New Delhi, May 13 : In the midst of Covid-19, when the world is at a loss over how to tackle the pandemic unleashed by the coronavirus, with millions infected and hundreds of thousands dead and dying, an expert says keeping the body alkaline is a sure way to fight not just Covid but all illnesses. Dr Eapen Koshy, in "Survive Covid: By Staying Alkaline" (Konark Publishers), says that "acidic food intake, electromagnetic radiation and an immune-lowering lifestyle" has led to a weakening of the immune system, making humans vulnerable to diseases like Covid and cancer. "Only a strong immune system can save us. The answers to the current pandemic and to future pandemics lie in alkalinizing our body to boost our immune system and maintain this with an immune friendly lifestyle," Koshy in the book, a sequel to his popular book, "Beyond Modern Medicine". An alkaline body will "nurture a calm, inclusive and tolerant alkaline mind", says Koshy, a renowned plastic surgeon who lives in Lagos, Nigeria, where he is working with the Vedic Group of Hospitals (affiliated with Manipal Hospitals, Bengaluru). Besides maintaining an alkaline way of living, the author urges readers to follow "a higher shift in thinking, and the need to move to a simpler earth-synchronous ways of life". According to Koshy, the pH balance of our body "determines our health status more than any other parameter". In a body with an acidic pH balance, the "white blood cells, which are on the frontline of our immune system and protect us from illnesses, become lethargic and weakened". An alkaline pH of 7.4 is the perfect balance that a human body should maintain to be free of all illnesses. "A well-oxygenated alkaline balanced body has adequate immunity to successfully fight diseases. Diseases occur in a body that has low-oxygenated, acidic cells as its immunity becomes weak. This happens because of nutrient-deficient toxic diet, toxic emotions and a toxic lifestyle," he writes. Modern lifestyles with their burden of stress, constantly being exposed to electromagnetic radiation of the mobile phone and laptop, keeping late hours and waking up much after sunrise, also contribute to an "acidic overload" in our bodies. "The current pandemic experience has hit us really hard, and it has now become urgent that every citizen of the world is aware of ways to boost immunity and practice a healthy, immunity-friendly lifestyle. It is important to learn to maintain an alkaline body and follow an alkaline diet. Every school curriculum should have this subject incorporated," Koshy states. He says that one should be aware of the nature of the food that we eat and "by taking care of our diet and choosing wisely what to eat, we can maintain our body's pH balance and improve our immunity". Giving an example, he writes: "A bottle of Coke has a pH value of 2.5, with around 10 teaspoons or more equivalent of refined sugar. To neutralize the acidic pH produced by one bottle of Coke, our body requires 32 glasses of alkaline water with a pH of 10." "No one with an alkaline body balance would succumb to the Covid-19 virus as in an alkaline body there is no inflammatory hyper response, and innate and adaptive immunity would be working smoothly." All vegetables and fruits and all soil produce are alkaline, says the author. "They result in alkalization of the body. In addition, these earth products provide antioxidant effect, adaptogen effect, positivity, and pure energy. They are nature's alkaline pharmacy." Animal milk is a perfect example of how some foods of daily intake while not being very acidic outside the body "leave a large acidic residue when processed in the body". Lemons and tomatoes are examples of foods that, while being acidic, turn "alkaline once ingested". "Ginger, lemon, turmeric, aloe vera, ginseng root, etc. are foods that have more alkalinity and antioxidants packed in them. They could be called tonics. It is the alkalinity that gives the tonic effect. Turmeric, further, has a large content of zinc which is needed in all steps of the immune antibody response." Other foods that have alkalinity as well as nutrients densely packed in them are gooseberry, moringa leaves, avocado, berries, leafy greens, quinoa, olives, and nuts, among others. An acidic body, besides inviting diseases, will also "harbour an acidic mind, which is a mind in pre-anger, filled with suspicions, selfishness, feelings of superiority, forgetting earth synchronicity, and nurturing a false ego and pride. An acidic mind is incapable of listening to what Mother Earth is telling us", Koshy writes. "An alkaline body is disease-free, with no lifestyle diseases. No cancerous changes can occur in an alkaline body. Alkalinity enables the body to follow the circadian rhythm of life. It also nurtures an alkaline mind which is a calm, all-inclusive mind, capable of listening to Mother Earth, and appreciates her magnificence," says the author. Dr Eapen Koshy completed his MBBS and MS in General Surgery from Christian Medical College, Vellore, India; Dip NB in General Surgery and FRCS fellowship from the prestigious Royal College of Surgeons, Dublin. He has also published numerous papers on plastic surgery in a number of publications. He advocates living with nature and believes in a drugless world. He is also a marathon runner, yogi, and an ardent bridge player. /IANS