HOW THE BODY’S PH INFLUENCES VITALITY
The term “pH” refers to the “potential of hydrogen” which is a measure of the Hydrogen ion (H+) concentration and a measure of acidity or alkalinity. The pH scale ranges from 0 on the acidic side to 14 on the alkaline side. The lower (1-6) the number, the more acidic the solution is. The higher (8-14) a pH number, the more alkaline the solution. A solution is neutral if the pH is 7 (neither acidic nor alkaline).
The pH scale is logarithmic by multiples of ten, which means that each unit of change equals tenfold. To put it another way, a solution with a pH of 6.0 is 10 times more acidic than neutral pH 7.0, therefore pH 5.0 would be 100 times (10 x10) more acidic than pH 7.0 and pH 4.0 is 1 000 times (10 x 10 x 10) more acidic than pH 7.0. As we can see, a small change in either direction is a huge difference. When drinking one glass of carbonated cold drink, it takes 32 glasses of pH 9.5 alkaline water to neutralize the acid from that one glass of soft drink.
In the human body, pH is critical – especially in our blood. The pH range that is considered normal for blood is between 7.30 and 7.45. Blood pH is a direct indicator of how much oxygen is available for our cells. Blood at a pH of 7.45 contains 65% more excess oxygen than blood at a pH of 7.30. Any athlete will understand the massive advantage this holds when competing; more excess oxygen means better performance because it takes longer before fatigue sets in, which means concentration levels stay high and the athlete can make the correct decision more often than not.
PH controls the things you can’t live without. The brain needs fuel to run, and the fuel it uses is glucose. Unlike other cells, the brain cannot store glucose. It depends on the second to second supply from the bloodstream – a bloodstream that is affected by pH, which controls the efficiency of insulin, which allows sugar to enter into the cells which in turn controls blood sugar levels.
Blood with a pH of 7.30 is also thinner than blood with a more acidic pH. In today’s world, most people’s bodies and interstitial fluids are more acidic than it should be. This is the direct result of poor diet (heavy in sugar, soft drinks, excess protein and refined carbohydrates), dehydration, stress and environmental pollutants. Each of these contributes to a condition called acidosis.
Acidosis reduces the body’s ability to absorb minerals and nutrients. Acidosis is also responsible for hardening of the arteries, and in combination with a lower blood pH that thickens blood and is more difficult to pump, makes us more susceptible to fatigue and illness. In an overly acidic body, maintaining normal blood pH is difficult; sometimes our bodies have no choice than to pull alkaline minerals (Calcium, Magnesium and Potassium) from organs and other tissues – as well as bones and teeth.
Understanding which foods are acid-yielding or alkaline-yielding can help to improve the balance of our pH. However not all acidic foods have an acid-yielding effect. Citrus fruit like lemons are acidic, for example, however they have a nett alkaline yield once they are metabolized and get to the kidneys.
- So, if not all acidic foods make for an acid pH, what is wreaking havoc with our pH?
- Our diets have changed dramatically. In the past we used to have a 10:1 eating ratio of potassium (a natural buffer against acid pH) to sodium. Today however, due to our low intake of fruits and vegetables (which are rich in potassium) and the rise in heavily salted, processed and fast foods, the ratio is 3:1 in favour of sodium. This reversal throws pH dramatically out of balance.
- There has been a similar reversal in the consumption of bicarbonate (such as potassium bicarbonate) in foods and in added chloride (mostly sodium chloride i.e. table salt). Bicarbonate is alkaline, whereas chloride is acid-yielding. Chloride also constricts blood vessels, this leads to reduced blood circulation which can contribute to heart disease, stroke and other degenerative diseases.
- South Africans also eat a large amount of animal protein (meat, fowl, seafood and dairy products) which has a high acid yielding effect in the body.
Acid-alkaline balance is primarily a food issue and it is important to stem calcium, magnesium and potassium losses by eating more alkaline-yielding foods. This does not mean you have to be a vegetarian to gain the alkalizing benefits of fruits and vegetables. It takes about 35% of our total daily calorie intake as fruits and vegetables to produce a nett alkaline load.
Drinking alkaline, micro-clustered and ionized water from DreamChoice will further assist the body to transport nutrients to and remove toxins from the cells. Don’t look at the pH on a bottle of water; rather look at the alkalinity (CAC03) value on a bottle of water. The higher the alkalinity (CAC03) value the better the buffering capacity of the water to neutralize acid and the smaller the workload on the body to maintain the correct pH.
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