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What You Don’t Know about Your pH Might Surprise You
An imbalance in the body’s pH may lead to serious health concerns, including:
- Hormone concerns.
- Cardiovascular weakness.
- Weight gain/loss.
- Bladder and kidney concerns.
- Immune deficiency.
- Acceleration of free radial damage.
- Structural system weakness, including brittle bones, hip fractures and joint discomfort.
- Stressed liver function.
- Low energy.
- Slow digestion and elimination.
- Yeast/fungal overgrowth.
High Acidity in the Body
Most people who have unbalance pH are “acidic.” This condition forces the body to borrow minerals – including calcium, sodium, potassium and magnesium – from vital organs and bones to buffer the acid and safely remove it from the body. This process can weaken these organs and bones over time.
High Alkalinity in the Body
Though less common than high acidity, high alkalinity in the body causes many of the same kinds of problems as acidity. It often takes more support and time for a person who is “alkaline” to achieve balance than one who is “acidic,” because the body becomes less capable of excreting acids through the kidneys, and the liver and the bowel compensate by producing ammonia.
Alkalinity may be the result of:
- An overcompensation of chronic acidity by liver production of ammonia.
- External exposure to alkaline chemicals, such as oral antacids and ammonia-containing fertilizers and cleaning solutions.
- Ammonia production from abnormal microbes in the gut.
Urine pH
Urine testing may indicate how well your body is excreting acids and assimilating minerals, especially calcium, magnesium, sodium and potassium. These minerals function as “buffers.” Buffers are substances that help maintain and balance the body against the introduction of too much acidity or too much alkalinity. Even with the proper amounts of buffers, acid or alkaline levels can become extreme. When the body ingests or produces too many of these acids or alkalis, it must excrete the excess. The urine is the perfect way for the body to remove any excess acids or alkaline substances that cannot be buffered. If the average urine pH is below 6.5, the body’s buffering system is overwhelmed, and attention should be given to lowering acid levels.
The Body’s Acid Management – Acids Do Not Stay in the Blood
- Excretion of acids – colon, kidneys, lungs, skin
- Buffering of acids – calcium, magnesium, sodium, potassium
- Storage of acids – tissue, joints, muscles, arteries
- Emergency backup system to control acids – liver and bowel produce ammonia
A recent study conducted at the University of California – San Francisco on 9,704 post-menopausal women showed that those who have higher acidity levels (also called chronic acidosis) from a diet rich in animal foods are at greater risk for lower bone density levels than those who have “normal” pH levels. The researchers who carried out this study hypothesized that many of the hip fractures prevalent among older women correlated to higher acidity from a diet rich in animal foods and low in vegetables. The body apparently borrows calcium from the bones in order to balance pH, and this calcium borrowing may result in a decrease in bone density.
- American Journal of Clinical Nutrition
Jan. 2001, Vol. 73, No. 1, pp. 118-122.
Saliva pH The results of saliva testing may indicate the activity of digestive enzymes in the body. These enzymes are primarily manufactured by the stomach, liver and pancreas. While the saliva also utilizes buffers just like the urine, it relies on this process to a much lesser degree. If the saliva pH is too low (below 6.5), the body may be producing too many acids or may be overwhelmed by acids because it has lost the ability to adequately remove them through the urine. If the saliva pH is too high (over 6.8), the body may suffer greatly, e.g. excess gas, constipation and production of yeast, mold and fungus.
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