When pH drops below the ideal, the body experiences a more acidic environment. This leads to problems such as inflammation and narrowing of the arteries and corrosion of body tissue. Long-term acidic pH may lead to cancer, heart disease, or diabetes. Essentially, the body will do anything it can to raise the pH level, putting unneeded stress on internal organs and processes. Most individuals who suffer pH-related health problems do so because of a pH that is too low.

A pH higher than ideal creates a more basic environment. The human body prefers a slightly basic pH level and is better able to tolerate an increase in pH. However, a pH that is too high can also cause problems including slowed respiration, digestive problems, and confusion.

Health Benefits of Maintaining the Ideal pH

While you can survive with pH above or below ideal, you can only feel at your best while at your ideal pH. When the body no longer has to devote resources to balancing pH levels, it can focus on vital functions that become neglected, improving overall health. Benefits of maintaining ideal pH will include improved cardiovascular, digestive, and mental functioning. You will notice also notice immediate improvements in muscle functioning and stamina. When you control your pH over the long-term, it will help to prevent illnesses and infections that tend to thrive in an acidic environment.

Diet and Your Ideal pH

How can you can you improve your pH levels? Diet changes are the key. Many foods are too acidic, contributing to a low pH level and poor overall health. Examples include packaged and processed foods, soda, and most meats. The modern diet of most individuals is devoted to these types of foods, resulting in the decreases seen in overall health.

Alkaline foods are important to raise pH back to the ideal level and maintain it. These include fresh fruits and vegetables, nuts, and increasingly popular “green drinks” that consist of ingredients including vegetable and wheat grass juices. Drinking lots of slightly alkaline water will also help to buffer against acidic foods and raise pH.

Track Your Ideal pH

While the health benefits will give a good indication of an improvement in your pH level, it is also beneficial to start checking your pH. Especially when first working toward the ideal Body pH, using test strips will help you to better monitor the physical effects of increasing or decreasing pH. These strips are dipped in a urine or saliva sample and use color to indicate pH levels. As you become more in tune to these changes, you should be able to detect when your body is in balance without the strips.