pH and Health

The body is alkaline by design, but can be acidicorgans and organic fluids, however, have a pH
by function. It functions at its best when the pHthat is normally far above or below this ideal pH.
of its internal biochemical environment, measuredThe pH of urine, for example, may be 6, or even
as a whole, is equal to 7.39, meaning slightlyas low as 5 or 4.5. This is possible because urine is
alkaline. The normal range of blood pH is veryregularly eliminated and thus does not remain in
small, from a slightly more acidic reading of 7.36the body for long. Areas of the body that are
to a more alkaline reading of 7.42. A reading ofessentially acid include the colon (pH 6.8), the
anything higher or lower than these figuresouter layers of the skin (pH 5.2), and the gastric
indicates acidity (from 7 to 7.35) or alkalosis (7.42region (pH 2). Others, in contrast, are quite alkaline:
to 7.8). If these limits are exceeded, the body canthe inner layers of the skin (pH 7.35), the
no longer function, and death results.The zone ofpancreatic juices (from pH 7.5 to 8.8), and the
optimal blood health extends only from pH 7.36 tosmall intestine (pH 8).These different values are all
pH 7.42; illness will accompany any incidence ofnormal and correspond to precise needs of the
acidosis or alkalosis. Of these two, acidosis is bybody. For example, the extremely acidic nature of
far the most common - more than half thethe gastric region is indispensable for protein
population suffers from this condition.The pH ofdigestion, and the high acidity of the skin helps it
the body's organic fluids and tissues varies fromdestroy microbes before they can enter the
one part of the body to another. When we saybody. So restoring the acid-alkaline balance does
the ideal pH of the body is 7.39, this refersnot mean bringing the gastric region's pH 2 up to
primarily to the pH of the blood, and to a lesserpH 7 - that would cause serious digestive
extent that of the body's internal environment,problems - but rather restoring the pH of the
meaning all organic fluids such as lymph and extrabasic internal biochemical terrain. The acidification
and intracellular serums (fluids surrounding or withinof the internal terrain is in fact the source of all
the cells). Blood is indeed "a very particular sap"health troubles caused by acidity.Christopher
(Goethe) whose pH must remain extremelyVasey N.D., author of the best
stable to maintain the life of the physical organism.selling title "The Acid-Alkaline Diet for Optimum
Even the slightest change of blood pH is rapidlyHealth", has practiced
corrected by the body, which restores it to theNaturopathy in Chamby-Montreux, Switzerland
ideal measurement of 7.39. When the body isfor 25 years. He has authored 20
unable to perform this task physical and mentalbooks written in five languages. Dr. Vasey's
disorders quickly appear.The pH of the internalspecialization is pH balance,
environment, the basic "ground" biochemicaldetoxification and rejuvenation. For more
terrain, can tolerate more significant changes thaninformation on
that of the blood, but the pH of the internalacid - alkaline balance, the pH of foods, or alkaline
environment should never go beyond 7.36 or 7.42supplements, visit
if good health is to be maintained.Many individualPhion Nutrition.