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Perfect pH: the Simple Way to Optimal Health
Guest Writer for Wake Up World
Acid/alkaline balance. By now many of us have heard of it, some of us have a good understanding of it, and yet few people know how to balance our pH, or bring it back into balance.
Here I will discuss firstly the basics of how our pH gets out of balance, what are some of the effects, and what we can do to restore it. I will also teach you a simple cost effective way to measure it.
Your body’s optimal pH
Your body is designed so that the blood pH stays between 7.35-7.45. This represents the normal range of optimal pH according to Dr. Ben Kim. Your body achieves this through three mechanisms.
1. Buffer systems
Carbonic Acid-Bicarbonate Buffer System
Protein Buffer System
Phosphate Buffer System
2. Exhalation of Carbon Dioxide
3. Elimination of Hydrogen ions via the kidneys
Changes to the pH level wreak havoc on the body systems. If the pH drops below 7.35 it can result in acidosis. If it raises above 7.45 it can results in alkalosis. Both states are extremely dangerous and damaging to the body; from nervous system depression in acidosis that can lead to coma and even death, to nervous system hypersensitivity in alkalosis which can cause convulsions and in extreme cases, death.
The reason that such a small change can make such a massive impact is that on the pH scale of 1-14, each difference of 1 represents a 10 fold increase or decrease. Dr. Ben Kim provides an example of this:
“A liquid that has a pH of 6 is ten times more acidic than a liquid like pure water that has a pH of 7, and a liquid with a pH of 5 is one hundred times more acidic than pure water. Most carbonated soft drinks (pop) have a pH of about 3, making them about ten thousand times more acidic than pure water. Please remember this the next time you think about drinking a can of pop” ~ Dr. Ben Kim
Undoubtedly, the pH level of our blood affects every cell in our bodies. And as our body’s healthy function depends on our blood maintaining an alkalinity between 7.35 and 7.45 pH, it is reasonable to expect that over-acidity will interrupt normal metabolic processes.
Dietary and environmental factors
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