First, I just want to say that this is not going to be one of them blog posts that tries to get you to switch to some fad eating plan like the alkaline diet. I don't personally believe in following the latest diet trends, nor do I think that you should. But if that's your thing, then to each their own.
Now that I've cleared that up, lets begin..
What is a pH level?
The pH balance plays an important role in the chemical makeup of the human body. The term "pH" refers to whether a substance is an acid, an alkaline.
In the human body, the pH of bodily fluids, organs, and other components can have an influence on the biochemical reactions that support various functions, such as digestion, metabolism, and hormonal production. Keeping the body's pH balanced allows the body to function in a state of equilibrium or homeostasis.
So, in other words, it's one of the more important factors when it comes to your overall health, and it plays a significant role in your body's ability to function.
PH is a measure of how acidic or alkaline a substance is. The "H" stands for hydrogen—pH estimates the concentration of the hydrogen ion in a given substance. Don’t worry if this is starting to sound like a chemistry lesson —it's not. I'll keep the technical stuff fairly simple throughout this piece.
Anyways..
Typically the body is quite good at maintaining a healthy pH balance, so it's not a topic that often gets discussed. However, if you are someone who likes to eat a lot of greasy, processed, or store-bought snack foods like chips and what not, you just might want to take a closer look at how those things are affecting you.
What is a normal pH level?
The pH range is from zero to 14, with zero being the most acidic, 14 being the most basic, and seven being neutral. In healthy humans, normal body pH is between 7.35 and 7.45, with an average of 7.4.
This slightly alkaline pH level is ideal for many biological processes, such as the oxygenation of blood. However, not all parts of the body are kept in the precise 7.4 range.
For instance, in the stomach, gastric juices range from a pH of 1.35 to 3.5. That is very acidic. The acidity works to create a hostile environment that kills off bacteria and other pathogens, and it also aids in digestion by helping to break down protein and other food particles.
Skin also has an acidic pH. It's between 4 and 6.5. The reason the skin is acidic is to act as a barrier and protect the body from microbes.
This is a great chart showing some examples of stuff with different pH levels:
So basically, the pH scale ranges from battery acid to drain cleaner. And trust me, you don’t want your body to be anywhere near either of those extremes.
So, how does it work?
A pH balance simply means that the acid-base balance in the body is generally maintained. The body needs to stay in homeostasis (a stable state) to function optimally.
When healthy, the body has many different compensatory mechanisms in place to maintain this level, such as filtering blood through the kidney (to remove or retain acids and bases) and regulating breathing (which controls the intake of oxygen and expiration of carbon dioxide through the lungs).
Acids are produced as normal by-products during the process of metabolizing carbohydrates, proteins, and fats, which are then filtered out of the blood by the kidneys and excreted in the urine. Oxygen and electrolytes (minerals like sodium, potassium, and magnesium) are basic and help shift the body to a more alkaline state.
If body pH is less than 7.35, the body is in a state of "acidosis."
If body pH is more than 7.45, the body is in "alkalosis" or "basic."
There are four main ways the human body can be out of pH balance. These are:
Metabolic acidosis: When the kidneys are unable to remove enough acid from the blood, this pH imbalance can occur. There are different types of metabolic acidosis, depending on the acid that is building up in the body. For example, lactic acidosis is caused by a buildup of lactic acid (a chemical that’s released in vigorous exercise).
Metabolic alkalosis: This occurs when there is too much of a chemical called bicarbonate in the blood, which is sometimes an indication of kidney disease.
Respiratory acidosis: In this disorder, excess carbon dioxide builds up in the body because not enough is being expelled through breathing. Chest injuries and the overuse of sedative drugs are some causes of respiratory acidosis.
Respiratory alkalosis: This condition is caused by not having enough carbon dioxide (an acid) in the blood. A lack of carbon dioxide can be caused by something as simple as being at a high altitude or something as serious as lung disease.
If one of these imbalances occurs, the body will try to compensate by inducing the opposite condition. For instance, if you are in metabolic acidosis, the body will try to counterbalance the state by causing respiratory alkalosis.
Most diseases, illnesses, and bad bacteria thrive in an over acidic environment. When pH levels are unbalanced, it is mostly in the case of being too acidic. This causes the body to borrow crucial minerals from organs, bones, and tissue to try and neutralize the acid and remove it from the body. Over acidity weakens all systems and can be seen in acute symptoms such as yeast/fungi overgrowth (candida among others), chronic fatigue, slow elimination, hormonal concerns, premature aging, free radical damage (may lead to cancerous mutations), weight gain, bladder and kidney damage such as kidney stones, diabetes, joint pain, and lactic acid build up.
Acidosis:
Acidosis occurs when your body cannot remove acid from your airways, your blood, or other body fluids. There are a few types of acidosis:
Lactic acidosis: Lactic acidosis is a type of metabolic acidosis. It happens when too much lactic acid builds up in your blood.
Diabetic acidosis: This type of metabolic acidosis happens when too many ketone acids build up in your blood.
Renal tubular acidosis: This type of metabolic acidosis occurs when your kidneys let too much acid back into your blood.
Hyperchloremic acidosis: This type of metabolic acidosis happens when the level of sodium bicarbonate, an alkaline, in your blood becomes too low.
Respiratory acidosis: Respiratory acidosis occurs when your lungs don’t expel enough carbon dioxide.
Alkalosis:
Alkalosis occurs when your body is too alkaline. There are a few types of alkalosis, including:
Metabolic alkalosis: This happens when there is too much of a chemical called bicarbonate in your blood.
Respiratory alkalosis: This happens when there is not enough carbon dioxide in your body.
Common symptoms of an unbalanced pH level in the body:
Metabolic acidosis symptoms:
fatigue
nausea
vomiting
Respiratory acidosis symptoms:
fatigue
sleepiness
confusion
Metabolic alkalosis symptoms:
confusion
fatigue
headache
nausea
vomiting
loss of appetite
rapid heartbeat
heart palpitations
Respiratory alkalosis symptoms:
headache
shortness of breath
fatigue
muscle spasms
confusion
sleepiness
Causes of pH imbalance:
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pH Imbalance in the Body: Symptoms, Causes, Treatments
Medically reviewed by Stacy A. Henigsman, DO — By S. Srakocic — Updated on May 4, 2023
When your body is healthy, it maintains pH balance on its own. But certain health conditions can cause pH imbalances, which make it difficult for your body to function as it should.
Sometimes, factors as simple as intense exercise or dehydration can lead to temporary pH imbalances. In other cases, pH imbalances can be caused by chronic conditions such as kidney failure.
No matter the cause, pH imbalances can lead to symptoms such as confusion, headaches, and vomiting. Often, treatment focuses on addressing the underlying cause.
What is pH imbalance?
The pH scale is a way of describing whether something is acidic, neutral, or alkaline. In your body, a specific balance of acid to alkaline, or pH balance, is needed.
The pH balance of substances such as your bodily fluids and organs can affect your digestion, hormones, metabolism, and overall body function.
When your body is healthy, it maintains pH balance on its own. Most of this balancing takes place in your kidneys, which filter acids and bases. Any acids or bases your body doesn’t need then leave your body in your urine.
But certain factors and health conditions can cause pH imbalances, which can make it difficult for your body to function as it should.
Types of acidosis
Acidosis occurs when your body cannot remove acid from your airways, your blood, or other body fluids. There are a few types of acidosis:
Lactic acidosis: Lactic acidosis is a type of metabolic acidosis. It happens when too much lactic acid builds up in your blood.
Diabetic acidosis: This type of metabolic acidosis happens when too many ketone acids build up in your blood.
Renal tubular acidosis: This type of metabolic acidosis occurs when your kidneys let too much acid back into your blood.
Hyperchloremic acidosis: This type of metabolic acidosis happens when the level of sodium bicarbonate, an alkaline, in your blood becomes too low.
Respiratory acidosis: Respiratory acidosis occurs when your lungs don’t expel enough carbon dioxide.
Types of alkalosis
Alkalosis occurs when your body is too alkaline. There are a few types of alkalosis, including:
Metabolic alkalosis: This happens when there is too much of a chemical called bicarbonate in your blood.
Respiratory alkalosis: This happens when there is not enough carbon dioxide in your body.
pH imbalance symptoms
The symptoms of a pH imbalance depend on the type of imbalance you’re experiencing. Symptoms differ between metabolic and respiratory pH imbalances and between acidosis and alkalosis. Common symptoms of major types are listed below.
Metabolic acidosis symptoms:
Respiratory acidosis symptoms:
fatigue
sleepiness
confusion
Metabolic alkalosis symptoms:
confusion
fatigue
nausea
vomiting
rapid heartbeat
Respiratory alkalosis symptoms:
headache
fatigue
confusion
sleepiness
pH imbalance causes
The cause of a pH imbalance depends on the type of pH imbalance. For instance, diabetic acidosis is caused by a buildup of ketone bodies, and hyperchloremic acidosis occurs when your body doesn’t have enough sodium bicarbonate.
Causes of other common pH imbalances are listed below.
Causes of lactic acidosis:
certain medications
low blood sugar
excessive exercise
heavy alcohol use
lack of oxygen
dehydration
liver failure
kidney failure
cancer
seizure
aspirin poisoning
Causes of respiratory acidosis:
obesity
high altitude
lack of oxygen
lung disease
pneumonia
chronic airway diseases such as chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD)
chest injuries or abnormalities
overuse of sedatives
sleep apnea
Causes of respiratory alkalosis:
fever
lung disease
lack of oxygen
high altitude
liver diseases
salicylate poisoning
As you can see, there are a ton of major health complications that go hand-in-hand with an imbalanced pH level.
“No disease, including cancer, can exist in an alkaline environment.”
-Dr. Otto Warburg
Dr. Otto Warburg (quoted above) was born in 1883 in Freiburg, Germany. He studied under Emil Fischer in Berlin, until receiving a Doctorate in Chemistry in 1906. By the age of twenty-eight, he also received a Doctorate in Medicine.
He spent a significant portion of his life studying oxygen consumption and fermentation. In 1928, he released the well-known paper, “The Chemical Constitution of Respiration Ferment”, where he differentiates the energy consumption between regular body cells and cancer cells. In the paper, Warburg highlights that regular body cells acquire energy through oxygen, making them obligate aerobes (for those of us who don’t have a background in science – that means they require oxygen to survive). Whereas cancer cells can split glucose into lactic acid through the process of fermentation to survive, making them partial anaerobes (meaning they don’t need oxygen to survive).
While many years have passed since Warburg’s publications and studies, his discoveries still hold true today. Cancer can be partially attributed to prolonged exposure to toxins, especially in cells that haven’t been nourished, oxygenated, hydrated, and cleansed. And of course, as Warburg discovered, cancer cells cannot survive in an alkaline environment.
To maintain your health and keep your body at its best, it is very important to keep your body nourished with fresh, wholesome foods, and hydrated with clean, alkaline water.
A 2014 study, published in the European journal Diabetologia, involved tracking more than 66,000 women over the course of 14 years. Compared to women who ate an alkaline diet, participants who consumed high-acid diets showed a significant increase in developing type 2 diabetes over the course of the study, according to the results. An acid-forming diet with low vegetable intake is also linked to an increased risk of metabolic syndrome.
There is a lot of great literature available on the benefits of an alkaline diet. Despite this, however, there are a pile of people that like to make the claim that a person cannot change their pH level via diet. But if that was the case, then women wouldn't get yeast infections when prescribed high doses of antibiotics. So that puts an end to that argument.
But not all foods that have a high alkalinity stay that way when metabolized. So definitely make sure you look into that, if you are considering switching up your eating habits to be more alkaline.
Personally, I prefer not dieting, and instead making sure I have access to a natural source of water that has a high alkaline level. I’m far too much of a crunchy snack lover, to be concerned with eating properly. Mind you, my food intake doesn't consist of very much processed food, as I do cook all the time, and do my own canning of various things as well. Plus, I like to get a large portion of my fresh fruits and veggies from this little Mennonite market not too far from where I live, as well, so I get to avoid all the crap they are spraying on the fruits and veggies they sell in the store. So, my eating habits truly aren't THAT bad.
Anyways, that's all for now. Perhaps you learned something new today, while reading this, or maybe you are just ahead of the game and knew this stuff already. Either way, I hope you are making healthy eating choices, and getting outside, and being in nature as much as possible!
Until next time,
-Davis