Acid and your health

The body's pH level influences its health and the acid-base balance of your blood is significant for normal daily function, healing and digestion. The acidity or alkalinity level of your body is determined by a pH, potential of hydrogen, scale. The scale ranges from zero, which indicates high acidity, to 14, which indicates high alkalinity. A value of 7.0 means the pH is neutral.

Modern lifestyle generates too much acid, from emotional stress and from what we put into our body: the food, drinks, pollution and most prescription drugs, many of which are preserved with hydrochloric acid. Metabolism, cellular destruction and exercise also produce acids.

Acid build up in the body is detrimental to your health and can be a precursor to diseases including arthritis, cancer, heart disease, diabetes, blurred vision, irritable bowels and acid reflux. An imbalance of acid in the body will lead to fatigue, affect the body's ability to absorb essential minerals and nutrients, and hinder the repair of damaged cells. Symptoms of too much acidity include headaches, clammy hands, neck and shoulder pain, skin rashes and nasal mucus. Check with your doctor to know exactly what is going on with your body, as well as come up with a plan to help support your health.


While it's important to have some acid in your body, you can get rid of too much acid by eating more alkalizing foods to help neutralize the pH in your body. Keeping your pH around 7.35 and 7.45 keeps you primed for optimum health, and simply changing your diet to include more alkaline foods can help get you there.