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| pH In scientific circles pH stands for "potential of hydrogen," but as far as your body is concerned, it can mean your "picture of health." By understanding how pH levels of your body fluids affect your health, you will be able to learn just how healthy you really are. The relative acidity or alkalinity of substances is measured in terms of pH. The more acid in a solution, the lower the pH number, and the more alkaline, the higher the number. The pH scale goes from 0.00 (completely acid) to 14.00 (completely alkaline). Distilled water, with a pH of 7.0 is right in the middle - neither acid nor alkaline. An acid solution can be made more alkaline by adding alkalizing minerals - such as sodium, calcium, or potassium - that "buffer" the acid, and alkaline solution can be made more acid by adding acidifying substances. The pH of a solution can be determined by using strips of chemically treated paper. When immersed in solution, the paper changes color to show the degree of acidity or alkalinity. All of the fluids of your body operate best at particular levels of pH ranging between slightly acid and slightly alkaline. Only stomach fluids are highly acid. blood has a slightly alkaline pH of 7.35 to 7.45. it is crucial for your blood to stay within that narrow rang. If the pH of your blood should fall much below 7.35 or rise much above 7.45, your body could not survive very long. Simple tests of your saliva and urine that you can perform yourself can give you a good idea of the pH levels of your body. If you are truly healthy, both your saliva and urine should register around pH 7.0 the first thing in the morning (as soon as you get up after at least five hours sleep). However, even though you usually feel good, if your diet consists of mostly of meat pasta, convenience foods, starches, and coffee or cola drinks, your early morning pH will probably register as low as pH 5 or possibly as high as pH 8. Testing urine and saliva after sleeping at least five hours gives you an idea of how your body is operating. Urine pH tells of how your body is responding to the food your ate the day before. Saliva pH tells your how your body has accepted the pas few weeks and months. If you have not been eating foods that contain alkalizing minerals, your body has adapted its function to keep pH of your blood and other vital fluids as correct as possible. It is often these long term adaptations -adaptations that are necessary for survival- that eventually lead to symptoms of chronic degenerative diseases such as arthritis, osteoporosis, emphysema, or even cancer. Alkalizing minerals are stored in many organs and tissues of the body. The liver is the greatest storehouse of sodium; the bones are the greatest storehouse of calcium. Yet these storehouses can be emptied if the minerals that are used cant be replaced. The food you eat determines how well your reserves are replenished. Fresh fruits and vegetables contribute the usable alkalizing minerals you need to restock your alkaline reserve. When there are enough reserves to buffer the acid produced naturally by cellular activity saliva pH will register around 7.0. Readings of considerably lower or higher than 7.0 usually indicate that your buffering reserves have been depleted and your body is being forced to accommodate by other means. Lemons and oranges are obviously acid. However we are talking about the end product of digestion, not the state of the fruit as it is eaten. When you eat any food, the body uses the nutrients, vitamins, and minerals contained in the food an eliminates the parts that are not useable. Yet, there is a part that is digested , but not used immediately - we call this "ash." It is similar to the ash left after a log has been burned in your file place. This ash can be either acid or alkaline. The ash from fruits and vegetables is alkaline although the food itself may have been acid. The alkaline minerals in ash can be stored in the alkaline reserve to buffer acids in the future. Remember, in order to remain healthy or improve your health, the ph of your body must be slightly alkaline. It isn't necessary to become a vegetarian, but you do need to eat vegetables every day. If you eat mostly meats and starches, such as beef, pork, French fries and pasta, you should not make a sudden change from mostly acid-ash producing foods to alkaline-ash producing foods. Even though vegetables and fruits provide alkalizing minerals that will adjust the pH of your body, if your body isn't accustomed to them, a sudden dramatic change can cause unpleasant effects. The best way to improve your diet is to do it slowly but steadily. If you change your eating habits to quickly, you may experience bladder irritation or other unpleasant symptoms. As you increase the amount of alkalizing minerals available to your body, you will notice a change in your early morning pH readings. Your doctor can advice you about the foods that will improve your diet, your bodies pH, and your health. Your B.E.S.T. doctor can tell you what your pH readings mean and answer your questions about how your eating habits can effect the way you feel and how healthy you are. |