The Acid-Alkaline Diet

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The pH Scale | Balance and Health | Problems

Each and every chemical and substance in the body can be broken down into three basic substances - acid, alkaline, or neutral (pH of 7.0). We'll discuss only the two that really matter - acid and alkaline. These two different groups of substances have opposing but complementary characteristics. To be healthy, the body needs both. When there are equal quantities of acid and alkaline elements in the body, acid alkaline balance is realized.

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pH is an acronym for the potential (p) for freeing hydrogen (H) ions, or pH. The pH scale goes from 0 to 14. The number 7 indicates the ideal balance between acids and alkaline substances and is known as a neutral pH. The greater potential a substance has for freeing hydrogen ions, the smaller its pH value is - acid. Conversely, the lesser potential a substance has for freeing hydrogen ions, the greater its pH value is - alkaline. The acid range is from 6.99 to 0, zero indicating a state of absolute acidity. Conversely, the alkaline range indicated by a higher figure, from 7.01 to 14; 14 representing a state of total alkalinity - meaning a state in which zero hydrogen ions are freed.

The degree of acidity or alkalinity can be measured with a special reactive paper known as litmus paper or pH Paper. When put into contact with a dilution of the substance to be tested, the paper changes color to a degree that corresponds to the degree of acidity or alkalinity of that substance.

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The body functions optimally when the pH of its internal fluids is alkaline. Blood MUST must be alkaline (otherwise you'd die), while other tissues can deal better with acidity. For example, while the optimal pH of lymph fluid is alkaline, you won't totally shut down if it gets acidic... though you'll certainly experience the negative impact.

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A large number and variety of problems are caused by acidity. These include (but are not limited to) low energy, fatigue, nervousness, inflammation, intestinal and digestive problems, skin problems, skeletal weakness, joint pain, and weight gain.

Many people suffer from problems caused by acidity, because both stressful lifestyle and poor diet promote acidification of the body’s internal environment. In general, the current standard diet is primarily composed of acidic or acidifying elements (proteins, cereals, sugars). Alkaline foods such as vegetables are eaten in much smaller quantities. Their alkaline content is insufficient to neutralize surplus acids. Furthermore, the consumption of stimulants like tobacco, coffee, tea, and alcohol – every one of which has an extremely acidifying effect on the body – has grown to enormous proportions.

Stress, nervous tension, noise, shortage of time, and other pressures are facts of life today and contribute to increasing the body’s acidification through the physiological disturbances they create.

Physical exercise – which can play an important role in maintaining acid-alkaline balance – is more often than not either insufficient or excessive. In both cases, acidification of the body’s internal environment is the result.

Of all the factors causing acidification the most important is unquestionably the food. The majority of acidosis sufferers can be treated simply by significantly reducing their consumption of acidifying and acidic food and increasing their consumption of alkaline foods.