Acid Alkaline Balance

The acid-alkaline balance of the fluids in our bodies is vital to our health, and can be affected by our environment, including the foods we eat, and exercise.

In case you’ve forgotten your chemistry from school, the acid-alkaline balance is shown by a pH (potential of Hydrogen) score.

Acids contribute hydrogen ions to a solution and alkaline substances are able to remove hydrogen ions, and therefore neutralize acids.

The acid alkaline range goes from 0 (extremely acidic) to 14 (extremely alkaline).

Our acid-alkaline balance is affected by

1. our normal metabolic functions, which naturally generate acids.
2. the food and liquids that we take in. These are broken down by our digestive system and produce a residue, or ‘ash’, that our body absorbs as nutrition. Foods that are acidic before eating can produce an alkaline ash, and vice versa. For example lemons are acidic but produce a strongly alkalinising ash. It’s the acid-alkaline balance of the ash that’s important.

Note that the pH we’re referring to here is that of the body’s fluids, in particular the blood - not the natural acidity of the stomach.

The body constantly strives to keep the pH of blood between 7.35 and 7.45, which is the range where the cells of the body can function properly.

The body has a few different systems it uses (including the breathing mechanism) to restore acid-alkaline balance, but if these systems are constantly overworked, the health of the body will deteriorate.

Most people who are not healthy tend be too acidic, largely due to the acidic nature of the modern diet. However over-alkalinity can cause its own set of problems.

Testing your own acid-alkaline balance

It is best to test your own acid-alkaline balance to find out which end of the scale you tend towards rather than assuming over-acidity.

You can't do a blood test at home for acid-alkaline imbalance, but you can test the pH of your saliva (at least 1 hour after eating) or your urine (early morning, mid-stream) at home. While the pH of your blood varies minutely, your urine pH will show wide variations as the kidney processes toxins throughout the day.

The acid-alkaline reading for saliva will tend to be more acidic – or very alkaline if you have just brushed your teeth.

It’s best to test frequently and get an average, and remember that it’s just an indication. Urine pH is mainly a reflection of whether the body needs to get rid of alkaline or acidic excesses to maintain acid-alkaline balance.

The 80/20 Rule

The general rule for achieving acid-alkaline balance is 80% alkaline food and liquid intake to 20% acidic, though if you do more exercise you may be able to relax that a bit. If your system is overly acidic, drinking plenty of pure water will help. Lacing it with lemon juice will be even more effective, if lemons agree with you.

Also, it may not be surprising to learn that it is not just food or liquid that can affect our body’s acid-alkaline balance. Stress, overwork, anger, jealousy and fear also cause very acidic reactions in the body.

At the other end of the scale, meditation, prayer, peace, kindness and love all tend to increase the body’s ability to neutralise acids, making the body more alkaline.

Acid-Alkaline Food Charts

There are many food charts available that show the acid-alkaline properties of food and liquids. Note that there are some foods that vary from chart to chart, and lists will vary locally, depending on what food is available. Click here for a typical acid-alkaline balance chart.