Table of contents:
- Relationship between pH levels and body health
- Effects of alkaline pH drinks and foods on the body
- Myths surrounding alkaline pH
- 1. Myth: A healthy body has an alkaline pH
- 2. Myth: Consumption patterns can affect the pH of the blood and urine becomes acidic
- 3. Myth: Foods that are acidic can trigger osteoporosis
- 4. Myth: body conditions that are too acidic due to food can cause cancer
- Balanced pH levels are better for health
Over the past few years, it has been suggested that the consumption of alkaline pH is good for health and can prevent various diseases. PH level (potential of hydrogen) alkaline or alkaline is defined as the degree of acidity that has a value above the value of 7, where the value of pH = 7 indicates a neutral state and pH <7 indicates an acidic state. Consumption with an alkaline pH (including food and drinks) is thought to affect the body's pH, the higher the body's pH (alkaline) the better. But is it true that alkaline pH is good for health?
Relationship between pH levels and body health
Basically, consumption with an alkaline pH is carried out based on the assumption that a consumption pattern can affect the pH level in the body. Consumption of various meats and eggs is thought to tend to make the body acidic, while consumption with an alkaline pH such as fruit, nuts and vegetables and consumption of water with an alkaline pH can cause the body's pH to become neutral or even alkaline.
But in reality, the body consists of various organs that have roles and functions as well as varying pH levels of each, besides that overall body health depends on the adequacy of nutrients to support the performance of each organ. For example, the normal pH level of the blood tends to be neutral to alkaline in the interval 7.35 to 7.45, but it is very different in the stomach organs which have a pH level of 2 to 3.5 or very acidic. Changes in the pH of blood or stomach beyond normal limits will disturb the balance of body functions, but this can only be caused by certain disease conditions and cannot be affected by the food consumed every day.
Effects of alkaline pH drinks and foods on the body
In general, the benefits of alkaline pH consumption patterns on the health of the human body have not been supported by evidence from the results of strong scientific research and there is very little evidence that alkaline patterns will benefit the health of the body. One in vitro study can show the potential benefits of water consumption with a pH of 8.8 as a pH balancer (buffer) on the symptoms of acid reflux in disease Gastroesophageal Reflux (GERD) caused by the enzyme pepsin. Although this study is still an early stage study, the effect can be different if it is carried out under conditions of normal drinking water consumption in humans.
The alkaline consumption pattern encourages a person to increase consumption of fruits and various vegetables and limit the dietary variety of foods junk food. SIn addition, there have been no reports of health problems due to the consumption of drinking water with an alkaline pH. So that this consumption pattern tends to be safe and good for health because of the composition of the food consumed, but it has nothing to do with the changes in the pH level that it causes.
Myths surrounding alkaline pH
The main problem about the consumption of alkaline pH is not because of the absence of benefits, but because of various inappropriate myths and theories that are not supported by scientific data regarding the benefits of alkaline pH consumption patterns, including:
1. Myth: A healthy body has an alkaline pH
As explained earlier, the pH of each part of the body has its normal level. Acidic pH levels are also needed by the body to carry out its functions, for example in the stomach to carry out digestive functions, and the acidic pH in the vaginal tissue serves to prevent various fungal infections which become more susceptible when the pH level becomes alkaline.
2. Myth: Consumption patterns can affect the pH of the blood and urine becomes acidic
In fact, this would not happen because the body has its own mechanism for maintaining acid and alkaline balance, and without this mechanism it would be very fatal to health if the pH of our bodies followed the pH level of what we consume. The body can maintain the pH of the blood so that it remains between 7.35 - 7.45, because acidic conditions in the bloodstream will cause a lot of damage and death very quickly. In addition, urine is a poor indicator of a person's health, urine can become acidic due to various substances that have nothing to do with the pH of other organs.
3. Myth: Foods that are acidic can trigger osteoporosis
Based on this theory, avoiding acidic foods such as meat, chicken, beef and fish which are sources of protein, and calcium which can be obtained from food sources of fruits and vegetables can maintain bone health. But in fact, protein is one of the body builders that is useful in maintaining healthy bones. In addition, there is no evidence that acidic conditions, both from food and from the body's condition, lead to osteoporosis.
4. Myth: body conditions that are too acidic due to food can cause cancer
In fact, cancer cells are acidic and can make the body's pH level acidic, but that doesn't mean the acidity of the body causes a cancer to grow. The body also will not become too acidic due to consumption patterns because it has a mechanism homeostasis acid and base. In addition, a study also shows cancer can grow even in alkaline conditions.
Balanced pH levels are better for health
In addition to the absence of strong evidence regarding the benefits of alkaline pH levels for the body, reducing food sources that are sources of acids such as meat and eggs is not proven to have a bad effect on the body and will only make the body lack protein and various essential amino acids needed by the body. The alkaline pH level of food and drinks does not have a significant health effect, moreover, the WHO recommended water consumption is water that has a pH level close to neutral or around 7.Extreme pH levels, both acidic and alkaline, can be harmful to health.
