Remember the litmus test from high school chemistry lab? You stuck a small strip of litmus paper into a solution, and if it turned red, it meant the solution was acidic. If it turned blue, the solution was basic (alkaline).

Well, the body has its own sort of litmus test: It’s called your pH level. And many health care professionals consider a balanced pH level to be the key to good health.

The term pH stands for Potential Hydrogen, which is the concentration of hydrogen ions in a substance or solution. The pH range is 0 to 14. Human blood pH is ideally 7.35. Higher numbers indicate alkalinity; lower numbers indicate acidity.

Constricted muscles

The body simply cannot tolerate extended acid imbalances. In the early stages of an imbalance, symptoms may include such things as skin eruptions, headaches, allergies, colds and flu, and sinus problems. As things get further out of kilter, weakened systems start to give way. If tissue pH deviates too far to the acid side, oxygen levels decrease and cells die.

On the other side of the coin, it is virtually impossible for a health disorder or disease to sustain itself when your pH is in the neutral zone (7.0-7.4). At this level, the body has a strong immunity to diseases. Most Americans, however, have a pH level of 6.2 to 6.4.

When your pH is out of the normal range, all sorts of bad things happen. For one thing, disease-producing organisms thrive. This explains why some people exposed to certain bacteria or viruses get sick while others don't.


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