Many know that the body maintains an internal temperature of 98.6 degrees Fahrenheit , and if that temperature varies by five or six degrees in either direction , the body will react with illness and possibly death . The body has the same internal mechanism for regulating the pH balance of the blood . Many chemical responses happen in the body throughout the day to maintain a slightly alkaline balance of 7.365 . When the pH balance drops toward acidic , or under seven in the blood , illness , disease , and possibly death can occur .