Your lifestyle plays a role in your overall health and well-being. Your diet, exercise, stress levels, and air quality influence your body’s pH. Eating a healthy diet is one of the best ways to improve your health. The foods that you eat can alter your pH level. Your pH level may not seem important; however, if your body is too acidic, various health problems can occur. Virtually all types of diseases thrive in an acidic environment. Too much acidity increases the risk of inflammation, heart disease, obesity, diabetes, autoimmune disease, chronic pain, and other chronic conditions. Understanding pH levels, the symptoms of high acidity in the body, and which foods are acidic or alkaline can help improve your health and longevity.
Understanding pH Levels
Your body’s acidity is measured using pH levels. You can determine your body’s pH using a simple urine test. The test should be performed first thing in the morning for best accuracy. Urine tests measure the level of acid in the body. Optimal pH levels are between 6.5 and 7.5. When the pH level is lower than 6.5, the body is considered acidic; when the pH level is higher than 7.5, the body is considered alkaline.
Symptoms of High Acidity in the Body
When the body is acidic, minerals, including calcium, magnesium, potassium, and sodium, are taken from bones and organs to help neutralize the acid and remove it from the body. Mineral deficiencies can go undetected for years, which people may only discover when symptoms become more severe.
Some of the symptoms of mild acidity include:
- Yeast infections
- Fatigue
- Weight gain
- Acne
- Allergies
- Cavities
- Premature aging
As acidity continues to worsen, the symptoms become more severe and may include:
- Headache
- Confusion
- Shortness of breath
- Coughing Arrhythmia
- Weakness
- Vomiting
- Diarrhea
- Nausea
- Cardiovascular damage
- Reduced Immunity
- Diabetes
- Bladder infections
- Kidney infections
- Osteoporosis
Try a 5 Minute Toxicity Questionnaire
The Toxicity Screening Questionnaire helps identify symptoms and detect underlying causes of illnesses.
The Western Diet
The Western diet contributes to high acidity levels. Dairy, sugars, meats, and grains can all affect your pH level and make your body more acidic. In addition to the foods you consume, your body can become acidic due to metabolism. As your body burns food for energy, it produces waste products. These waste products are acidic. The body needs to neutralize the acid produced during metabolism or excrete the waste. Excess waste causes the kidneys to work harder, resulting in kidney infections, bladder infections, and kidney stones. One study suggests that reducing acidity through dietary methods may help slow kidney disease.
Although your body can adjust its pH levels independently, different systems maintain varying pH levels. This variation allows the other systems to help keep the proper pH levels in the blood. The blood’s pH level should be between 7.35 and 7.45. If a system in the body becomes too acidic, the blood will pull alkaline elements from another system, such as the small intestine, to correct the pH level. When someone removes the alkaline elements from the small intestine, it can affect digestion. The body may also draw calcium from the bones to neutralize acids, which can result in osteoporosis. As you can see, although the body can adjust its pH levels, it affects other systems in your body and can lead to health issues.
Additionally, the body has limitations on how much it can correct pH levels. Therefore, the foods you eat play a role in maintaining a proper pH level. If your diet contains acid-forming foods, your body can become more acidic. Conversely, if you eat too many alkaline-producing foods, your body can become too alkaline. So, you must eat a balanced diet to help ensure that your immune system remains strong to fight off disease.
You cannot know if a food is acidic or not by taste. For example, many people think lemons are acidic. Although scientists classify lemons as acidic, they form alkalinity in the body. During digestion, the body oxidizes the citric acid in the lemon into water and carbon dioxide. Another example of confusion occurs with milk. Milk is alkaline outside the body; however, once the body digests it, milk becomes acidic. The only way to determine whether a food is alkaline or acidic is through science. Scientists determine if a food is acidic or alkaline by incinerating it and analyzing the remaining ashes’ mineral content.
What Foods are Acidic?
Acidic foods increase acidity in the body during digestion. Foods containing protein, sulfur, and phosphate are typically acid-forming. The following foods are considered acidic and should be eaten in moderation if your pH levels are lower than recommended.
- Dairy products
- Beef
- Shellfish
- Grains
- Corn
- Processed foods
- Refined sugars
- Sodas
- Beer
What Foods are Alkaline?
Foods rich in potassium, calcium, magnesium, sodium, and iron are typically alkaline-forming foods. You should consume these foods when your body is acidic.
- Spinach
- Kale
- Cucumbers
- Broccoli
- Avocados
- Sea salt
- Apple cider vinegar
- Seaweed
- Lentils
- Pumpkin seeds
- Limes
To balance your body’s pH level, consume 70 to 80 percent alkaline foods. Fill your plate with fresh fruits and vegetables like leafy greens and salads. The remaining portion should contain lean proteins and grains. Also, drink three to four liters of water to help the kidneys filter waste and restore pH levels.
All life depends on maintaining proper pH levels. Optimal pH levels help regulate metabolism, optimize digestive system enzymes, and keep the immune system functioning correctly. When the body becomes too acidic or alkaline, chronic diseases, inflammation, and pain can plague it. Maintaining a pH between 6.5 and 7.5 will help keep you healthy and may extend your longevity.
