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Acid and Alkaline Dear Subscribers, Well, we have come a long way, 52 weeks to be precise! I hope that you have found the past articles interesting and informative. We can now close the chapters on vitamins, minerals, fats, carbos, proteins etc.. And move on to a little understood, but very important aspect of our health, namely, the role of acid and alkaline substances within the body. As stated before, all the articles are compiled from the "Life Science" course. When we talk about acid-base balance, we are referring to the pH balance ( degree of acidity or alkalinity ) of substances or of the body. The symbol pH is used after numbers that measure the acidity or alkalinity of a substance or solution, which is determined by the number of hydrogen ions (H+) it contains. The smaller the number preceding the symbol pH is, the greater the acidity of that solution. Any neutral solution, such as water, will have a pH value of 7.0. Solutions, which have a pH value below 7.0, are acidic in nature and those above 7.0 are considered to be alkaline in nature. The human body must continuously deal with many different substances in the bloodstream. Each substance has a range of concentration, which can vary within certain limits, without creating an imbalance of normal bodily functions. Certain substances, such as blood glucose, can vary up to 200%, while certain other substances, such as blood calcium, are restricted to a much narrower range of deviation. The balance in the blood of acidic and alkaline components can be only moderately altered without creating a very serious physiological instability. Therefore, it is crucial that the body, while controlling degrees of pH in organs, glands and other areas of the body, simultaneously maintain this strict range of balance in the pH of the blood. The following chart best illustrates the pH ranges of different of the body; BODY AREA pH VALUE Gastric juice 0.9 Gallbladder bile 5.4-6.9 Urine 6.0 Saliva 6.3-6.8 Faeces 7.0-7.5 Intestinal juices 7.0-8.0 Pancreatic Juice 8.0 The blood is slightly alkaline with a pH of 7.35 to 7.4. Many of the enzymes that facilitate metabolic reactions operate optimally only in solutions of specific alkalinity, whether higher ( referred to as alkalosis). Or lower ( referred to as acidosis ), several malfunctions can occur. These malfunctions are manifested by slower enzymatic reactions, and thus a decrease in synthesis of specialized molecules, such as vitamins, proteins, etc.. The major effect of acidosis is disorientation due to the depression of the central nervous system. The major effect of alkalosis is extreme nervousness, eventually leading to convulsive reactions, namely tonic spasm or titany. Next week we will continue this fascinating subject and we will see how to maintain a normal pH balance in the body. Until then, The Crazy Nut team