Its traffic peaked in early April of 2019 following the death of rapper Nipsey Hussle, who had previously reported that he was working on a documentary about Dr. Sebi. Some people linked Hussle’s work on the documentary to his death, saying it “wasn’t a coincidence.” The designer is “Dr.” Sebi, whose real name was Alfredo Darrington Bowman, was born in 1933 in Honduras. He was not a doctor, medical or otherwise, nor licensed healthcare practitioner of any kind (though his site calls him a “pathologist, herbalist, biochemist, and naturalist”). Entangled in a variety of civil and criminal litigation through his life, Alfredo was arrested for practicing medicine without a license. Bowman passed in August of 2016. During his life, his diet had a number of celebrity fans, like Michael Jackson, but also was surrounded with controversy. He was known to deny that HIV causes AIDS and was in fact sued by New York state after claiming he had “cured AIDS” in 1993. He was told to stop making medical claims about his diet’s benefits. The diet prescribes a strict form of veganism and is based on the notion that all diseases have to do with a localized failure by the body’s mucus membranes. Bowman proposed that by creating an alkaline environment, one can eliminate diseases. As part of Bowman’s diet, there’s a"Nutritional Guide," which provides a list of foods you’re allowed to eat (it’s specific), along with some other guidelines. His diet also advises taking Dr. Sebi “Cell Food” supplements. The program,for which there are gendered options, costs between $750 and $1,500. 2. Drink one gallon of natural spring water per day. 3. Any Dr. Sebi products are to be taken an hour before “pharmaceuticals.” 4. All Dr. Sebi products can be taken together without interaction. 5. Strict adherence to the “Nutritional Guide” (complete with supplemental products) gives the best results for “reversing disease.” 6. No animal products, hybrid foods, canned fruits, seedless fruits, or alcohol may be consumed. 7. According to Sebi, using the microwave will “kill your food,” so avoid using it. The human body has different pH levels in different areas to support specific physiological functions, with organs like the stomach being more acidic while blood is more alkaline. The homeostasis of pH in various organs and fluids is tightly regulated. Through complex excretion and reabsorption mechanisms, our body has built-in acid-base balance via the lungs, kidneys, and buffer systems. One of the bodily products that is directly affected by the food and fluids we consume is urine. This is an example of a kidney-controlled mechanism for managing pH in the blood. While these dietary changes would certainly yield health benefits for many (via sugar and calorie reduction, plus improved fiber intake and fruit and vegetable intake), the idea that diet patterns or components can materially influence our robust, built-in acid-base balance is unscientific. There is no research behind alkalinizing the body, and science does not support the claims made by Bowman or similar alkaline regimens. Many studies on alkaline diets have been reviewed and meta-analyzed, and the results are in: Neither the alkaline diet nor its related “acid-ash hypothesis” have been shown to prevent or mitigate diseases. This lack of effect includes bone health and osteoporosis1, cancer2, and glucose and insulin responses3, to name a few. When it comes to alkalinizing, Wendie Trubow, M.D., told mbg, “The claims, without research, should not be relied upon.” If you’re thinking about trying a plant-based diet, there are plenty of benefits to look forward to. Here are some tips for starting your plant-based journey. And if you’re curious, here’s the complete list of foods allowed on the Dr. Sebi diet:
