I used to read Dr. Davis' blog back in the days participating on Jimmy's forum, it was cited rather frequently. His writing back then seemed well grounded. Then about a year or so ago, the posts started getting sensationalistic. Ahh ... he got a book deal for Wheat Belly. I blogged previously on one of the more bizarre amongst them: Bacon, Eggs & Battery Acid. On his anti-oat campaign, Davis wrote:
Sulfuric acid is among the most powerful and potentially harmful acids known. Get even a dilute quantity in your eyes and you will suffer serious burns and possibly loss of eyesight. Ingest it and you can sustain fatal injury to the mouth and esophagus. Sulfuric acid's potent tendency to react with other compounds is one of the reasons that it is used in industrial processes like petroleum refining. Sulfuric acid is also a component of the harsh atmosphere of Venus.
This folks really is over-the-top rhetoric, and if Davis has a shred of credibility it is totally undermined by nonsense like this. I'm just surprised he didn't mention Drano! Leaving aside, for the moment, whether the sulfuric acid content of foods is something to be concerned about, trying to equate minute amounts in foods with even dilute sulfuric acid solutions is worse that comparing apples and oranges. The atmosphere on Venus? Ingesting sodium metal will probably kill you (sodium is highly reactive), as will inhaling chlorine gas, but sodium chloride not so much. Let's check out the MSDS (material safety data sheet) for hydrochloric acid at right. {click to enlarge} Pretty dangerous stuff! Well, this turns out to be the acid in your stomach, produced by your body. Gastric acid is pH 1 to 2. I've never taken a piece of litmus paper to a bowl of plain oatmeal, but I'm thinking it's not going to be too acidic. Do you think adding oatmeal to your stomach contents is going to make you acidic? Eat out your intestines? Un huh.
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