The pH Miracle

I finished reading The pH Miracle almost three months ago, but my copy has only yesterday come back into my possession. I am now ready to tell you what The pH Miracle is all about.

Robert O. Young, Ph.D., and his wife Shelley Redford Young put forth a simple idea in their book: that the pH of your blood is the most significant single indicator of your overall health.

Based on his research and analysis of thousands of live blood tests, Robert believes the ideal pH for blood is 7.365, or slightly alkaline. (By the way, the pH scale starts at 1 and goes to 14. Low numbers indicate acid and high numbers indicate base. Seven, the center of the scale, is neither acidic or basic.)

When your body is acidic, as most Americans are, then you are prone to develop diseases and symptoms that reflect your body’s overly acidic state. Here’s what Robert and Shelley say.

“We’re starting from the premise that of all the balances the human body strives to maintain, the most crucial is the one between acid and base (or alkaline). The body will go to great lengths to maintain the appropriate, slightly basic, nature of its blood. But it is all too easy and far too common for body tissues to become acidic. Such an imbalance sets the stage for chaos, opening the door to sickness and disease. Overacidification of body fluids and tissues underlies all disease, and general “dis-ease” as well. For one thing, it is only when it is acidic that the body is vulnerable to germs—in healthy base balance, germs can’t get a foothold. Furthermore, acids are the expression of all sickness and disease. In short, good health requires a body in proper acid/base balance. Proper diet (like the one laid out in this book) is the only way to ensure that.” (p. 13)

When your body becomes too acidic, your lymphatic (immune) system will try to do whatever it can to neutralize and eliminate the excess acids in your body. While your body exhausts itself trying to dispose of the acids, you may experience some unpleasant side effects.

“This imbalance in the blood pH leads to irritation and inflammation and sets the stage for sickness. Acute or recurrent illnesses result from either the body trying to mobilize mineral reserves to prevent cellular breakdown or emergency attempts to detoxify the body. For example, the body may throw off acids through the skin, producing symptoms such as eczema, acne, boils, headaches, muscle cramps, soreness, swelling, irritation, inflammation, and general aches and pains. Chronic symptoms show up when all possibilities of neutralizing or eliminating acids have been exhausted.” (p. 15)

So what’s the solution? How do we prevent our bodies from acid overload? The Youngs say the answer lies primarily in what we eat.

There are many foods that cause the blood to become alkaline. The Youngs say we should eat far more of these than we currently do. Unfortunately, most of the foods in the American diet are acid-forming. The Youngs say we should eliminate the consumption of these foods whenever and wherever possible.

Something interesting that the Youngs point out: just because a food is acidic does not mean it will cause your blood to be acidic. For instance, lemons, limes, and grapefruit are acidic foods, but they cause your blood to become alkaline.

In The pH Miracle, you’ll find charts of many foods with their corresponding pH levels. Reviewing these charts will open your eyes to how much acid-forming food you’re consuming. As I looked everything over, I found myself pleasantly surprised that some of the foods I like to eat are on the alkaline side of the scale… but I was also somewhat disappointed to find some of my favorite foods on the acid side. You’ll likely have the same experience.

The pH Miracle is a very practical book. The first 198 pages discuss the diet and why it’s important. The latter 130 pages are chock full of recipes and resources you can use to put a healthy diet together.

If you have the time, I highly recommend this book. It’s the most common sense, scientifically-supported book I’ve read on the subject of diet and health.

Buy The pH Miracle at Amazon.com.

Comments

[ann]

I think, at least from reading your short article, that this is a little simplistic. I am a Medical Technologist and normal pH in blood is 7.35-7.45. That being said the most common pH found in urine is from 5 to 7, and urine is directly filtered from the renal artery. While what you eat does impact this, I think it is far more complicated than that

[A]

I think you need to analyze his credentials and see if this is quack or science. Hmmm...I smell un-accredited credentials. Master of Science? There isn't really a "Master of Science." You must specialize in a part of biology, not science in general.