Importance of Acidic pH and pH Scale Examples
pH is a scale that is used to measure the acidity or alkalinity of any substance. This scale ranges between 0 and 14, with 7 being the neural pH. Any reading less than 7 represents the acidic pH range. On the other hand, anything more than 7 represents an alkaline range of pH. In this context, it is extremely important to understand the impact of pH on the human body.
pH levels of the body:
The ideal pH for the human blood is around 7.35, and variations in either direction may cause severe disruptions in the body’s electrical chemistry. This is why it is of utmost importance to maintain the right pH level of the blood.
It must be remembered that the pH levels of different body parts tend to vary a great deal. Mentioned below are the normal pH of different body parts and fluids.
Saliva: 6.5 to 7.5
Upper Stomach: 4.0 to 6.5
Lower Stomach: 1.5 to 3.5
Small Intestine: 6.0 to 7.4
Large Intestine: 5.0 to 8.0
The acid-ash hypothesis:
According to this hypothesis, diets with excessively acidic pH are bad for the overall human health. A number of researches have been conducted based on the hypothesis that the metabolism of different foods leaves a chemical residue in the body, referred to as ash. In combination with different body fluids, these residues can become either alkali-forming or acid-forming.
The hypothesis claims that the consumption of acid-forming foods can lower the blood’s pH level, causing acid accumulation. This acidification is compensated by the body by leaching calcium and other alkaline minerals from the bones. Therefore, prolonged consumption acidic foods may cause bone loss and eventually lead to conditions such as osteoporosis.
Some of the common acid-forming foods include meats, grains, dairy, nuts, unsprouted beans, alcohol, sweeteners, tobacco, coffee, carbonated drinks, etc. The adverse effects of an acidic pH of the body can be prevented or counteracted by consuming more base-forming foods. This food category includes most of the vegetables and fruits.
pH scale examples:
pH may be defined as the negative logarithm of a substance’s hydrogen ion concentration. Acids are substances capable of donating hydrogen ions. Bases or alkalis, on the other hand, can accept hydrogen ions. Being a logarithmic scale, each value on the pH scale less than seven is ten times more acidic compared to the next pH value. Following pH scale examples can be helpful in understanding the concept.
- pH 4 is ten times and hundred times more acidic compared to pH 5 and pH 6 respectively.
- Similarly, pH 10 is ten times and hundred times more alkaline compared to pH 9 and pH 8 respectively.
Mentioned below are some pH scale examples with reference to different common substances.
- pH 0: Battery acid
- pH 1: Gastric acid
- pH 2: Vinegar
- pH 3: Soda, orange juice
- pH 4: Acid rain, tomato juice
- pH 5: Banana, black coffee
- pH 6: Milk, urine
- pH 7: Pure water
- pH 8: Egg, sea water
- pH 9: Baking soda
- pH 10: Milk of Magnesia
- pH 11: Ammonia solution
- pH 12: Soapy water
- pH 13: Oven cleaner, bleach
- pH 14: Drain cleaner liquid