Saliva pH Balancing

When your pH (acid/alkaline balance) is consistently outside of normal range, disease always develops. Some possible diseases that might occur from this imbalance are mental disturbances, sluggish metabolism, overgrowth of bacteria or fungus in the body, or cancer. This pH balancing can usually be done totally through the adjustment of your diet.

For most people, the pH of saliva just before meals (and at least 4 hours after the last food, nutrient, or juice intake) should be about 6.8. This must be tested with pH paper that ranges from 5.5 to 8.0 for accurate results. If there are a lot of bacteria in the mouth (which produce organic acids), the pH may appear lower than it really is. In this case, do the following before testing: a. Brush the teeth thoroughly with salt as an abrasive. b. Thoroughly rinse the mouth with 1% hydrogen peroxide. (Mix 1 part hydrogen peroxide with 2 parts water.) Do not swallow hydrogen peroxide mixture. c. Thoroughly rinse the mouth with water and spit all of the water out. d. Test the saliva pH 30 to 45 minutes after the last mouth rinsing.

The saliva measurement should be done on the fourth spit. Spit into the sink or trash three times and spit the fourth time onto the pH paper. Be careful not to touch with your fingers the end of the paper upon which you spit as this could alter the results. A pH below 6.6 is too acidic, and a pH above 7.0 is too alkaline for ideal health.

To perform the following test (noted in this paragraph only), you must have an empty stomach and omit all homeopathics and supplements until this test is over. After testing your pH, then eat a non-allergenic fruit, and retest your saliva pH one hour later. This will help you determine whether you need to eat more fruits and vegetables or more fish, chicken, turkey, healthy oils, nuts, seeds. If the results move further out of range after eating the fruit, then eat a piece of meat and retest your pH 4 hours later. If it has now come into balance, this will signify that you require more animal-source protein (or nuts, seeds and oils plus L-tyrosine and L-phenylalamine) in your diet.

Once basic dietary changes have been determined by this technique, you should measure your pH before breakfast and supper and 4 hours after each of these meals each day for at least four consecutive days. During these four or more days, record all your pH measurements and the times they were taken in a diary, along with the time of consumption and amounts and types of all foods and drinks consumed. Once you have your dietary needs adjusted to keep your pH between 6.6-7.0, and then continue to check your pH four times a day only one day a week so that you are sure that you are maintaining the proper balance. After you are symptom-free, you may check your pH one day per month to assure that you are maintaining the proper balance. Remember that food allergens can cause tissue and saliva acidity.

Some people who are initially vegetarian by nature and sympathetic in metabolic type, if exposed to protracted physical and/or emotional stress, can exhaust their adrenal glands and change to a type of metabolism that requires more meat (or more nuts, seeds, oils, tyrosine and/or phenylalamine). Those who require fish or meat for their metabolic type would be wise to not eat raw or excessively well-done fish or meat because undercooked meat and fish increases the risk of parasitism, and overcooked fish increases the risk of cancer. When consuming meat or fish, is it advisable to take one plant-source digestive enzyme (like Plantzyme) at the middle and at the end of each meal.

If you cannot balance your pH in one or two weeks, it is important that you discuss the information that you have recorded with your Doctor.

Adapted from Wm. Lee Cowden, MD