How to Lower Body PH Naturally

The human body is approximately 70% water. Highly fluid as we are, there exists within our system a range of solutions that may be acid, basic, or neutral. Potential hydrogen, or pH, is the scientific measure of the acidity or alkalinity of a solution. The pH scale runs from 0 to 14. A neutral solution is approximately 7. Anything higher than 7 is considered basic or alkaline, while anything lower than 7 is considered acidic. An imbalanced diet can reduce the body's ability to regulate pH naturally. When this system is strained or compromised, health-related issues can arise.

Instructions

• 1

  Take a pH reading. Use a pH test strip to establish your body's pH. The strips appear to be blank pieces of white paper, but when they come into contact with a substance, they turn from white to a predetermined color within an established range. The color development will correspond with an enclosed key that will give you an approximate measure of your pH. Urine that reads between 6.0 and 6.5 is considered within the normal range as it has naturally acidic components. A normal saliva reading typically ranges from 6.5 to 7.5

• 2

  Increase your intake of acid-producing foods. In the westernized world, this is not difficult. Sodas, beer, coffee, tea, liquor, meat and cheese are all high acid-producing foods and are common components of the western diet.

• 3

  Reduce your intake of alkaline-producing foods. When an alkaline substance comes into contact with an acidic one, the two tend to neutralize each other. If you're trying to lower your pH, avoid this situation. Alkaline-producing foods include vegetables, vegetable juice drinks, herbal teas, dried figs, apples, maple syrup, hazelnuts and almonds.

• 4

  Exercise vigorously for at least 30 minutes. Physical activity increases the body's production of lactic acid, which lowers the pH of the blood.

• 5

  Increase your intake of aspirin or alcohol. The main ingredient in ordinary aspirin is acetylsalicylic acid, ingestion of which thins the blood and reduces pH. Alcohol, on the other hand, is broken down into carbonic acid inside the digestive tract.