A Healthy Beginning

For The New Year

By Hugh O Smith, PhD

  Something that is little understood by many health care providers and clients,
and which we receive many phone calls and e-mails about is pH. A brief explanatio is in order.

   Acidity and alkalinity are measured according to the pH (potential of hydrogen)
scale. Water, with a pH of 7.0 is considered neutral—neither acid nor alkaline.
Any substance with a pH below 7.0 is considered acid becoming more acid as it
approaches 1. Any substance with a pH above7.0 is considered alkaline, becoming
more alkaline up to a limit of 14.0. In chronic illness, pH –level concerns focus
on whether the fluid characteristics of the human host favor the growth of destructive forms of bacteria, fungi, viruses, or other parasites.

   Of possible confusion in this area is the fact that such parasites may have wide
ranges of optimum-growth pH levels running from6.0 to7.6 such as Clostridium sporogenes,which is largely harmless, and Clostridium perfringens, which is a common cause of food poisoning. Health-enhancing variations may share a range of 5.8 to 6.6 (such as Lactobacillus acidophilus) and be unable to survive in a more alkaline higher pH.

   Fungi usually grow best in environments that are slightly acidic (a pH of 5 or so)
but can also do well in higher pH levels. Keep in mind that healthy fungi contribute to human health by generating growth factors and vitamins from some of what we eat. We use fungi to make most of our breads and other forms to make antibiotics to destroy harmful bacteria. Antibiotics frequently overpopulate to the point of creating their own best pH, a low-acid pH, from the deteriorating dead bacteria. This can become an ideal environment for encouragement of anaerobic toxic fungi, such as Candida albicans.

  The human body is slightly acidic when it is in a state of health. This limits fungal and bacterial growth on the skin or in the body. Some areas of the body are more acidic than this to address local issues and microbial populations. Medical tests for pH level are usually a reference of the blood pH level. We find, however, that saliva pH measurement is more accurate, and instructions for checking saliva are included with HydroMag Chargers. The ideal range for the human body is suggested, by some sources, as between 6.1 and 7.0. Healthy blood pH is 7.35 and I usually recommend attempting to keep the pH balance in the7+ range, especially for those suffering from chronic illness.

Drinking alkaline water will not raise pH. So there has to be a better way. The easiest and fastest way to raise pH is by drinking water that has been “treated” with the HydroMag