Blood pH Balance is a Matter of Life or Death
There are certain
measurements in your body which ideally should not fluctuate much.
For example, your temperature should be about 98.6 degrees, but
it may increase to more than 100. Likewise, your ideal weight may
be 150, but it can increase to more than 200. Blood pH is another
measurement in your body that has an ideal level, about 7.3 to 7.4.
However, if your blood pH varies just a little bit, it can kill
you.
Different areas
of the body have different pH levels, which may fluctuate greatly,
such as your saliva and urine, but blood pH must stay within a tight
range for you to survive. This being the case, your body has several
systems in place to regulate blood pH including your lungs, kidneys,
and mineral reserves. Everything works together to maintain your
delicate blood pH balance.
In maintaining
blood pH, your body must deal with everything you consume in your
diet. Most of us consume too many acid-producing foods like meats,
pasta, breads, and sugars, throwing our bodies into a constant state
of trying to eliminate acidic waste from the body and maintaining
the all-important blood pH to its slightly alkaline, or basic, level.
One of the first
ways your body will work to stabilize what you eat and blood pH
is through its own internal buffers. Minerals within the body that
balance acidic foods include potassium, sodium, magnesium, and calcium.
If you get enough of those minerals in your diet, it helps your
body regulate blood pH. If you don’t, then your body must
leech these minerals from your bones, muscles, and other areas so
that it can buffer the acid-producing foods you consume. Over time,
you may find yourself deficient in these minerals and experience
all the related symptoms.
There are some
dietary choices you can make that will replenish your mineral supplies
and also help your body to regulate a healthy blood pH. Eating a
diet high in alkaline producing foods like vegetables, fruits, legumes,
nuts, and seeds will provide a better match for your blood pH. In
turn, your body won’t have to struggle with excess acid and
can turn its energies to other important functions.
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