The Acid-Alkaline Diet

The body was designed to be alkaline but has become acidic through function. When the pH of the body’s internal biochemical environment is equal to 7.39 (slightly alkaline), it functions at its best. The pH of blood has a range that is very small; it ranges from a slightly more acidic reading of 7.36 to a reading of 7.42 which a little more alkaline. Anything higher or lower than these figures can indicate whether a body is acidic (7 to 7.35) or alkaline (7.42 to 7.8). If body pH does not stay within these limits, it will no longer be able to function, and the result would be death.

Optimally, the blood should be within the pH range of 7.36 to 7.42, otherwise the body is in either acidosis or alkalosis and illness will occur. Acidosis is much more common than alkalosis; more than half the population of the world is afflicted with this condition.

The pH range of the body’s tissues and organic fluids varies. While the optimal pH of the body is 7.39, this pH reading refers primarily to the blood and not as much to the body’s internal environment (ie. fluid within or surrounding cells). The blood must maintain its narrow pH range in order to sustain life. The body corrects the slightest change of blood pH and restores it to the optimal 7.39. When this task can no longer be performed , physical and mental disorders begin to appear.

The internal environment of the body can withstand more significant pH changes than the blood can. However, the internal environment should never exceed the 7.36 or 7.42 ranges if good health is to be realized.

Many organs or organic fluids have a pH that is either far above or below the optimal pH of 7.39. For example, urine pH may be 6; it can even go as low as 4.5. This is possible because urine is eliminated on a regular basis and does not remain in the body for long amount of time.

Some areas of the body that are essentially acid include:

• The colon at a pH of 6.8
• The outer layers of the skin at a pH range of 5.2
• The gastric region at a pH of 2

Other areas that are more alkaline include:

• The inner layers of the skin at a pH range of 7.35
• The pancreatic juices at a pH of 7.5 to 8.8
• The small intestine at pH range of 8

The different pH values are normal for that area and correspond to the exact needs of the body. An example of this is the extreme acidity in the gastric region, which is necessary to digest proteins. Another example is the high acidity of the skin which helps to kill microbes before they are able to enter the body.

Restoring the acid-alkaline balance does not mean raising the pH of the gastric region from 2 to 7 (doing this would cause major digestive problems), but instead restoring the pH of the basic internal environment. It is the acidification of the internal environment that is responsible for the all of the health problems caused by acidity.