PH balance in the human body refers to the level of alkalinity and acidity in the blood, fluids and tissues. Homeostasis is the term used to describe proper pH balance in your body. To maintain optimal health, you need to maintain the right pH balance in your body.
Potential Hydrogen and Kidneys
PH is the abbreviation for potential hydrogen and measures the hydrogen-ion concentration. Through a chemical process, your kidneys manage the blood pH by altering hydrogen-ions or H+ levels as needed. According to "Harrison's Principles of Internal Medicine," both kidneys process approximately 200 quarts of blood daily, after deducting approximately 2 quarts of waste and redundant water. Without the kidneys, toxins and other waste substances would alter the hydrogen levels in your blood, potentially damaging major systems in your body.
Measuring PH Balance
According to the book "Integrative Medicine," pH levels range from 0 to 14. A substance with a pH level of 0 is acidic, and a pH of 14 is alkaline. Further, a pH level of 7 is neutral. However, for the purposes of the human body, an ideal biological pH balance is approximately 7.4. It is very dangerous to have extreme pH levels in your body as they can cause metabolic acidosis, metabolic alkalosis, respiratory acidosis and respiratory alkalosis.
Buffer Systems
According to "Harrison's Principles of Internal Medicine," your body has many buffer systems designed to neutralize acids; the lymphatic buffer system is one example. In the lymphatic buffer system, the movement of your muscles pumps lymphatic fluid throughout your body. This process removes acids and other toxins from your tissues. In the absence of physical activity, the lymphatic system cannot function properly, resulting in acid deposits building up in your blood tissues. If you have acid deposits in your blood tissue, you can neutralize these deposits with common salt. Once neutralized, the process begins again.
Acidic Diets
A poor pH balance in your body often results in a state of acidosis. Further, many diets contain too many acidic food products for your body to maintain a proper pH balance. On the other hand, excessive alkalinity in a diet is extremely rare. Therefore, in most cases if you have a poor pH balance, you need to increase the alkalinity in your body. You can increase your body's alkalinity by reducing stress, quitting cigarette smoking, exercising frequently and eating acid-reducing foods.
References
- Merck Manuals Online Medical Library; Acid-Base Disorders; James Lewis; July 2008
- Merck Manuals Online Medical Library; Metabolic Acidosis: James Lewis; July 2008
- "Harrison's Principles of Internal Medicine"; Dennis Kasper, Eugene Braunwald, Stephen Hauser, Dan Longo, J. Larry Jameson and Anthony Fauci; 2004
- "Integrative Medicine"; David Rakel; 2002
- "Nelson Textbook of Pediatrics"; Robert Kliegman, Richard Behrman, Hal Jenson and Bonita Stanton; 2007
