The pH of foods is very important to your health and is something that many people do not understand. Your body strives hard to be alkaline, yet the foods consumed in the Standard American Diet (SAD) are typically highly acid.
Too much acid in your body can cause medical problems that seem to happen out of nowhere. Foods are categorized according to pH (Potential of Hydrogen) levels and listed as either acid or alkaline. Alkaline substances are soluble salts and acid substances are corrosive agents.
A good, balanced diet should contain a balance of 80% alkaline foods and 20% acid foods however, for most people the numbers are in reverse: 20% alkaline and 80% acid.
Over 150 or more degenerative diseases may be caused by acidosis! Acidosis is defined as: 'an abnormal increase in the acidity of the body's fluids, caused either by accumulation of acids or by depletion of bicarbonates' and also 'an abnormal condition of reduced alkalinity of the blood and tissues that is marked by sickly sweet breath, headache, nausea and vomiting, and visual disturbances and is usually a result of excessive acid production.'
Parasites, viruses, bacteria, and disease cannot live in an alkaline body. The pH of foods you consume is so very important for this reason. Everything that you put into your body has an effect on you. That’s a really good reason to understand the pH of foods you consume.
The typical Western diet (SAD) is largely composed of acid-forming foods (proteins, cereals, sugars). Alkaline foods, such as veggies and fruits, are eaten in much smaller quantities. Stimulants like tobacco, coffee, tea, and alcohol are also extremely acidifying but consumed in large amounts. Stress and physical activity (both too much or too little) also cause acidosis.
Foods that have no additives are typically alkaline forming foods. Manufactured foods however, are mainly acid. It is important to consume at least 60% alkaline forming foods in your diet in order to maintain your health. Foods you should consume daily include plenty of fresh fruits and vegetables to balance your necessary acid forming foods, like proteins.
Your body's pH
Water is the most abundant compound in the human body. The human body is composed of 70% water.
95% water in your brain
90% water in your blood
96% water in your liver
Although that’s an abundance of water, your body contains a wide range of other solutions, which may be more or less acid. pH (potential of Hydrogen) is a measure of the acidity or alkalinity of a solution. It’s the ratio between positively charged ions (acid-forming) and negatively charged ions (alkaline-forming.) The pH of any solution is the measure of its hydrogen-ion concentration. The higher the pH level, the more alkaline and oxygen-rich the fluid is. The lower the pH level, the more acidic and oxygen deprived the fluid is. The pH range is from 0 to 14, with 7.0 being neutral. Anything above 7.0 is alkaline, anything below 7.0 is considered acidic.
Human blood pH should be slightly alkaline (7.35 - 7.45). Below or above this range means symptoms and disease. If blood pH moves below 6.8 or above 7.8, cells stop functioning and the body dies. The body therefore continually strives to balance pH. When this balance is compromised many problems can occur.
The pH of foods you consume regularly is extremely important to understand. The more acid foods you consume, the higher your incidence of health problems. That's a fact! Soothing alkaline foods are so much healthier and are much more inexpensive to buy. Next time you go grocery shopping, check out the amount of additives you see in the regular foods you buy. The more additives, the more acid the food becomes in your body. Veggies and fruits are natural and supply your body with the alkalinity it needs to thrive. Think about the pH of foods you consume before you consume them. You'll live longer to talk about the benefits of including them in your daily diet for many years to come!