Many aspects of our health are closely interrelated. The correlation between candida infections and your pH level are discussed in this helpful article. Whether you have recurring yeast infections or want to learn more about how candida can be impacted by the body's potential hydrogen level, this article can help.
Many who fight repeat candida problems become frustrated at the fact that they are fighting what seems like a losing battle. Some choose to take efforts to improve their pH levels in order to fight candida and keep it away for good. A healthier pH level can not only help you fight candida but can improve your overall health.
What is the connection between low pH and Candida?
Yeast are present in your body whether you like it or not. How much they impact your health depends on many things including your pH level. Candida albicans thrive in an acidic environment which happens when your pH is low. Many things can contribute to a poor pH level including a poor diet. When your pH drops below seven, you are at risk for health problems. By following an alkaline diet or a candida diet you can improve your pH level and create an environment that naturally keep yeast infections away.
Many notice candida symptoms, get a yeast infection medication from the doctor, get rid of the symptoms and them move on. But, candida seems to come back on a regular basis for many. Many factors can increase the chance of getting a candida infection and the state of your body in terms of alkaline or acidic can have a bit impact.
Those who find out that their pH levels are low and who also have recurring yeast infections can take actions to increase their pH level which increases the oxygen in their body and creates a more harmonious environment. Low pH can do more than give you a nasty yeast infection; it can lead to illness and disease. A stronger pH level can equal a higher functioning immune system and when your body can fight off disease and illness, you'll be much less likely to fall ill.
Testing for pH levels is relatively easy and so is increasing your health and wellness by increasing your pH. A candida diet can not only create a more harmonious digestive system that stops candida from breeding like rabbits but it can also be considered an alkaline diet which helps your pH level considerably. Because candida thrive in an acidic environment, it stands to reason that the more alkaline you are, the less likely candida or yeast infections will occur in your body.
If you are someone who has repeated candida problems and is tired of taking medication to temporarily curb the disease, you can consider working to increase your pH level so that your body will naturally keep unhealthy yeast at a manageable level. Test strips are readily available in health food stores and information about alkaline and candida diets are easy to fine online.
Well, the body has its own sort of litmus test: It’s called your pH level. And many health care professionals consider a balanced pH level to be the key to good health.
The term pH stands for Potential Hydrogen, which is the concentration of hydrogen ions in a substance or solution. The pH range is 0 to 14. Human blood pH is ideally 7.35. Higher numbers indicate alkalinity; lower numbers indicate acidity.
Constricted muscles
The body simply cannot tolerate extended acid imbalances. In the early stages of an imbalance, symptoms may include such things as skin eruptions, headaches, allergies, colds and flu, and sinus problems. As things get further out of kilter, weakened systems start to give way. If tissue pH deviates too far to the acid side, oxygen levels decrease and cells die.
On the other side of the coin, it is virtually impossible for a health disorder or disease to sustain itself when your pH is in the neutral zone (7.0-7.4). At this level, the body has a strong immunity to diseases. Most Americans, however, have a pH level of 6.2 to 6.4.
When your pH is out of the normal range, all sorts of bad things happen. For one thing, disease-producing organisms thrive. This explains why some people exposed to certain bacteria or viruses get sick while others don't.
Acidic conditions can cause muscles to constrict and inhibit the exchange of nutrients and waste products in muscle cells, causing fatigue, soreness, and pain. In fact, a pH imbalance affects all cellular activity in the body and can lead to a wide range of degenerative diseases and symptoms.
Among other things, acidic blood blocks vitamin absorption, creates toxic buildup in clogged cells, slows organ function, prevents proper digestion, creates excess gas and bloating, causes unhealthy weight gain, and speeds the aging process.
When pH is lower than 7.0, aging is accelerated because natural acid salts build up in the walls of your cells, causing them to stiffen and dry up. By the same token, aging is slowed when acid waste is removed from the body.
How it happens
Diet and stressful lifestyle can directly affect the pH levels of all body fluids, which determines how well your immune system functions. A weakened immune system, of course, means low resistance to infections. High acid also allows LDL-cholesterol (the bad cholesterol) to build up faster in your arteries, damaging artery walls and creating plaque buildup.
High acidity enters your body when you eat processed foods, pre-packaged foods, sugary foods, pastas, dairy products (milk, cheese, ice cream, etc.), alcoholic beverages, drugs, table salt. Meats also promote acidity.
Stress plays a significant role in creating excess acid. This is why Type A personalities�"who tend to live in a perpetual state of tension and rigidity�"are prone to develop acidic conditions. If you don’t get enough sleep or exercise or face life-changing events�"loss of a job, divorce, moving to a new city, etc.�"your body probably has more acid than it can handle.
Restoring the balance
Moderate changes in your diet can help restore your pH balance. For starters, try eating more fresh fruits and vegetables, almonds, and yogurt. And go lighter on cheeses, soft drinks, alcohol, processed foods, and sweeteners (use raw honey instead). Roughly 75 percent of your diet should consist of alkaline-producing foods.
If these dietary changes seem too oppressive, you might consider taking alkaline supplements. One recent study looked at whether supplementation with alkaline minerals would influence symptoms in patients with chronic low back pain. Researchers gave 82 such patients 30 grams of a lactose-based alkaline mineral supplement (Basica) daily over a period of four weeks in addition to their medication.
Pain symptoms were measured using the Arbus Low Back Pain Rating Scale. Average pain scores significantly dropped by 49 percent, total blood buffering capacity was significantly improved, and blood pH increased. The conclusion: an unbalanced pH level may contribute to the symptoms of low back pain.
To lower your stress level, which will help put your pH reading in the normal range, you may want to try deep-breathing exercises and eating alkaline foods or what ever type of relaxation technique works for you. Moderate exercise�"even walking 10 minutes a day�"can also go a long way toward reducing stress and restoring balance, the key to good health.
Both Matthew Bredel & Jesse Cannone are contributors for EditorialToday. The above articles have been edited for relevancy and timeliness. All write-ups, reviews, tips and guides published by EditorialToday.com and its partners or affiliates are for informational purposes only. They should not be used for any legal or any other type of advice. We do not endorse any author, contributor, writer or article posted by our team.