stomach problems

March 16, 2010

Stomach Acidity, pH, and Water, What You Should Know.

If you are like me, you suffer from too much stomach acid. It shows up as acid reflux, heartburn, or worse can develop into GERD. It is worse at night. Sometimes I wake up with a terrible burning pain that feels like a knot in the middle of my chest. Do you have those pains?

I usually end up popping an antacid or two and that lets me sleep. Recently, it has become a regular occurrence. I decided to visit my family physician, and, of course, he prescribed these very expensive pills.

I took matters into my own hands. I did some research. I’m sure you know that there are a lot of remedies for heartburn, indigestion, and acid reflux. Most of the remedies deal with diet. They recommend cutting down or even eliminating eating spicy foods, smoking, and drinking alcohol. All of these remedies are just common sense. Unfortunately, I enjoy all three of those activities.

Stomach Acid and pH

In my research on stomach problems and stomach acidity, I discovered an association of water and stomach acid. There is an interesting relationship between stomach acid, pH and water.

You probably remember from your high school biology or physiology class that our bodies are 70%-80% water. You may also remember that pH (parts or potential Hydrogen) measures the alkalinity or acidity content. Do you remember your chemistry class, where you tested substances with litmus paper? It’s the same thing.

Remember that the pH scale is from 0 to 14. The lower the number the more acidic, the higher the number the more alkaline, 7 is neutral. On litmus paper, red indicates high acidity and blue indicates high alkalinity.

Our body’s pH levels for specific organs and functions vary all over the chart. Overall, our body should be a little on the alkaline side, 7.0+ to 7.5. Our stomach naturally has a high acidic level. In the stomach, it is as low as 2-3.

You can test your own saliva with a simple pH test kit. You can purchase one for less than $15. Wait at least one half hour after eating or brushing your teeth, generate saliva in your mouth and place a few drops of your saliva in a plastic spoon. Allow the litmus paper time to absorb the saliva and for the color to change. Compare the color to the chart provided with the kit. A reading above 7.0 is good.

Water

Water is most important in that it forms a bicarbonate solution that protects the lining of the stomach from the super acidic gastric juices. Water along with the pancreas also plays a vital role in eliminating the acid waste through the intestines and through our urine. What most of us do not realize is that much of the water and food that we ingest is acidic. Bottled water is notoriously acidic and thus does not contribute to our well-being. Some of it is nothing more than tap water. See the video below.

You can test your own tap water with a simple litmus test kit found at most pet stores. Just follow the simple instructions on the package. You want the water to be slightly alkaline, 7.0+ to 8.5.

The American diet is heavy in acidic content. Although no hard scientific evidence exists that directly links acidity to bad health, there are many that believe that acidic water contributes to ill health. When you consider that, a young child on average has an overall pH level of about 7.5 while many a American adults are at 6.5 or lower, it is no wonder that we suffer from so many ailments.