Find out what pH levels are, how you can test yourself easily and inexpensively at home, and what your results mean for your health.
Alkalinize your life! I’m sure most of you have heard about the acid – alkaline diet or lifestyle.
In this video, I share the basic concepts.
First off, let’s unpack what pH is
pH stands for the potential of Hydrogen. pH levels measures the alkalinity or acidity in a solution.
I won’t discuss blood pH levels here, as that’s a narrow range that the body regulates tightly.
Instead, I’ll discuss the urine and saliva pH levels. What I love about these tests is that it’s something you can do in the comfort of your own home for a few pennies. While it’s not a failsafe system, it does give you an indication of what’s going on in your body.
Here’s where you can buy pH (or litmus) paper for cheap.
OK, now for the testing and ideal pH levels
Urine pH levels: You want to test the SECOND pee of the day. Your first urine will be overly acidic as it dumps the wastes from the night before. When you’re ready, simply tear off a small piece of litmus paper and put in urine stream for a few seconds. Or, you can pee into a small cup and dip the paper into your urine that way.
Look at the color of your paper immediately and compare with the color chart on your litmus paper. You want to aim for urine pH levles of 6.0-6.5. While many alkalizing diets and websites will claim you want 7.0-7.5, I don’t think this is ideal based on science and my research. If you test later in the day and your urine is more like 6.5-7.0, that’s fine as we tend to become more alkaline as the day goes on.
First off, our kidneys are supposed to eliminate acids so we want our urine to be on the acidic job. If the urine is too alkaline, it can mean that the kidneys aren’t working properly or there’s something off metabolically. Be aware that certain supplements like vitamin D, calcium and magnesium can throw off your pH balance a bit in some instances. If you want to know your “true” pH, go a few days without supplements and then re-test.
Saliva pH levels: This measures the enzyme reserves in your body and the function of digestive organs like stomach, pancreas and liver. You want to test first thing in the morning before you brush your teeth or even take a drink of water. The ideal range is 6.5-7.0. This shows you have a nice reserve of minerals but also shows that you’re digesting food well. If you’re over 7.0, your digestive system may be a bit sluggish and you can have issues with gas, constipation, and fungus/mold.
What if your pH levels aren’t ideal?
I’ll show you some ways to get back in balance in my next post, Acid/Alkaline – How to Stay in Balance.
How about YOU? Have you ever tested your urine/saliva for pH balance? What do you think of the science behind this? Share with us!
