Question re acid/alkaline balance not affecting health

I recently read the following. It was posted seven years ago by Hveragerthi. That use appears to have not made any posts in the last 5 years, so I doubt there is any point trying to ask him/her (a him, I suspect) this directly. What's more, the form won't let me Reply to that old post. It asked me to login (even though I already am), and then redirects to an unrelated post.

Here's the quote from HV:

Here is another response I posted on the Candida board in regards to the myth of the body becoming acidic:

The body RARELY ever goes acidic.  The acidity causing disease claims is really a myth.  The body cannot survive if it becomes too acidic, or too alkaline.  In fact a pH higher than 7.8 or lower than 6.8 will kill a person.  This is why the body has so many redundant systems to maintain its narrow pH it can survive in.  For example, breathing adjusts pH.  If the body starts to get acidic our respiration increases to blow off CO2, which reduces carbonic acid, and the oxygen reduces acidic lactate.  If the body starts to become too alkaline the respiration slows down to retain CO2, increasing carbonic acid.  The body also generates bicarbonate to deal with acidity, can excrete hydrogen ions, carbonic acid or bicarbonate out through the urine or retain them to adjust pH.  The body also uses phosphates and hemoglobin as buffers, and in severe cases can pull minerals from the bones as a buffer against acidity.  Our pH is also regulated by proteins that can either bond or release hydrogen ions in response to pH imbalances. Here are some references for you: 

http://dwb4.unl.edu/Chem/CHEM869R/CHEM869RLinks/www.usyd.edu.au/su/anaes/lect...

http://www.chemistry.wustl.edu/~edudev/LabTutorials/Buffer/Buffer.html

This is why we rarely see acidosis (overly acidic blood) or alkalosis (overly alkaline blood).  Acute acidosis can occur with severe vomiting and diarrhea, ketoacidosis, inadequate oxygen intake or utilization (respiratory acidosis), rhabdomyolosis, kidney failure and by poisoning with certain chemicals.  Acute alkalosis can occur with over consumption of hydroxides including alkaline waters, consumption of milk with hydroxides, overuse of carbonates such as antacids or baking soda, prolonged vomiting, excessive aldosterone secretion, diuretic use and hyperventilation.

The pH of the lymphatic system is kept slightly more alkaline than the blood, so lymphatic acidosis does not occur.

Because chronic acidosis is so rare and diseases are so common even common sense should tell us that acidosis is not a cause of most diseases.  Most often it is a byproduct of a disease, not a cause.  So anyone who is going to claim that acidity is the cause of most or all diseases does not have a clue what they are talking about.

In fact we need a large number of acids to survive and thrive.  These include hydrochloric acid, pyruvic acid, acetic acid, carbonic acid, hyaluronic acid, glucuronic acid, malic acid, lactic acid, citric acid, uric acid, fatty acids, amino acids, ascorbic acid, pantothenic acid, folic acid, etc.

And most pathogens are killed by acids and thrive in an alkaline environment.  This is why the parts of the body that help protect us from pathogens are normally acidic.  These include the skin, stomach, intestines and sinuses.

I've seen very similar thoughts conveyed by other CZ users, and also by various folk on blogs, etc. For example, here: http://edpharmacy.wordpress.com/2009/11/13/you-urine-is-not-a-window-to-your-body-ph-balancing-a-failed-hypothesis/

First off, I agree that it is likely the pH of the blood remains almost, if not entirely, constant; and, therefore, that it is likely incorrect to say that eating acid or alkaline foods will directly make one's blood pH more acid or alkaline. 

My question is this:

When it comes to acid / alkaline balance, rather than it being an issue of acid-forming foods "making the blood more acidic," is it not instead an issue of acid-forming foods (in excess) causing the body to draw on alkaline (mostly mineral) reserves in order to maintain blood pH stability?

I would have thought the acid/alkaline theory, therefore, is one related to, What happens to the overall health of the body when it is consistently having to utilise alkaline mineral reserves to buffer an excessive intake of acid-forming food (in order to maintain its necessarily precise blood pH. With the theory being that what tends to happen is an increase in the development and progression of various chronic diseases.

With that in mind, I feel like people who put forth the argument that "Blood pH remains very constant, and even a minor shift will kill you" are missing the point. Just as the people who say, "Eating too much acid-forming food will cause your blood to become acidic, which will cause disease, and may eventually kill you" are also missing the point. From the perspective I am putting forth, the point is not that the blood pH will dramitcally or significantly change (it might, but I am yet to see factual evidence proving this), but that a great many other factors in the body will progressively go out of balacne in the body's attempt to maintain its correct blood pH. It's these other factors (overall alkaline mineral deficieny, etc.) that may be the cause of the many diseases acid/alkaline advocates says are caused by excessive acidity.

Does anyone knowledge on this matter having something you can share in regard to the above line of thought?

Thanks...

Inspired,