pH Levels Are Critical For Good Health
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Back in school in our Chemistry classes, we all learnt about pH: acids had low numbers, alkalines had high numbers, and a pH of 7.0 was neutral. Who would have ever thought that this lesson could be a life-saver. Back then, for me at least, it all meant absolutely nothing in terms of my day-to-day life. I never thought it really mattered…until now.
Turns out that we have a better chance for good long-term health if our body’s pH is neutral or slightly more alkaline. When our bodies tend toward greater acidity, which can be measured easily using simple and cheaply priced pH Test Strips, we have a greater risk of developing osteoporosis, weak muscles, heart disease, diabetes, kidney disease, and a host of other health problems, including cancer.
The reason this happens is that the body tries to compensate for the acidity produced by our diets in several ways. The kidneys are responsible for fluid balance and maintaining a relatively neutral pH in the body so they have to work harder to do this when the body turns acidic.
Our bones start to release more calcium and magnesium to counteract the acidity and our muscles start to produce more ammonia as well. Over an extended period of time you can figure that this acidic environment is going to take a toll on your body in seriously negative ways.
Having said that, does it not then make sense that we can also do good for our bodies by eating a proper and more alkaline diet since this is what our bodies prefer? If eating raw fruit and vegetables makes our bodies more alkaline
(which is a highly recommended way to eat for health) then it makes sense why our ancestors who ate exactly that way had much less incidence of disease than we have in our lives today.
In the North American diet, excess calcium is coming primarily from dairy products, and excess sodium is coming from “prepared foods” that are loaded with salt. Largely missing from the diet are magnesium and potassium that would come from eating fruits and vegetables.
A diet based on fruits and vegetables, grains and legumes, with a small amount of dairy, would give the body all four of the alkaline minerals in better balance.
People in North America tend to consume too much calcium and sodium and insufficient magnesium and potassium. This is mostly shown in urine tests which show calcium and sodium being excreted while magnesium and potassium are being retained. Clearly this is why we are not focused on the pH of our urine. An alkaline urine simply tells us that some alkaline minerals are being discarded by the body. Much more important is the pH of your saliva, which tells of your success in creating an alkaline condition within your body…the ultimate goal.
So, the bottom line is to eat more fruits and vegetables and monitor your pH level on a consistent basis to maintain an alkaline environment in your body for by doing so you should be able to prevent disease as disease love and acidic environment.
Who would have thought that something so simple as eating properly and monitoring our pH level could keep us healthy for the long-term? It can, so do yourself a favor and try it. It certainly couldn’t hurt you.
Best of health,
Chris
