My blog has roughly 1500 readers per week. I appreciate each and every one of you. Apparently I hit a good subject with the pH thing. GOOD! Seems that I’m a little behind in finding out about this important health topic. I started to creep up on the subject, but many of you want more information NOW.
My niece sent me the following food pH chart that I think is fantastic. I’m going to post this chart today to jump start you that are chomping at the bit for more information. I’ll let you know now to monitor your pH tomorrow. If you have seen other charts you might find a conflict or two. I’m looking into that. – jughandle
Acid in foods and how your body metabolizes them are very different things. Lemons are one of the best foods we can eat and everyone knows how acidic they are. Some foods that start out alkaline become very acidic when cooked. Carrots are a good example of that. Meat will test alkaline before digestion but it leaves an acidic residue in the body because of how hard it is to digest.
6 comments
lemons are very acidic.. around 2 o the ph scale. your chart has lemons and limes toward the top. funny thing is that this is all over the internet that lemons are alkaline. im stumped
Lemons are a citrus fruit. Inside the body when lemon juice has been fully metabolized and its minerals are dissociated in the bloodstream, its effect is alkalizing and therefore raises the pH of body tissue (pH above 7 is alkaline). Citrus fruit and alkalinity
Various webesites seem to be contradictory on acidity of foods. In my case, I believe my problem is PEPSIN reflux, resulting in excessive mucus in the throat and chronic cough; so what I need to do is to keep my throat and esophagus at a minimum pH of 5 and I do not care what happens when I digest my food.
Johnpil2, sorry for the delay in responding to you. I have done some research and found the following:
You need to see a Doctor to find out what is causing your reflux. I am not a Doctor and anything I tell you is based on my own research. Find a good doc and soon. But until you do it is important to raise your body pH.
The job of pepsin is to digest proteins in the stomach. If you have LPR (laryngopharyngeal reflux), pepsin gets up into your throat and airways. There it continues with its job of digesting. Pepsin now will digest the cells of your airway. That is what causes your discomfort.
Pepsin is highly influenced by the presence of acid.
The acidity is expressed in pH numbers. A pH of 1-2 is about the level of the empty stomach and is very acidic. A pH of 7 is neutral. Everything above 7 is alkaline.
Usually, the pH in the throat is about neutral. Pepsin becomes inactive in a neutral environment. But, each time pepsin comes in contact with acidity, it becomes reactivated.
Anything under pH 5 should be banished from the diet, at least until the symptoms have disappeared.
Be careful, if you do have LPR you need to eat food that is alkaline before it enters your throat where the problem is. The chart above is for food that has been metabolized by the body. Lemons and limes would not work for you. You need alkalized water.
While acidity reactivates pepsin, alkalinity above pH 8.8 permanently deactivates pepsin. That means afterward, even acidity can not make the pepsin work again.
Drinking or gargling with alkaline water is helpful for “washing” the pepsin out of your throat. This is not a miracle cure. You will only be able to hit pepsin in your mouth and throat. Some of the water will also spill through the entrance of your larynx.
Alkaline water can be one step in the direction of symptom resolution. Just keep in mind that alkaline water cannot do anything against you refluxing new pepsin. You still need to fix the reflux itself.
Some people show improvement by drinking or gargling alkaline water while others show no improvement at all. You have to try it out.
Here are some ways to get or make alkaline water:
Bottled: Some brands like Evamor are naturally alkaline. It is the healthiest solution – but also the most expensive.
Baking Soda: You simply mix it with water. The chemical name of baking soda is sodium bicarbonate. It a substance which is natural in your throat. It is excreted by the mucosa to neutralize acid. That makes it part of your natural reflux defenses. But the downside is that because it is sodium, just like salt which is sodium chloride, your sodium levels will rise.
See a doctor and good luck, thanks for posting your question.
Hi John,
I am having the same issues as you. Were you able to consult with a doctor? If so, which specialty?
Thanks.
guynyc,
I don’t know about John but I’ve gotten good information from my Urologist and Eyes, ears and throat specialists. Good luck to you and thanks for your post comment.
Jughandle