Acidity vs Alkalinity - Balancing Your Body's PH

All of the cells in our body require the proper pH balance to function at an optimal level. If our body is acidic or too alkaline, chemical reactions including enzyme activity, cellular repair, and cellular reproduction are inhibited.

Raymond Francis writes, "On the pH scale, 7 is neutral; 0 to 7 is acidic, and 7 to 14 is alkaline. The normal pH inside a cell is 7.4, which is slightly alkaline. Maintaining normal pH in the fluid inside the cell as well as the other body fluids is crucial for keeping the body systems functioning normally."

While most of the body can still operate, however poorly, outside of the optimum pH zone, blood cannot. Dr. Shillington writes, "Your blood operates between 7.3 and 7.5 on the alkaline side of this pH scale. If it goes out of this range, you're dead!"

Fast foods and processed foods are highly acidic. So how do we survive eating a Big Mac and a Coke? Our bodies pull alkalizing minerals--calcium, sodium, potassium, and magnesium from soft tissues, organs, glands, and bones to neutralize the acid and return our blood to the proper pH balance.

If we continually eat a diet high in acidic foods, chronic acidosis will result. "Eventually, as time goes by, your body will leech your teeth and bones of their much needed calcium to balance this out-of-whack situation," writes Dr. Shillington.

"This is the 'cause' behind arthritis, bone loss, tooth decay, liver and kidney failure, and a multitude of other diseases too numerous to mention. According to my up-to-date research, every disease has some connection to an acid/alkaline imbalance."

The typical American diet is very high in protein. Most meat eaten is not organic and the animals are not fed their natural foods. Cows' main diet staple is grass, but we proudly hail the "best choice meat" as "grain fed."

Grains are not the natural diet of cows. When they eat grains, their bodies become acidic and they are more likely to become ill. They are then shot full of antibiotics (in addition to hormones) and we eat meat which is more acidic than nature intended.

In addition, our industrial society pollutes water, feeds us chemical laden foods sprayed with poisons, wraps and stores foods in toxic plastic and Styrofoam, and encourages us to eat fast foods and processed foods. Is it any wonder chronic illnesses and devastating disease has reached epidemic proportions?

Though the belief that chronic acidosis is the cause of chronic illness or the basis for much of our disease today is not upheld by mainstream conventional medicine, conventional medicine does agree that acid diets pull calcium from bones and that alkaline diets help prevent osteoporosis, kidney stones, and age-related waste of muscle mass.

When you think about acidity of foods, you may immediately think of citric acid in oranges, lemons, and limes. Citrus fruits are acidic, but they turn alkaline when digested. The same is true for tomatoes. It doesn't matter whether a food is acidic or alkaline.

What matters is how it is chemically metabolized in the body. You may search through books on the subject and through sites on the Internet to find lists ranking foods on the pH scale. Unfortunately, the lists are not comprehensive nor are they in agreement, but they all do say to increase fruits and vegetables.

So how do you use this new information? How can you find out if your body is acidic? You can test your pH using the same test strips you might have used in high school chemistry class or to test the pH in your aquarium. Some recommend testing both saliva and urine.

Raymond Francis recommends measuring your first morning urine before you eat. "This test offers an indicator of your cellular pH and can be used to monitor changes as you work to normalize your pH. First morning urine should be in the range of 6.5 to 7.5.

If readings fall below 6.5, you are too acidic. Occasional readings above 7.5 are normal, but consistent readings above 7.5 are an indication of tissue breakdown, and a pH over 8.0 is a serious matter."

What's the easy way to make sure your body is not too acidic or alkaline? How do you make sure your body has the right amount of omega 3s and omega 6s? How do you make sure your food has just the right amount of vitamins and minerals? How do you decrease the number of toxins you ingest? How do you rid your body of all virtually all disease and illness? Does it seem overwhelming? It's not. It's simple. Eat more raw, fresh, organic foods!

Michael Edwards is the chief editor of Organic Lifestyle Magazine, a free online magazine. Subscribe for free at http://www.greenmagazines.com