Hi, I’m Dr. Jared Nielsen here in Heber City, Utah. I’d like to just talk to you quickly about the importance of body pH. A lot of people have talked about the importance of pH in regulating body pH in order to reduce risks of cancer, or risks of infection, and prolonged infections.
PH really is a quick reference into how is our body doing. If we see pH as a measurement of our stomach function, the stomach has the highest concentration of hydrochloric acid. When we talk about pH, a low pH actually refers to a very concentrated acid versus a high pH which refers to low concentration of acid or actually alkaline.
Right in the middle of the pH scale is the number seven. Seven is the reference point and the variation from there, either going on lower or higher on that scale. Lower being more acidic, higher being more basic or alkaline. A quick reference can be done by simply taking the strip of the pH paper and first thing in the morning just putting it in your mouth and checking your oral pH. This should be a good window into where our body is going to be.
In the morning, first pH test coming from the mouth should just be tested with your saliva. Put your lips completely, tightly around that and then quickly test it. Because as soon as you pull that strip out of your mouth, the hydrogen ions are actually evaporating, excuse me, the carbon dioxide is evaporating from the paper.
You’ll actually see that that test strip will actually become more alkaline, the longer you allow it to set. Moisten it quickly. Test it quickly. That reference range for the mouth should be between 6.8 and 7 first thing in the morning.
If you measure your oral pH anytime during the day, it should be between 7.2 and 7.6 would be your range. You want it more basic in the mouth as the day progresses, but first thing in the morning, you may find it slightly acidic in the 6.8 to 7 range.
Checking your first morning urine pH gives us a quick reference into the actual blood pH. There’s a correlation there. The urine pH should be between 6.4 and 6.8. Check that also quickly. Make sure on the reference that the urine is somewhere between 6.4 and 6.8.
Most people will find that their urine is much more acidic than that. There are some steps that we can talk about more to optimize this. The person who experiences a lot of tartar build-up on their teeth or calculus build-up, they can get their teeth cleaned even by the dentist and it seems by the end of the day, there’s already plaque forming.
That saliva becomes then very acidic because the low concentration of acid in the tummy. That person will commonly experience some type of GI or refluxing irritation which is actually an indication of loss of concentrated stomach acids and more of a build-up of lack of digestive enzymes which causes lactic acid or fermentation of the food.
That person has a lot of burping or that person experiences a lot of refluxing. To take some type of an acid blocker, some type of a prescriptive acid inhibitor, or even using something over the counter as a simple acid reducer is going to further impair the GI function, especially the stomach function.
We should actually look physiologically and from a biological medicine perspective. How can we re-concentrate our stomach acids? How can we rebuild the stomach? How can we restore its function?
Again, pH, great window into the body’s health. For the mouth, first thing in the morning, oral pH, 6.8 to 7.0. As the day progresses, 7.2 to 7.6. First morning urine pH, somewhere between the scale, 6.4 to 6.8. Those are our targets.
Keep your urine pH and your saliva pH first morning test a little log. Check that for up to two weeks in a row and see where your body is. Consult your healthcare practitioner if it’s outside of that range. Let’s get that restored.
Again, I’m Dr. Nielsen here in Heber City, Utah. Thanks for taking the time to listen to this information.