” in this portion of the body. The “madhur vipak” portion of the body has to go from neutral to slightly alkaline. It should be ideally kept at 7.4.
The middle portion of the body, the area extending from the navel up to just below the chest has to be “amla vipak.” Carak’s Samhita as well as his Vrihat Triya have ample information about this. Amla rasa is acidic pH. A pro-acidic, lower pH of the digestive system (up to 6.4) is necessary for the enzymatic process. When the ingested food is sour in an “intelligent” manner, it has the ability to adapt itself, to adjust its pH level to the physiological environment’s needs. Lime, or Amla Berry would be good examples of an intelligent sour food, in contrast to vinegar. Below the navel area, the colon, is the area of “katu vipak.” “Katu vipak” is vayu predominant and has hence to be more alkaline than any other part of the body.

T: So then it is not a matter of simply stating that one has an imbalanced pH, but of finding out which pH and where? In other terms, what aspects of the physiology is the imbalanced pH involved in?
M: Exactly! As I stated at the beginning, a balanced pH indicates a healthy level of prana in the physiology which I termed the “balancing factor” itself. However, one should keep in mind that the physiology as one organic whole is interconnected on all its levels, such that, according to Ayurveda, it is not possible to treat one area without addressing the whole organism at the same time. Let me give you an example. Rasa dhatu (the tissue made up of the clear part of plasma) is the first tissue/dhatu that receives nutrients after food has been ingested and digested. In other terms, this tissue is formed as the result of digested food. When rasa dhatu’s pH is low – as a direct result of the ingested food – the immediate effect is heartburn as well as an abnormal high body temperature. But rasa dhatu is the raw material for the blood tissue, rakta dhatu, and if rasa dhatu is pH imbalanced – too acidic or too alkaline – then rakta’s pH gets immediately impacted. An imbalance in the blood’s – rakta’s – pH, is more far-reaching than an imbalance in any of the other seven dhatus, because the body receives soma and agni primarily through the blood tissue, through rakta dhatu, more so than through any other dhatu as I already explained earlier (“raktam jivam dharyati” which translates as “rakta carries prana more than any other dhatu”).

T: In this sense, a healthy diet is then absolutely central since it is the primary source from which blood/rakta receives its prana through the plasma/rasa dhatu?
M: Exactly. Ayurveda not only identifies this central point, but it also meticulously categorizes different foods according to their benefit or undesirable effects on the physiology, taking into account the interaction of the food with the physiology’s balanced or imbalanced pH. This relationship between food and the physiology is established through the food’s potency/virya. Virya is the ultimate “shakti” power or potency of that food. Carak says: “yena kuruvanti tadah viryam.” This translates into “virya is the main shakti of any herb.” The “prabhava” or action of the herb is completely derived from its virya. The understanding of virya in Ayurveda goes deeper than merely high/low or imbalanced pH. By testing the pH of a food item, one can evaluate within a 60 to 70% margin accuracy the impact of that food on the body. The percentage cannot be higher because other factors also have to be taken into consideration as well.

T: The next logical impediment for the body in receiving nutrition from a well-balanced diet would be, I assume, problems in the delivery/absorption of the nutrition?
M: Well said. This would involve the improper circulation of well-received nutritional and environmental prana via the micro and macro circulatory channels, that is, the “srotas.” These channels or srotas carry all hormones, nutritional substances, mental and emotional vibrations, they also receive and carry prana vibration from nature (soma, agni, and marut). All the detox pathways in the physiology are considered to be srotas. Furthermore, Ayurveda confirms your logical deduction by isolating three kinds of srota imbalances: a) when a srota is simply blocked by toxic waste (ama in Sanskrit) – this condition can occur with the frequency of both low and high pH. This kind of obstruction in the srotas results in fatigue and stiffness. It is a common daily occurrence that is easily corrected by some exercise and spicy food. B) when the srotas become hardened and stiff due to inflammation or concentration of toxic waste, they lose their flexibility making it difficult for the nutritional elements and materials to circulate through them, thus delaying the timely delivery of enzymes, hormones, oxygenation, and resulting in many different diseases specifically emerging in the area or organ where the srotas are affected. Finally, c)when the srotas are inflamed, they become ruptured. This final situation only occurs with high agni/acidity and low pH. In this situation, Ayurveda discusses many conditions involving hemorrhage.
T: After regulating the reception and circulation of prana, I am assuming it has to be eliminated? What are some of the complications that might entail this next stage when considering pH balance?
M: Yes, correct. This specifically relates to the impact of pH on colon health. As I stated earlier, the colon has to maintain a slightly alkaline environment – more soma in ayurvedic terms – slightly higher than 7.4, and this depends on several factors. It depends on how intelligent the ingested food is, but it also depends on how much pre-stored acidic toxins have been accumulated on the intestinal walls over time. A pH imbalance in the colon area can result in serious chronic diseases such as Crone’s disease, ulcerative colitis. Common problems start with either a lack of absorption, i.e., loose motion, diarrhea, or too much absorption, i.e., constipation. Balancing the colon’s pH through proper diet and the intake of ayurvedic herbal supplements are recommended pre-emptive strategies. Ayurvedic nutritional and gentle herbal cleansing programs can help of course.

T: You mentioned that herbal supplements, in addition to an “intelligent” diet and a wise life-style routine, can help promote pH balance. What is the advantage of an ayurvedic herbal supplement over a non-ayurvedic one? Don’t all supplements target the same problem when taken correctly?
M: An ayurvedically prepared herb will not only be more potent, but will actually exceed the non-ayurvedic herb’s effects in the following way. The body is very precise in its needs and does not accept approximations. As an illustration, let me address a common problem resulting from imbalanced pH in the agni domain. The human physiology runs on thirteen “flames” operating in different parts of the physiology. Out of those thirteen, one is in the stomach, five are in the liver, and seven are in the metabolic system. The stomach agni, called pachakagni or jatharagni, is very powerful. Modern science says that the pH in this area should be lower than 6.4. Anything that tries to mask the acidity of the digestive system could be disturbing for the digestion of protein in particular, as well as fats in general. While it is thus important to retain this digestive flame high, it is also important not to overheat the area in order not to bring about an excessive acidity. Unlike general homeopathically prepared herbs or supplements, Ayurveda identifies as well as provides specific guidelines for herbal preparations which have the superb capacity to support these digestive flames without over-heating the source itself, the “pachak pitta.” I have seen many cases where this pitta was uncontrollably high, with the flame, the agni, being very low. This results in a very critical yet common condition in the West where the subject experiences indigestion and acid stomach simultaneously! Ayurveda supplies the knowledge and the protocol that supports the flame and pacifies the pitta sub-dosha through dietary practices and herbal supplements. In this sense, Ayurvedic science amounts to the knowledge of the combination of different foods, spices, and herbs, in such a way that not only an unwanted condition is rectified, but all three doshas are addressed and pacified as well. The preparation of special herbal dietary supplements is an additional step in optimizing dietary pH balancing. In its holistic consideration of foods and herbs, Ayurveda incorporates and addresses all the three elements of prana, soma, agni, and marut, thus automatically preempting any issues that might be emerging from its exclusion.

T: Could you give us some dietary recommendations and indications?
M: I am in the process of developing an exhaustive protocol for food and drinks, including spice mixtures, for all three possible categories of pH balance. The information will be published in an upcoming book, but I can give you some general guidelines at this point (See Chart below).

T: Are there any specific foods that do not appear on your chart and that must be preferably avoided, perhaps by all categories?
M: Yes, refined sugar is one of those, of course including products that have incorporated it as well, such as baked goods, jams, preserves. Sugar substitutes such aspartame, nutrasweet, as well as processed honey, chocolate, processed fruit juices. Such products are transformed into acidic residuals and are undesirable. The list can also include processed cheese, yeasted breads. For animal products, it is recommended to reduce or eliminate the intake of beef, pheasant, lobster, shell- fish, pork. Olive oil should be preferred to cotton seed oil, canola oil, or other hydrogenated oils.

I also recommend reducing the consumption of lima beans, kidney beans, navy beans, corn and corn bi-products. Coffee of course should be number one on the list of what to avoid for anyone trying to balance health – it has a pH of 4. So should drinks such as beer - it has a pH of 2.5; as well as soft drinks – they have a pH of 2. In order to neutralize a glass of soft drink, one would have to drink 32 glasses of alkaline water having a pH of 10! The logic behind reducing the intake of these foods derives from the fact that even when their harmful effect might not be observed directly, they distress and reduce the physiology’s intelligence to deal with the digestion and absorption of necessary mineral nutrients, specifically calcium.

T: Nowadays coral calcium supplements are very popular. Why coral calcium as opposed to any other kind of calcium supplement? Do you recommend their intake?
M: You see, there are three reasons associated with calcium deficiency. The deficiency could originate in an incomplete diet; it could result from impaired calcium absorption; it could be due to excess urinary calcium excretion. A very good study conducted in 2003 by the Faculty of Pharmaceutical Sciences at the University of British Columbia noted that the absorption of calcium is primarily determined by the interaction of calcium with other substances in the intestine. This factor is dependent on the chemical configuration of the calcium product ingested as well as its optimal transportation across and absorption into the gut wall. Because the absorption of calcium can be modified by different factors involving the physiology, it is very useful to have a calcium supplement that could be more easily absorbed. The intake of coral calcium (generally derived from oyster shell) and prepared according to specific ayurvedic guidelines is highly recommended by Ayurveda because it exhibits a higher absorption rate. The only counter-indication in this case is that calcium supplements of natural origin, such as those derived from the oyster shell, can have high trace amounts of lead or other toxic substances. However, I have developed a specific formula of coral calcium made from coral branch tips rather than derived from oyster shell, and processed according to very precise guidelines. I specifically use the branch of the coral rather than the root because it provides easier absorption. A specific method has been recommended in the ayurvedic textbooks, and some family traditions of vaidyas have stuck by those guidelines to preserve the natural intelligence of the coral branch and to enhance the absorption even more, in order to provide the physiology with more soma. In my family of Raj Vaidyas, the ayurvedic process called “chandraputit” – “putit” means processed, and “chandra” refers to the moon – was closely followed and taught over generations. This process itself is carried out with rose water for eleven consecutive nights, basking the coral calcium preparation in moonlight. The resulting calcium supplement has direct pacifying impact on the transformative emotional principle governing the heart, “sadhak pitta.”

T: Does this coral calcium have other attributes besides providing easier absorption?
M: Ayurvedically, this kind of coral calcium can pacify all five sub-categories governing metabolic and all other transformations in the physiology, i.e., all five pita subdoshas. For example, it pacifies “alochaka pitta” which governs the visual system, because the coral branch as well as the rose both have specific properties that cool the fiery element, the agni of the eyes, without disturbing the visual process. According to the theory of Carak, equality enhances and opposites decrease. In this logic, the sun is the source of agni and the moon is the source of soma. Soma pacifies the intensity of agni and agni pacifies the over-lubrication caused by soma. Processing under the moonlight has a direct pacifying effect on the excessive agni from the sunlight, or on the excessive agni stored within the body. Such a coral calcium supplement will also pacify another pitta sub-dosha, “sadhak pitta.” A balanced “sadhak pitta” gives us more endurance against emotional challenges, better coordination between heart, soul, and mind – i.e. between thought and emotions, making the individual more prone to receive guidance from Nature. Rose and coral branch themselves have a direct “sadhak pitta” pacifying effect because of the presence of soma. The heart is the seat of exactly eight drops of ojas which act like the glue between the soul and the heart. The sutra says: “ojasomatmakam,” it supports the essential ojas which is continuously enhancing the bond between heart and soul, recharging the battery of the heart through the prana component (soma agni and marut). This coral calcium supplement will also pacify “pachak pitta.” The entire digestive system is governed by “pachak pitta.” This pitta is the fuel of the flame called “pachakagni” that I discussed earlier. “Pachakagni” can have three kinds of imbalances: too high, too low, and a imbalanced state of constant fluctuation between high and low. The general brand of coral calcium available on the market nowadays is unintelligent according to ayurvedic standards. In this sense, it can only do one thing: higher the pH through providing a concentrated dose of calcium, the undesired side-effect of which can result in a high pitta and low agni condition – heat at the source of the flame, a heat that masks the agni, so that the enzymatic activity is slowed down. On the other hand, ayurvedically intelligent coral calcium, when taken in appropriate doses, will adapt itself to the body’s need for lower pH in the digestive system, and neither create nor further maintain an imbalance.

T: Do you then recommend the intake of Ayurvedic Coral Calcium as a nutritional supplement to all, given the benefits it exhibits?
M: In general, the majority of those who come to see me, given the unavoidable pace of modern life, need the calcium supplement. However, I do not recommend it to all. (Follow the indications in table 3).
I specifically recommend it in high agni situations when people exhibit a lot of heat in the digestive system. In those cases, I recommend they take an Ayurvedic Coral Calcium tablet with Acid Care before their main meals. If, on the other hand, one exhibits low agni and high pitta, generally experienced as an overall feeling of heat with no capability of digesting food, I recommend Amalaki Rasayana to be taken during the meal with a tablet of Ayurvedic Coral Calcium in order to pacify “pachak pitta” and support the flame of the enzymatic system, the “pachak agni.” In the third situation when an individual experiences a “sometimes high sometimes low” digestive flame – generally due to the vata dosha imbalance – resulting in uneven hunger levels as well as uneven digestion, certain things like taking meals on time (early breakfast, lunch at noon and early dinner), and eating pineapple or papaya after lunch and dinner, or not eating while stressed, not eating in a hurry, and taking a tablet of Ayurvedic Coral Calcium after lunch and dinner are recommended. Finally, this Ayurvedic Coral Calcium is also highly beneficial for the two other very important pitta sub-doshas. For “ranjak pitta” that governs the liver. “Ranjak pitta” acts like a fuel feeding the five “flames” of the liver, or the five burners, called “bhutagnis.” These five flames induce the transformation of the space, air, fire, water, and earth elements that are ingested through the food. When the liver is loaded with acidic toxins, its transformational process is impaired. Because the liver is a pitta and agni predominant organ, taking a supplement with plenty of soma will naturally help. Ayurvedic Coral Calcium, one tablet in the morning and one in the evening is recommended. Last but not least, “bhrajak pitta” that governs the skin is endowed, like all other pitta subdoshas, with a flame called “bhrajak agni.” That flame/agni radiates the heat and the light called “prabha” – also known as the aura. However, the skin has to have balanced soma and agni for it to exhibit this glow. Intelligent Ayurvedic Coral Calcium goes through the inner circulatory channels to the skin, helping balance the pH responsible for the skin’s sensory health, providing it with its glow as well as luster. The supplement supports the balanced interaction with the outer world, modulating the skin’s exposure to the sun, exposure to allergens, etc. In this case, I always recommend Amla Berry tablets in addition to Ayurvedic Coral Calcium…

Table 3: SUPPLEMENT PROTOCOL

T: Do you also give some extra-dietary life-style guidelines to help promote pH balance?

M: The most important things I generally recommend are the following:

1) Practice a regular form of spiritual activity, whether meditation, or prayer or any other activity that allows to gather the individual self peacefully in

2) Breathing is a very important component for optimal health, being aware of one’s breathing patterns, allowing one’s attention to settle on the breath, gently regulating its rhythm as well as monitoring the parts of the body one breathes from – specially to practice gentle but deep belly-breathing

3) Maintain a regular routine, whether with respect to mealtimes or sleep patterns, in order to facilitate the physiology’s optimal functioning

4) Practice “achar rasayana” which basically amounts to nurturing positive thoughts and feelings towards oneself, others, and life. This naturally reduces stress, which is, in the long run, the greatest factor inducing ill health.

While the elements I have been enumerating during our conversation can help in and of themselves, combining them with a healthy physical as well as spiritual routine is the key to health that Ayurveda prescribes. Ayurveda focuses on the individual, and it is the ayurvedic physician’s first obligation to take into account an individual’s physiological qualities. Many individuals who have gently incorporated a protocol designed specifically for their physical/mental make-up have reported full success.

T: Thank you very much for this enlightening interview Vaidya Mishra.

M: Thank you.

Copyright 2004, Chandi LLC, 2753 Broadway, #187, New York, NY. Photocopying, reproduction, or quotation is strictly prohibited without written permission from the publisher. For questions or comments write to: chandillc@aol.com

Disclaimer: For any suspected or known illness or dysfunction, always consult your physician for medical diagnosis and treatment first. Products mentioned here are not intended to diagnose, treat, cure, or prevent any disease.

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