I've been hearing more and more about
this subject in relation to improving health, so I've spent
some time researching a pH definition that I can understand
and use.
What the heck is "pH"
anyway and how is it related to health? That's
the first thing I wanted to know, so I'm sharing what I've
learned with you in this article.
I'm realizing that the pH of the
body is REALLYBASIC.
It is related to nutrition
and what you put in your body. Everything we consume
is broken down into small particles, nutrients, that are
the raw material that our bodies NEED in order to function
and rebuild.
Water
is a vital part of these processes, and when water combines
with these nutrients or other substances that we take in,
they have either an acidic or alkaline quality. This
is what pH measures - how acidic or alkaline our internal
body environment is.
The quality of being "alkaline"
or "acidic" - in very simple terms - just depends
on the quantity of hydrogen the substance contains.
This is essential to our health because
the body only operates well at a balanced pH
- our bodies need both acidic and alkaline substances
to function well, but they need to be balanced.
The pH scale is a tool we can use to monitor our health
because it will show us whether our body is too acidic,
too alkaline or just right and balanced.
A pH definition
pH is a chemistry term. But that doesn't
mean it can't be understood! A pH number indicates how acidic
or alkaline a solution (liquid that something else is dissolved
in) is.
In a pH definition, "pH" stands for "potential
of hydrogen." The "H" is capitalized because the symbol
for hydrogen is capital H.
The pH of your body and other substances
can be checked with pH strips.
pH color chart
pH balance
pH is balanced when the amounts of acidity
and alkalinity are fairly equal - around 7 on the ph balance
chart. Since acidic substances and alkaline substances have
opposite qualities, when they're balanced in fairly equal
amounts, they "neutralize" one another. The ideal pH of
the body's internal environment is about 7.4.
Balanced nutrition goes far in attaining
pH balance in our bodies. For instance, red meats, fats,
and sugars create an acidic pH and fruits, vegetables, and
whole grains create an alkaline pH.
If the pH of the body is too acidic or
too alkaline over a period of time, health problems can
occur. The body naturally works to keep the pH balanced
- but at a price!
Acidic body pH
When we consume more red meats,
fats, and sugars out of balance with most fresh fruits,
vegetables and other alkaline, neutralizing nutrients, we
create an acidic pH body environment.
An acidic, unbalanced body
environment is unhealthy and allows disease to grow and
thrive. One thing that an acidic body pH causes
is inflammation. Cancers and other degenerative diseases
just love an acidic environment!
Some health conditions that may be
caused, at least partially, by an unbalanced, acidic pH
are:
Immune deficiency
Fatigue
Obesity
Diabetes
Bladder and kidney problems
Joint pain
Fungal overgrowth
Hormonal imbalances
Premature aging
Headaches
Bad breath
Irritability and depression
I am not saying that completely
handling an acidic body pH would completely eliminate these
conditions. But improving an out-of-balance pH will improve
your health.
If your pH is too acidic, your body
tries to get it in balance by "borrowing" alkaline substances,
notably minerals, from other parts of your body.
For example, calcium is the main mineral
in your body and has many functions - and as you probably
know, calcium is concentrated in your bones. Well, if
your pH is out of whack by being too acidic, then
your body will take calcium and other alkaline nutrients
from your bones and tissues to try and correct the pH imbalance.
Makes sense that you'd feel lousy after
a while if this were happening constantly! After researching
and understanding the pH definition, I realized that it
is valid.
I have personally observed it to be true
because I've gradually modified my diet to include a lot
more fresh, organic fruits and veggies, reduced my beef,
fats and refined sugars, and increased my nutritional supplements
which include coral calcium. I FEEL BETTER
than I did before.
Testing your pH
There are pH test strips available in
health food stores and on-line that you can use to test
your pH. I found some at the place I get my dietary supplements.
Here's a short video about using pH test
strips to check the pH of your body.
Conventional or "western" medicine,
with its emphasis on a "drugs-and-surgery" method of healthcare,
do not give us a pH definition, much less any mention of
this health tool. I highly doubt that it is taught in conventional
medical schools. If it were, why don't we hear about it?
I hope this pH definition has helped you
understand how you can use it as a tool to better your health.
__________
A question I have that I'm going to research
is how do prescription drugs and environmental toxins affect
the pH of the body?
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