PH Factor - What It Means To Your Health

When you go to the doctors how often do they talk about PH or PH Balance? Probably never, and that's a shame because your body is always striving to maintain a Ph level. Today's diets contain very little Alkaline foods which is working against what your body needs. What does PH mean?


The concept of pH was first introduced by Danish chemist S. P. L. Sørensen at the Carlsberg Laboratory in 1909.Sørensen suggested the notation "PH" for convenience, standing for "power of hydrogen". PH is the measure of the acidity or alkalinity in the body or of a solution.


The pH of different body fluids, including urine, saliva, and blood, varies with function and other factors. They are tightly regulated systems to keep the acid-base balanced. A acidic substance in the body is plaque. Plaque's pH is low and will dissolve teeth if not removed. The pH of blood, at a value of 7.4. pH is vital in maintaining the functioning of cells. Enzymes are heavily affected by changes in pH, they have an optimum pH at which they operate. Outside a small range they can denature, the body cannot survise being either to acidic or alkaline for a extended period of time.


The pH scale ranges from 0 (the highest acidic) to 14 (the most alkaline). A solution with a pH of 7 is neutral. When healthy, the blood pH is 7.365, the pH of spinal fluid is 7.4, and the saliva pH is 7.4. This ideal blood pH measurement means it is more alkaline than acid. At pH 7, water contains equal amounts of H+ and OH- ions. Substances with a pH of less than 7 are acidic because they contain a higher concentration of H+ ions. Substances with a pH higher than 7 are alkaline because they contain a higher concentration of OH-


The bottom line is in this country diets are mainly acidic, processed foods, sugars and red meats are all contributors. The body must find alkaline to maintain a PH level for survival. The biggest alkaline in the body is bone (calcium), is it possible the rise in osteoporosis has some connection to this PH balance process? Ask your doctor and see what they say.


If the body can't get what it needs from the outside (eating) it will search from within and your body has a strong will to survive even if it has to take it from your bones. Stress and diet are big contributors to a acidic Ph level which in turn burdens your immune system There is a long list of ailements that come from being acidic. A few adjustments in your diet, awareness of PH acids - alkaline, and I'm sure you will see rapid health improvements.

Ph Strip

Foods - Acid or Alkaline

Besides taking vitamins food is the biggest factor in our PH balance. How else is the body going to get what it needs or doesn't need. The following are foods ranked from highly alkaline to highly acidic, see where you stand:

Highly Alkaline Forming Foods

Baking soda, sea salt, mineral water, pumpkin seed, lentils, seaweed, onion, taro root, sea vegetables, lotus root, sweet potato, lime, lemons, nectarine, persimmon, raspberry, watermelon, tangerine, and pineapple.

Moderately Alkaline Forming Foods

Apricots, spices, kambucha, unsulfured molasses, soy sauce, cashews, chestnuts, pepper, kohlrabi, parsnip, garlic, asparagus, kale, parsley, endive, arugula, mustard green, ginger root, broccoli, grapefruit, cantaloupe, honeydew, citrus, olive, dewberry, carrots, loganberry, and mango.

Low Alkaline Forming Foods

Most herbs, green tea, mu tea, rice syrup, apple cider vinegar, sake, quail eggs, primrose oil, sesame seed, cod liver oil, almonds, sprouts, potato, bell pepper, mushrooms, cauliflower, cabbage, rutabaga, ginseng, eggplant, pumpkin, collard green, pear, avocado, apples (sour), blackberry, cherry, peach, and papaya.

Very Low Alkaline Forming Foods

Ginger tea, umeboshi vinegar, ghee, duck eggs, oats, grain coffee, quinoa, japonica rice, wild rice, avocado oil, most seeds, coconut oil, olive oil, flax oil, brussel sprout, beet, chive, cilantro, celery, okra, cucumber, turnip greens, squashes, lettuces, orange, banana, blueberry, raisin, currant, grape, and strawberry.

Very Low Acid Forming Foods

Curry, koma coffee, honey, maple syrup, vinegar, cream, butter, goat/sheep cheese, chicken, gelatin, organs, venison, fish, wild duck, triticale, millet, kasha, amaranth, brown rice, pumpkin seed oil, grape seed oil, sunflower oil, pine nuts, canola oil, spinach, fava beans, black-eyed peas, string beans, wax beans, zucchini, chutney, rhubarb, coconut, guava, dry fruit, figs, and dates.

Low Acid Forming Foods

Vanilla, alcohol, black tea, balsamic vinegar, cow milk, aged cheese, soy cheese, goat milk, game meat, lamb, mutton, boar, elk, shell fish, mollusks, goose, turkey, buckwheat, wheat, spelt, teff, kamut, farina, semolina, white rice, almond oil, sesame oil, safflower oil, tapioca, seitan, tofu, pinto beans, white beans, navy beans, red beans, aduki beans, lima beans, chard, plum, prune and tomatoes.

Moderately Acid Forming Foods

Nutmeg, coffee, casein, milk protein, cottage cheese, soy milk, pork, veal, bear, mussels, squid, chicken, maize, barley groats, corn, rye, oat bran, pistachio seeds, chestnut oil, lard, pecans, palm kernel oil, green peas, peanuts, snow peas, other legumes, garbanzo beans, cranberry, and pomegranate.

Highly Acid Forming Foods

Tabletop sweeteners like (NutraSweet, Spoonful, Sweet 'N Low, Equal or Aspartame), pudding, jam, jelly, table salt (NaCl), beer, yeast, hops, malt, sugar, cocoa, white (acetic acid) vinegar, processed cheese, ice cream, beef, lobster, pheasant, barley, cottonseed oil, hazelnuts, walnuts, brazil nuts, fried foods, soybean, and soft drinks, especially the cola type. To neutralize a glass of cola with a pH of 2.5, it would take 32 glasses of alkaline water with a pH of 10.


There are test strips for urine, saliva, but the blood test is probably the most accurate. It's surprising to see some of these items in certain categories, but it does explain why you may react a certain way when you eat them, The old phrase "you are what you eat" has a whole new meaning when you put a PH number next to it.


Other Related Sources:

PH Testing

Alkaline Water Systems

Improve Your PH Levels

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