Alkaline or acidic body – is truly important to know to eat the right food and avoid health problems. Your body’s alkalinity or acidity may be a symptom of an underlying disease. You can find out if your body is alkaline or acidic by measuring its pH. Normally, the pH scale goes from 0 zero which is very acidic to 14whicht is basic. Water has a 7 pH, which is neutral.
Typically, a healthy pH is neutral or a little alkaline at about 7.0 to 7.2 1 2 . Testing the pH of the urine reveals the presence of any unusual alkalinity or acidity, which might indicate that the kidneys are working hard to neutralize the blood.
Alkaline or Acidic Body
To find out if your body is alkaline or acidic, you can take a pH test at home 3 . All you need is a roll of litmus paper that you can find without a prescription at your local pharmacy or online. Here is what to do:
- Wait till you have urinated 1 or 2 times before taking your urine for analysis. Morning urine usually contains more particulates, since it has been gathering in the bladder for a longer period of time.
- Take the middle of your urine flow into a plastic cup for analysis. Both the beginning and end of your urine stream will have different levels of particulates, therefore, capturing the middle of the flow is significant in collecting a precise sample.
- Tear off a 1-inch strip from the roll of litmus paper. Plunge one end of the litmus paper in your urine, and then hold it for about 5 seconds.
- Take out the litmus paper from the urine and match its color to the chart printed on the litmus paper roll. The color might vary between dark blue and yellow, indicating a pH from 4.5 – 9.0. Preferably, the litmus paper will turn bluish-green indicating a pH from 7.0 – 7.2.
- Test 2-3 more times throughout the day, preferably once in the morning, in the afternoon, and once before sleep. Average the result for the most accurate pH reading, as the pH of your body fluctuates during the day.
This test can tell if your body is alkaline or acidic. Therefore, you can make certain changes in your diet, include or exclude some alkaline or acidic foods, and balance the pH in your body.
According to the U.S. National Library of Medicine, acidic urine is linked with cysteine, calcium oxalate, xanthine, and uric acid stones; and alkaline urine is linked with magnesium phosphate, calcium carbonate, and calcium phosphate stones 4 5 .
Note:
Only a doctor can properly test the pH of your urinary and make the right diagnosis. Don’t make medical determinations and dietary alterations based on the pH of your urinary without input from a physician.
Conclusion:
Urine samples are necessary for urine checks that are used for things such as testing for certain diseases or observing their progress. Doing a rapid urine test is the fastest way to test your urine. This test can tell if your body is alkaline or acidic. A rapid urine test can be done at home, in the hospital, or at your doctor’s office. The test strips are available on the internet or without a prescription at the pharmacy. However, they aren’t intended for self-diagnosis purposes and need to be used in consultation with a doctor.
References: Ncbi.nlm.nih.gov Medlineplus.gov Livestrong.com