The Daily Vanguard

Acidic and alkaline, what is pH and how does it affect a body

Incase you wanted to know what pH exactly is before we delved into the article, it is the scale that measures how alkaline or acidic something is. The scale ranges from 1 and goes up to 14. 1 is extremely acidic and 14 is very alkaline. 7 is the midpoint between the two and is neither too neutral nor is it too alkaline. So what does pH have to with your blood and you?

Starting with the first thing, the pH of one's blood is extremely necessary. The ideal pH level that one must have is about 7.35 and the body goes a long way to maintain this particular level.

The question is, why is this particular pH level so important?

 

If the blood pH had to change even a point or two in either the alkaline or acidic direction, it would change the entire chemistry in the body. In short there would be no electrical stimulation in your body and you would find yourself pretty much dead on the floor.

It is important that you know how bad acid in your  body is. Apart from the acid being secreted in your stomach, helping in digestion, acid in general is bad for your body. Similarly, ph in pregnancy should never become too acidic. It will be bad for both you and your baby

When a person's system becomes acid as time passes, the biochemical balance of their body is disrupted and the red blood cells cannot deliver the nutrients and oxygen, efficiently and properly to all the cells, the energy level drops to an all time low. This energy dropping is not slow but is sudden and dramatic.

What causes acidity in one's body?

Acidity is mainly caused due to the food you eat and the acidic condition of your body in general. Basically what you eat and drink has a big role to play in maintaining of a balance in your body.

The word acid makes you think of a tart flavour or something carbonated. However, acidic isn't what looks acidic but is what is actually left behind when you digest a particular food item. When you eat something that's too acidic or alkaline, it leaves behind an ash. Some common food items like scallops are very acidic in nature, which is why when you eat them, it will leave behind an acidic ash. It's not just seafood but a lot of other things like coffee, alcohol and protein that affects the balance in your body. Funnily enough, it's not just food that creates such an impact, it's the stress levels of a person as well. The more stressed you are, the more the acid conditions in your body are.

If you're eating all the right kinds of food and you still see a high ph in pregnancy then you can understand that it's stress and you need to take off for a while.