Acid Alkaline Balance

One of the major advances in natural medicine in recent years has been the realisation of the vital importance of correct body acid alkaline balance. Optimising your body pH can lead to significantly better health, increased energy, improved immunity and a slowing down of the aging process. 

Although we may hear little on this subject from health practitioners, there is an increasing amount of research being done in this area. German researchers Vormann and Remer of the Institute of Prevention and Nutrition said in an article in the Journal of Nutrition:

 "The role of nutrition in human acid-base homeostasis has gained increasing attention in recent years. Although in healthy humans, homeostatic mechanisms and the kidneys' capacity to excrete acid equivalents can prevent strong diet-induced alterations in blood pH, even moderate increases in blood hydrogen ion levels as a result of unfavourable diet composition can have long term consequences for the occurrence and progression of a number of diseases."

In simple terms, this means excess acid residue food consumption can disrupt the balance, leading to an increase of acidity in the blood with a knock-on effect of the occurrence and progression of disease.

The body pH level of our internal fluids affects every single one of our cells. The pH level of our blood should be in the range of 7.34 to 7.38, with an ideal of 7.365, which is slightly alkaline.

Deviations outside this normal level can have major negative impacts on our health. The commonest tendency is towards acidity (acidosis), and if left unchecked can affect all cellular functions with negative effects on all our body systems.

Excessive tissue acidity is corrosive and is believed by many researchers to be the root cause of most sicknesses and diseases. When blood pH is even slightly deviating towards acidity, this will result in lower oxygen transfer, with a knock-on effect on many body systems. Frequently, the first symptom is fatigue.

Correct acid alkaline balance slows down aging. There are several main factors that affect the acid alkaline balance of our body tissues and in particular lead to acidifying effects. It is important to recognise the root cause of our imbalances so that we can take practical steps to restore the proper acid alkaline balance and our body to health.

We live in an age where the toxic load in our environment is significantly greater than ever before. Changes in eating habits, high levels of stress, electromagnetic stress and other environmental pollution pose a continuous daily burden on our bodies which we must take action to counterbalance if we want to enjoy good health. In particular, the following are the principal contributors to increasing the acid burden on our bodies.

Diet: Ideally 80% of our diet should come from foods that leave an alkaline residue in our bodies, with only 20% from acid residue foods. Alkaline residue foods are primarily vegetables and fruits, while acid residue are animal products and most grains. The ideal proportion will vary from person to person depending on our metabolic type. Unfortunately, typical Western diets comprise mostly acid residue foods. Simple steps can help us to redress the balance.

Stress and Negative Emotions: High levels of stress and negative emotions produce biochemical reactions in our bodies which acidify our blood and tissues. 

Harmful Pathogens: When our body pH tends towards acidity, it creates an internal environment which is conducive to the colonisation of harmful pathogens such as candida. These parasites metabolise your nutrients and dump their metabolic wastes in your body. These wastes are acidic and toxic, adding to the acid load on your body. 

Environmental Pollution: Toxic fumes from traffic, electromagnetic smog, toxins from household chemicals and some personal care products all can add to the toxic, acidic load on our bodies, adversely affecting our body acid alkaline balance. The increased acidic load on our blood will result in lowered oxygen transfer throughout the body, which is critically important to optimal cell functioning

There are two simple things you can do to get an indication of the acid alkaline balance of your body. That is measure the pH of your saliva and your urine. These readings will give you a picture of the current status of your body pH and allow you to monitor your progress as you bring your body back into proper balance.

There are a number of different recommended ways to test your acid alkaline balance. The simplest is to check your saliva levels and urine levels. You can use special pH test strips to give you a trend as to your pH. You will probably see a greater variation with saliva testing. You should not regard the value of a single reading as being absolute but look for a trend over several days. You can also check the readings after meals.

If your system is well balanced, you will consistently see your morning urine pH readings in the order of 6.5 to 7.5. If the pH is consistently below 6.5 then your body has got insufficient alkaline reserves to buffer the acids in the body and you are setting yourself up for chronic degenerative disease.

As your body pH rises to its desired levels, you will feel increased energy levels and improved immunity as the body becomes alkalised and oxygenated. If you would like to test your urine and saliva pH to get an indication of your body acid alkaline balance, then we will happily send you a free packet of pH papers. Just send us an email using the contact form above.

Correct acid alkaline balance gives high energy levels. Poor alkaline acid balance, on the other hand, can lead to many diseases in the body. In fact, several doctors working at the leading edge of natural medicine have said that it is the root cause of all disease. Increased levels of acidity lead to reduced levels of oxygen in the blood and also result in less than optimal absorption of nutrients. This will adversely affect every cell in the body. In particular, excess acidity in the blood and tissues and poor hydration is believed to be implicated in the following health problems:

1. Cardiovascular problems, in particular arteriosclerosis, high cholesterol and high blood pressure
2. Diabetes and metabolic disorders
3. Cancers
4. Osteoporosis
5. Arthritis
6. Digestive problems, in particular acid reflux, stomach ulcers and helicobacter, colitis and Irritable Bowel Syndrome
7. Hypothyroidism
8. Autoimmune disorders
9. Chronic fatigue
10. Asthma
11. Depression
12. Kidney problems

Good nutrition and good body hydration can have a hugely beneficial effect on our health. Modern living often makes it difficult for many people to get the proper nutrition to supply their body's needs and function optimally. However, a few simple changes to your daily regime can pay handsomely. In particular, the focus should be on the following:

1. Eliminating from your diet excessive consumption of acid forming foods. There are many good books on the subject of acid alkaline balance diets, several of which are listed in our shop. In particular, reduce consumption of sugars and simple carbohydrates, soft drinks, alcohol, fast foods, processed meats and dairy products and increase consumption of vegetables and fruits, particularly green vegetables which are alkalising and contain beneficial phytochemicals.
2. Drink plenty of alkaline ionized water. Most people who are suffering from excess acidity are dehydrated, although they are not conscious of it. Drinking tea, coffee, alcohol and soft drinks is not a substitute for drinking water, and most of these everyday drinks have a negative effect on our body hydration levels. Drinking alkaline ionized water helps to neutralise acids and flush them from the body. It is probably the easiest and most effective thing that everyone can do to improve their health. Good healthy water is the foundation to a nutritional approach to health.
3. Take a green superfood. It is not so easy and does not appeal to the palate of many of us to eat lots of green vegetables and fruits. The easy way, which is tremendously effective, is to take a green superfood powder which is highly concentrated, nutrient-dense green nutrition. The high chlorophyll content of green drink powders help to better oxygenate the body in addition to supplying alkaline nutrients.
4. Look positively on life. Positive emotions will positively affect your acid alkaline balance.
5. Additionally, if required, take alkalising and oxygenating supplements.

In his book Alkalize or Die, Naturopathic Doctor Thomas Baroody states 'The countless names attached to illnesses do not really matter. What does matter is that they all come from the same root cause .... too much tissue acid waste in the body.'

Hopefully the above information will give you a little insight into why you are feeling how you are. It will hopefully motivate you to investigate further and begin to take the simple steps needed to move you in the direction of health. If you'd still like to learn more about the importance of a healthy acid alkaline balance though, you might also want to consider downloading our free eBook.

We have recently completed a new downloadable eBook which gives you lots more useful information on this topic. The book will provide you with plenty of information about the important role that a good diet can play in maintaining your health, as well as offering you a number of simple, actionable steps to take in terms of restoring your body's optimum acid/alkaline balance.

Body acid alkaline balance is crucially important if you are going to enjoy superior health. We passionately believe that good hydration and quality nutrition can make a massive difference to people's wellbeing. Give your body what it needs and it will respond magnificently. Why suffer the effects of acid related health problems?

We are always available to advise what might be most helpful for you. We passionately believe that proper acid alkaline balance is the key to better health. Feel free to give us a call on 01764 662111 if you have any questions about our eBook, or any queries about acid-alkaline balance.