The idea that alkaline foods and pH balance can have an influence on health is a relatively new one, but doctors and scientists are realizing that it can be a vital consideration in preventing many different diseases. The human body is actually intended to perform in a slightly alkaline state. This refers to the pH of the bloodstream, while some parts of the digestive system are purposefully acid.

Unfortunately, many of the foods and drinks in the fast paced world of today are acid forming. It is easy to see that all the processed foods, sugary drinks and fried foods that people consume on a regular basis are very acidic. Each of these impacts pH balance in the body, making it more acidic. Alkaline foods and drinks help the body reinstate sound pH balance.

High school science makes it clear that substances can be either acid or alkaline. Remember dipping those pH testing strips into bleach and vinegar to see if they turned blue or pink? Any substance falling below 7.0 on the pH scale is considered acid, while everything else is either neutral or alkaline. All the foods, drinks, pills and other stuff that humans consume are either on the acid or alkaline side of the pH scale and affect overall pH balance in the bloodstream.

When when more acid foods than alkaline foods are consumed, the systems of the body tend to become overworked from constantly being loaded up with with acid forming properties. On the other hand, when a greater number of alkaline foods are a component of the diet, the body has an easier task of alkalizing the blood, thus maintaining a proper pH balance.

There are a wide variety of other reasons to prevent the buildup of an acidic environment within the body. One of the most obvious reasons is that unwelcome organisms such as bacteria and yeast grow much more easily when pH balance leans too far and too often to the acid side. Cells are at their healthiest when in an alkaline state. When the diet is lacking alkaline foods or drinks, cells struggle to maintain homeostasis, and many of them suffer damage.

Since an alkaline state is so crucial to healthy function, the human body will do everything it can to manage a proper pH balance, even if that means causing damage to other parts of the body. When a larger quantity of acid foods are taken in than alkaline foods, calcium is the first choice for the body to restore alkalinity. As needed, calcium is naturally leeched from bones and teeth to douse the flames and alkalize the acid in the bloodstream. This is one of the ways that soda and other sugary, acid forming substances cause tooth decay and bone loss.

There are a large selection of alkaline foods that can help to manage a perfect pH balance in the body. Here are a few:

• Raspberries

• Melons

• Figs

• Raisins

• Spinach

• Kale

• Lettuce

• Sprouts

• Beets

• Cantaloupe

• Cabbage

• Peas

• Coconuts (and coconut milk)

• Kiwi

• Dates

• Mangos

• Oranges

• Peaches

• Tubers

Consuming alkaline foods rather than acid foods is a vital step toward restoring correct pH balance in the body. In addition to the valuable nutrients acquired from these healthy choices, cell function and oxygenation are improved while creating a less hospitable environment for bacteria and organisms that jeopardize overall health.