Measuring Your Own Acid-Base Balance
11 09 2007Checking your urine may not be a very pleasant task. But doing so can give you information about your own acid/alkaline balance. It gives information about your healthy ratio of acid/alkaline-forming foods and how your acid/alkaline balance changes with your monthly cycle, stress or other factors in your life.
Measuring your acid-base balance at home is done easily by collecting all urine produced in 24 hours. You will want to start with your second urine of the first day through the first urine of the next day. You can use the plastic water bottles you have sitting around that are not safe for storing drinking water anyway. Shake the total collection a few times, then simply dip in some pH paper and read it. Don’t be afraid –test your urine; it’s sterile! My source recommends pHydrion paper by Micro Essential Laboratory, Inc, in Brooklyn, NY (phone 718-338-3618; fax 718-692-4491). The range is from 5.5 to 8.0.
Generally pH range from 6.3 to 7.2 is within a safe range.
It is also good to check saliva pH. It is believed that saliva pH is an indicator of alkaline reserve in the body and the condition of the pH of the cells. A saliva pH of 6.8 to 7.2 taken before breakfast and before meals is considered normal. It should become more alkaline after meals, possibly around pH 7.2.
Some research indicates that if your pH before breakfast is below 6.2, it suggests an acid system with an inadequate amount of alkaline minerals, but with some alkaline reserve. After a meal, if the saliva pH is between 5.5 and 5.8 with no rise in pH, it means the body is extremely acid with no alkaline reserves left.
Although more research is being done on the question of optimal body pH, possibly the best way to tell if one is functioning at the best pH is to watch for the following characteristics.
Indicators of Optimal pH Function
1. Good energy
2. A calm nervous and muscle system
3. Bowels are moving regularly with effective digestion
4. Don’t catch colds or flu
5. General good feeling of physical, mental and spiritual vitality and clarity.
Article by Juan M Garces
Source: Conscious Eating, by Gabriel Cousens, M.D., North Atlantic Books and Essene Vision Books, 2000, pp.263, 264
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