| Acid
and Alkaline Balance for Optimal Health
by Charlie Skeen
One
of the things that most people never consider, but can have a
major impact on their overall health in many ways, is the pH balance
of their body. In fact, many health problems can be made worse,
or even caused by unbalanced pH. Problems such as osteoporosis,
arthritis, low back pain, fibromyalgia, allergies, indigestion,
constipation, joint stiffness and lack of flexibility, blood sugar
imbalances, cancer cell growth, skin problems, dry skin, low energy,
headaches, premature aging, suppressed immune system, cardiovascular
diseases, and many other health problems.
What
is pH?
pH means “potential of hydrogen”, the amount of hydrogen ions
in a particular solution. When you have many hydrogen ions, the
pH indicates an acid solution, and when you have few hydrogen
ions the pH indicates an alkaline solution. This pH is measured
on a scale ranging from 0.00 to 14.00. A pH of 7.0 is neutral
while anything above is defined as alkaline and anything below
7.0 is considered an acid pH.
In the body
the normal pH for all tissues and fluids is alkaline, while the
stomach is acid. The following list below will show the approximate
pH ranges of the digestive system:
1. Mouth,
saliva, Ptyalin - pH 6 - 7
2. Gastric
Stomach - pH 2 -5
3. Digestive
secretions of liver and liver bile - pH 7.1 to 8.5
2. Bile from
gallbladder - 5.0 to 7.7
3. Small intestine
- Bile and Pancreatic Enzymes - pH 7.5 to 8.3
The healthy
pH level of the blood should be 7.4.
The body gives
the highest priority to maintaining the alkaline state of the
blood. When the pH of the blood begins to drop below 7.4, becoming
more acidic, the body will take alkaline-forming elements, minerals
such as calcium, magnesium, potassium, and sodium, from the small
intestine, to buffer the acidity. Taking these minerals from the
small intestine will not allow the digestive enzymes to work in
the proper pH interfering with digestion.
Proper
pH Important to Maintaining Healthy Extracellular Fluids
Any disruption in the digestive process will prevent the assimilation
and transport of nutrients to maintain the proper acid-alkaline
balance of the body and blood. This will result in electrolyte
imbalances, especially sodium, potassium, magnesium, and calcium
ions, in the extracellular fluid that surrounds the cells. The
extracellular fluids transport nutrients into our cells and carry
away the waste material. The nutrients and electrolytes transported
by the extracellular fluids are vital to carry on cellular oxidation,
the transport of oxygen to the cells and the removal of carbon
dioxide, and metabolic functions critical for the life of the
cell. If these cells can not receive sufficient amounts of balanced
minerals, nutrients, and oxygen, they can not function properly
and will begin to die.
Research has
shown that for the cells of the body to remain in a healthy state
the extracellular fluid that bathes the cells must have all the
elements controlled daily so that no single element is off by
more than a few percentage points. This also includes maintaining
the correct pH (acid-alkaline balance) of the extracellular fluid
and the blood.
Proper
Functioning Eliminative Organs for pH Balance
Healthy extracellular fluid and blood are supported by
proper functioning eliminative organs such as the kidneys, liver,
large intestine, and skin. Besides the organs eliminating waste
products and toxins, they also assist the body in eliminating
excess acid and alkaline elements in its effort to maintain healthy
blood and extracellular fluid pH. An examination of what is eliminated
in the urine will reveal the body’s electrolyte and acid-base
buffering mechanisms. An example of this is when someone’s extracellular
fluid and blood systems are too acid resulting in their kidneys
eliminating acid through the urine in an attempt to make the blood
more alkaline. A pH reading of the urine will show that it is
acid. The pH reading of the urine on a day-to-day basis can read
anywhere between 4.8 to 8.4. Testing the pH of the urine is a
preventative health measure assisting one to make needed corrections
in their diet and lifestyle to head off future health problems.
Significant deviations of our blood pH usually indicates disease.
Most
People Are Too Acidic
While there are some people who are too alkaline, the majority
of Americans are too acid, and while there are a variety of things
that cause this, diet is the major factor.
Some of these acid forming foods are high amounts of flesh foods,
grains, especially processed grains and cereals, white flour and
sugar, candy, pastry, most beans, lots of fats, fried foods, sodas,
coffee, Lipton tea and others that contain tannic acid, canned
foods, commercially raised fruits and vegetables in soil too low
in the alkaline minerals such as calcium and magnesium, fruit
juice and fruit juice drinks, dairy, especially pasteurized, city
water, synthetic vitamins, chemical additives, colorings, preservatives,
prescription and synthetic drugs.
What makes
these foods and items so acidic is that they have very little
or do not contain alkaline-forming minerals such as calcium, magnesium,
potassium, and sodium because they either were processed out or
did not contain them to begin with.
Acid
Forming Foods
As a rule then foods that contain the elements of sulfur, phosphorus,
chlorine, and iodine are acid forming. And foods that contain
the elements of sodium, potassium, calcium, magnesium, and iron
are alkaline forming.
Over
Acidity and Disease
If we take in too many foods that contain mostly the acid forming
elements, our blood and extracelluar fluid will become too acidic.
In an effort to control this acid the body will give up the minerals
calcium, magnesium, potassium, and sodium from where ever it can
obtain them, in this case from the bones and any other place the
body would have these elements available. By robbing the bones
and other areas of the body of these elements, an individual over
time would lose bone and cartilage tissue contributing to osteoporosis
and arthritis. Other signs of a degenerating health would be the
joints would dry out and become stiffer and less flexible, pain
in the lower back and generalized local muscle stiffness, risk
of heart attack and stroke increases dramatically due to plaque
buildup and weakening blood vessels, high blood pressure, signs
of aging such as dry and wrinkled skin occur more rapidly, blood
sugar fluctuations and diabetes are more likely, allergies, digestive
problems, constipation, increased risk of cancer which grows quickly
in an acid environment, weight gain with a difficulty in losing
weight, weakened immune system, weakened glands and organs, headaches,
depression, and many other ailments that plague people today as
a result of over-acidity.
Balancing
pH Contributes to Good Health
By learning how to eat foods to balance our acid-alkaline pH properly
we can better maintain a balanced pH improving our overall health,
energy, and prevent disease. And, for those women and men who
are trying to reverse osteoporosis and overcome arthritic conditions
of all sorts it is imperative that the pH be properly maintained
for maximum relief and healing. While it is good that supplements
are taken to support the body, we have to remember that as long
as the blood is over-acid these conditions and others, will never
fully reverse themselves until the excessive loss of the alkaline
elements are halted and proper balance is restored to the body.
Determing
pH
To assist you in determining whether you are too acid, or too
alkaline, I have included two procedures to test your pH. To perform
these two tests you will need to go to the local drug store in
your area and purchase pH tape. Also, check your local health
food stores as some may carry pH tape.
Procedure
#1
24 hour urine test.
When you start a new day in the morning start by collecting the
second urine of the morning until the first urine of the next
morning in a glass jar.
Then shake the total collection a few times. Now dip in a strip
of pH tape to get a reading. Compare the color of the tape to
the reading on the box and record it.
If you are
not a vegetarian or you are a lactovegetarian (a vegetarian who
uses dairy), a generally good pH range would be from 6.3 to 6.9.
Anything below 6.3 would indicate that you are too acidic
For vegetarians who do not eat dairy and for raw food vegetarians,
6.3 to 7.2 is within a safe range.
Procedure
#2
Saliva Test
Testing the saliva with pH tape is thought to be a good indicator
of the alkaline reserve in the body and the condition of the pH
of the cells.
Before eating in the morning take a strip of pH tape and touch
it to your tongue. Make sure you have worked up adequate saliva
to wet your tongue thoroughly.
Record your reading. The normal range before eating is 6.8 to
7.2.
Now go ahead
and eat breakfast, wait 30 minutes and touch your tongue again
to take another reading. If what you are eating is balancing your
pH your reading should be more alkaline up to a pH of 7.2. If
you dip below 6.8 or lower this indicates that what you are eating
and drinking is making you more acid.
Research in
the area of pH testing by Dr. Morter indicates that if the morning
saliva pH is below 6.2 it suggests an acid system with an inadequate
amount of alkaline minerals, but with some alkaline reserve.
But, if the
saliva pH is between 5.5 and 5.8 with no rise in pH after a meal,
this indicates that the body is extremely acid and there are no
alkaline reserves left.
If an individual
finds that he or she is leaning lightly or heavily toward the
acid side correction measures could be put in place. For example,
eliminating as many acid causing foods and drinks as possible.
To help you get started now, always remember that the less processed
your food is and the more natural it is the easier it will be
to balance your pH, nourish your body, and maintain a healthy
state.
As individuals
make these changes they can continue to test their pH with pH
tape to determine if the changes are helping them to be more alkaline
and less acid.
Remember that
everyone is unique and you will have to experiment to find what
works best for you.
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