Introduction

Hence, ensuring that your body has the right balance of pH levels for optimal health and productivity is critical. The pH scale starts from 0, the lowest being acidic, the highest being alkaline 14, and the neutral scale 7. Blood and all internal fluids, including saliva, sweat, urine, etc, all have a specific pH level favorable for cellular activity occurrence. Excess in both high and low pH levels affects health in some way or another. Two additions to the diet that may also assist in returning the body’s pH levels to normal are apple cider vinegar and protein.

What is pH?

pH is the shorthand for potential hydrogen, showing the amount of hydrogen ions in a solution. The chemical with higher quantities of hydrogen ions is more acidic than the chemical with lesser amounts of hydrogen ions that are more alkaline. PH scale also helps one accurately determine where a particular solution lies in an acid or alkali scale.

Another important factor that human blood must have is its pH, which ranges between 7.35 and 7.45 to transport oxygen, remove waste, and support the function of enzymes and hormones. Any variation above or below this temperature range hinders the human body's normal functioning. Other types of fluids, such as urine in the body, also fluctuate in terms of pH over the course of the day. Understanding your pH level is also beneficial in assessing your health condition.

Why pH Balance Matters

When the body's pH falls outside the healthy range, we experience issues like:

- Decreased immunity

- Hormone imbalance

- Nutrient deficiencies

- Digestive problems

- Bone loss

- The damage and dysfunctions of the cells

Prolonged acidosis or high acidity is considered the root cause of contemporary diseases such as inflammation, impaired cognition, muscle loss, hypertension, and osteoporosis. They may also be utilized to prevent or cure acidosis if the imbalance in pH levels is influenced by diet and other daily practices.

Research Paper on Apple Cider Vinegar and its Ability to Alcalinize the Body

The use of apple cider vinegar as a health supplement for pH is well documented and dates back centuries. It is produced through fermentation of the apple cider to the point that the sugars are converted to acetic acid. Acetic acid is important to understand how ACV can have an alkalizing influence. Here’s how it works:

While vinegar is a mild acid in the external environment, the necessary amount of acetic acid is converted to acetate in our body. This acetate molecule is also cationic and plays a role in neutralizing acidity. In other words, the output of a substance is just the opposite of the input of the substance; that is, what goes into acidic substances comes out as alkaline.

These findings corroborate the ACV antacid action. For example, in one trial with 28 healthy subjects, it was found that two tablespoons of ACV before bed positively produced acid and pH in the stomach. Researchers concluded that it may help to establish a better-buffered system.

Further research shows that vinegar, a form of acetic acid, can reduce acidity by reacting with ammonia and reducing it in our system. They interfere with the body's acid-base balance by causing metabolic acidosis due to increased levels of ammonia in the blood.

Last but not least, research findings indicate that the substance aids in the digestion of protein and fat. This enhances the excretion of acidic wastes through both urine and feces. The acid burden could be worked off in various ways by taking a one-gallon diluted apple cider vinegar daily.

Protein and pH: Where and How Protein Support Alkaline Formation

Protein in the human diet appears ambiguous concerning its effect on pH. Meat, eggs, and dairy products have a high potential for forming metabolic acid. They, in turn, enhance the production of carbonic acid and urea waste products during digestion. As a result, an extremely high protein intake level is assumed to result in increased acidity levels.

However, recent work suggests that the net acid load from protein might be as close to zero as makes no difference. In one research, participants randomly had 30% or 15% protein intake. Strikingly, the 24-hour urine pH did not differ concerning the treatment groups. The body has a natural means of combating the acid load from protein intake through buffering. Proteins are important for cell repair, muscle maintenance, bone density, and a healthy immune system, hence the need to take enough protein.

Also, the specific amino acids of protein required for muscle carnosine synthesis are as follows – It forms part of the intracellular osmolytes responsible for protecting cells from excessively charged and acidic conditions. The amino acids that are alkalizing are Histidine, Beta-alanine, and L-carnosine.

Since whole foods contain most proteins, low incidents of going acidic are bound to experience proteins' buffering and neutral pH effects. Most people have a chance of experiencing this. It may be advisable for individuals suffering from kidney disease to limit their portion size.

Putting It All Together: Restore pH Balance using ACV and Protein

That is understandable, and now that there is evidence pointing to how apple cider vinegar and protein intake can affect healthy pH, what can you do?

The recommended daily intake of ACV should be between two to four tablespoons and be organic and raw. Take 1 tablespoon in a glass of water and have it before 1-2 meals. If you are starting, it is advisable to introduce it slowly if you are new to ACV. If you do not react to it, you can incorporate it in vinaigrettes, marinades, chutneys, or even as a dressing over steamed vegetables.

While selecting proteins at least for 2-3 days a week, plant sources such as lentils, nuts, seeds, and beans should be preferred over meats. If animal proteins are included on those days, seafood, eggs, poultry, Greek yogurt, and limited red meat are to be incorporated for diversity. Consuming 0.5-1 g of protein per pound of body weight per day will provide adequate pH regulation.

From time to time, test the urine using the strips to get an idea of what your body's pH levels are doing. Having numbers as close to the average as possible is unnecessary, but it is better to avoid reaching the extremes of high acidity 5.0-6.0 or high alkalinity 8.0-9.0. Consuming more fruits, vegetables, fiber, and probiotics also helps add the benefits of an alkaline nature from ACV and protein.

Conclusion

Optimal pH balance means nutrition fights inflammation, aging, and energy (Possible effects of pH on health) as intrinsic to a human body. Adding apple cider vinegar containing prebiotics, fruits, and vegetables while ensuring portion control of proteins would be a solution. Occasional pH testing using urine test strips allows you to adjust the diet considering the pH level to achieve the proper level for the organism. Strive for a whole food, alkaline-focused plate is simple and allows the type of foods to be eaten. A little working knowledge of what causes acidosis helps to go a long way in finding a healthy pH. Just like we carefully count calories and macronutrients in our foods, it is pertinent to take balance just as seriously.

For all your protein and supplement needs, visit Genetic Nutrition!

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