What is Acidic pH?

Unlike what many people have mistaken, acidic body pH is not about a person’s blood pH being acidic, rather it is a person’s total body fluids being acidic in general. Our human body has an amazing design that comes with a complex and sophisticated regulatory mechanism to ensure that the blood remains at a stable weakly alkaline pH (usually between pH 7.35 to 7.45). If the blood becomes strongly alkaline, it is a form of poisoning known as alkalosis. Conversely, if the blood becomes strongly acidic, it is acidosis. Both conditions pose danger to the person who should be admitted to the hospital promptly for treatment.

In reality, other than human blood, the body contains and secretes a myriad of body fluids which include saliva, urine, gastric juice, pancreatic juice, bile from the liver, lymph within the lymphatic vessels and the interstitial fluids found between the blood vessels and body cells, as well as intracellular fluid inside body cells. About 50 to 70 percent of an adult’s body mass is composed of body fluids; approximately two-thirds is found inside the body cells and the remaining one-third outside of the body cells. This one-third of extracellular fluids is made up of blood, interstitial fluid and lymph.

We have to know of this physiological fact: that a majority of the body’s biochemical processes takes place in these body fluids and not the blood! It is important for us to truly appreciate the pH changes going on in our body fluids because even a minor shift can mean a huge difference for our physical well being.

Health Problems That Arise from a Persistent Acidic Body pH

Abnormal functioning of the organ systems

When the body tends to be acidic, first and foremost, this affects the activities of the enzymes which in turn affects the biochemical processes in the body that rely on these enzymes. These biochemical processes can only be carried out optimally in a stable pH environment. Just imagine a handful of these metabolic activities going haywire in the long term and this is enough to cause havoc in the functioning of almost every major organ system such as the digestive system, respiratory system, endocrine system, immune system, nervous system, circulatory system and the musculoskeletal system.

Mild symptoms include fatigue, having frequent cold and flu, coldness in limbs, body odour, recurring inflammatory outbreaks and unstable blood sugar levels; more severe problems include having persistent allergies, autoimmune diseases, gout, heart diseases, diabetes, high blood pressure, cancers and even death.

Poor functioning of red blood cells and premature onset of degenerative diseases

Our body depends on the red blood cells to transport oxygen and then to release it in exchange for carbon dioxide at the site of blood capillaries so that the body cells can receive a continuous supply of oxygen and have their metabolic wastes being removed. If the interstitial fluids become too acidic, the blood would become relatively more alkaline in pH strength and this would prevent the red blood cells from unloading oxygen efficiently. Body cells that are deprived of sufficient oxygen for a period of time would be repaired at a slower pace and eventually die out earlier.

If the body cells are forced to age faster or die sooner, this will affect the body’s metabolism and trigger the early onset of degenerative problems such as heart diseases, stroke, diabetes, gout, degenerative arthritis, autoimmune diseases and cancer. Geriatric diseases and chronic health problems which are usually associated with elderly people are now found to affect people in younger age groups because of oxygen shortage at the cellular level.

Uncontrolled blood sugar levels leading to diabetes and mental disorders

Insulin plays a very important role in regulating glucose uptake by body cells and it can only become activated in a suitable pH environment. If the body tends to be more acidic, glucose will remain in the blood vessels instead of being taken up by body cells and an abnormally high blood glucose levels that persist over a long period of time will eventually trigger diabetes.

Compared to other body parts, the brain is more easily affected by poor functioning of the glucose metabolism. The brain relies solely on glucose as its only source of energy as it cannot utilise amino acids and fatty acids to produce energy. If the brain fluids becomes acidic, blood glucose cannot be absorbed by the neurons properly thereby causing brain dysfunction. This will lead to an inability to focus and pay attention, deteriorating memory, poor state of mind and even mental disorders.

Malfunctioning digestive system

An acidic body pH affects the activity of digestive enzymes which naturally disrupts the normal functioning of the digestive system, giving rise to symptoms such as indigestion, bloatedness, an uncomfortable sensation of fullness in the abdomen and perhaps even a strange feeling that the intestines seem to stop moving after a meal and the consumed food remains stuck inside such that when the next meal time comes around, there is still no sense of hunger. In addition, an acidic body pH may cause the bile stored inside the gall bladder to become acidic too, and this acidity gradually solidifies the fatty acids in the bile to become gallstones. When there are too many gall stones that become too large, it will cause a bile duct blockage or even rupture the bile duct that produces acute cholecystitis that is experienced as a sharp, piercing pain from the upper abdomen to the back. An acidic body pH also prevents the neutralisation of gastric acid by alkaline pancreatic juice inside the small intestines. Since the small intestines is not designed to tolerate acids, it will experience burns which may trigger intestinal ulcers.

Abnormal cellular functions and onset of premature aging

When the body tends to be acidic, it will upset the membrane electric potential difference inside and outside of body cells. A smaller membrane electric potential prevents an efficient exchange of positive and negative ions across the cell membranes. This slows down the removal of toxic wastes from and absorption of nutrients into the body cells which depend on such ionic exchange. Therefore there is an inefficient usage and production of energy within the cells and because of this, a person may become tired easily or even age prematurely. Toxic wastes that cannot be removed properly will also lead to body odour.

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