Written By: Bhavyajyoti Chilukoti | Updated : December 15, 2015 9:52 AM IST
pH -- an abbreviation you might have come across many times but do you know what it means? Well, pH stands for 'potential hydrogen'. In simple terms, it is a scale that ranges from 1 to 14 and tells you whether a substance is acidic or not. It is divided into three major categories namely acidic, basic and neutral. If a substance has a pH value of seven, it is neutral. However, a pH value between 0 - seven is acidic, and that from 7 - 14 is alkaline. The human body has a pH value of 7.35 - 7.4, which means that our blood is slightly alkaline in nature. A slight change in the pH level of blood might lead to various health complications such as acidity, infection or inflammation.
What is acidic, alkaline and neutral?
Acidic: If a substance has a pH value less than seven, it is considered acidic in nature. Some of the common acidic foods are coffee, tea, wine, cheese, colas, soda and pickles.
Alkaline: A substance that has a pH value greater than seven and less than 14 is considered alkaline in nature. Some of the commonly available alkaline foods are apple, banana, raw spinach, mushrooms and almonds. Also read about alkaline diet why is it good for your health?
Neutral: A substance that has a pH level of seven is neutral in nature. Examples of neutral foods include water, butter, cooking oil and milk.
What does high pH mean?
On the pH scale, seven is neutral and as the level drops, it is considered more and more acidic. So, a value of five is more acidic than six. When you say high pH level, it means it is acidic and not alkaline.
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