The theory is mostly nonsense in the way that it is described by most of its proponents. Where they see a causation of disease based on acidity, the reality is that any pH change is the result of disease. Funny thing is that while these people rail against modern medicine treating symptoms, this is exactly what they are advocating. Only thing is since they don't understand biology they are not aware of it.
This is not correct, the pH of blood does change over time and this change is basically the result of foods that we eat and the air that we breath in.
Actually you are incorrect. The pH of blood is fairly constant is remarkably resistant to large changes. Even those of us who for the sake athletic performance try to intentionally go 'acidid" have a very hard time doing so. And any change is quickly modulated so blood reverts to its normal range.
This again is not true. Any alkalinity added to the stomach will reduce the acidity, if only for a short time. The stomach will sense the change and produce more acid to accomodate.
This is also wrong. I can't think of a single food that would change the acidity of the stomach in any significant way. Most foods are acidic, but less so than the stomach which can produce almost a liter of the stuff. Now you can do the math if you are capable of it and prove to yourself that any change would be insignificant, or you can just use common sense to come to the same conclusion. Though PZ is right that food cause the increased production of HCl and gastric juices.
This is correct on the surface, adding acid to acid is not going to change the pH noticibly. However, it is the enzymes and minerals that will have a very small effect on the body which accumulates over time.
Again, wrong and partly right. At the acidity of 1-3 pH, most of these enzymes will be quickly inactivated. Enzymes are very susceptible to salinity, pH, temperature because they need a specific arrangement to remain functional.
The more acid that your stomach secretes, the more acid that is removed from the body. Also, the less acid that the food is entering the intestine, the less alkalinity that has to be added to it to neutralize the acidity. Hmmm, more acid removed from the body, less alkalinity removed. I guess that this might tend to make the body more alkaline over time...
That is wrong too. The production of HCl does not remove acidity from the body. PZ is imagining that there is a reservoir of acid that when needed is rushed to the stomach for use. This does not happen, the production of Hydronium ions is explained here with a nice animation.
Anyone who has a blood pH of 7.28 or lower is serious ill, not far from death.
Really, I've along with my training mates can take our blood pH to 7.2 doing repeat sprints.... and we are likely in far better health than most people.
Their immune system is functioning poorly, kidneys are not very productive, the pancreas is producing sub-normal amounts of insulin as well as lower amounts of other important enzymes.
They are stronger than most, even the older members or our group, they are less prone to cold, or any other disease. On top of that they have lower body fat, more muscle and look younger....
This is true but it is only a short term example. If you have enough CO2 in your blood to make it just slightly more acid than normal, your immune system slows down, allowing cancer to grow over time. Cigarette smokers have more CO2 in their blood than others hence the greater risk of cancer.
Wrong. If this was true people who exercised would be more prone to cancer because any activity would, under your explanation, make them acidic and victims of cancer. We know that the opposite is true. People that exercise are LESS prone to develop cancer. The explanation PZ puts forth does not hold true.
Cigarette smokers are more prone to cancer because of the nearly 6000 chemicals found in cigarette smoke, many well known carcinogens like Benzene.