Saliva Secrets: pH

As many of you already know, we always take a pH reading of your saliva at every routine hygiene visit. The question I often hear is “Why?"

Well, to put it simply, the saliva pH has got to be the easiest gauge of your overall health. No blood sample. No urine sample. But in less than 2 seconds we can tell the general condition of your entire body. Pretty amazing stuff!

A healthy saliva pH runs about 7.0, fairly neutral. We can give or take plus or minus 0.5, depending on what you have eaten before the reading. If your pH is below 6.5, which is most often the case, chances are that you have bodily inflammation and at least one of several hundred possible degenerative diseases. Fibromyalgia, arthritis, diabetes, osteoporosis, headaches, intestinal and skin issues are usually at the top of the list. If your pH is below 6.0, you are probably mineral deficient and have already been diagnosed with a degenerative chronic disease.

Besides the physical degeneration, your teeth may be demineralized (not good) setting you up for cavities or excessive wear or thinning of the enamel। So if your teeth look like ghosty teeth or an empty shell, you might want to have your pH checked to confirm this. Periodontal disease can be another issue, as it is a chronic inflammatory condition.

Effects of Acidic pH

An acid pH body is more prone to illness. In an acidic environment, red blood cells stick together like a clump of hair in a stuffed sink drain. This formation limits the amount of oxygen carrying capacity because red blood cells sandwiched between the two ends of red blood cells are compressed against each other and therefore unable to carry oxygen. Reduced oxygen leads to fatigue and weakness. Furthermore, cancer cells thrive in this oxygen deprived environment setting you up for this immune system disease.

Here’s the rundown when the body is too acidic. There is a:

1. Decrease in the body's ability to absorb minerals and other nutrients
2. Decrease in energy production in the cells
3. Decrease in the body's ability to repair damaged cells
4. Decrease in the body's ability to detoxify heavy metals
5. Enhanced environment that enables tumor cells to thrive
6. Susceptibility to fatigue and chronic illness

There are some simple ways to correct this. And if you are truly into improving your health, you will try as many as possible.

• · Cut out white flour, sugar, processed foods
• · Reduce red meat intake
• · Eat more fruits and vegetables
• · Add green juicing to your daily diet
• · Detox as much and as often as you can (see our many blogs on Detoxification)
• · Find ways to de-stress (meditation, sleep, deep breathing, grounding)
• · Add lemon juice or apple cider vinegar to your drinking water daily

As a side note, lemon juice actually has the ability to realkalise the body through the digestion and salivary pathways. It can be taken quite simply as a tablespoon of lemon juice or vinegar in water in the morning and evening. Since lemon juice and vinegar are quite acidic in the mouth, it is advisable to rinse with plain water immediately after ingesting. Additionally it is a good idea to drink the mixture with a straw to protect your teeth from the acid.

What if I'm Overly-Alkaline?

Alkalinity on the other hand is relatively rare, but if your saliva consistently tests above 7.5 pH, you need to be proactive in rebalancing. You should follow the same steps as above as these steps have a buffering effect, or in other words they are balancing, tending to bring the pH back toward normal no matter which direction it has gone. The only additional step would be the addition of digestive enzymes, as the pH of the saliva is a reflection of the small intestine pH. Most people with alkaline pH have digestive issues which are due to the reduced amount of enzymes from the high pH in the small intestine.

The importance of maintaining optimum saliva pH is therefore a critical factor in balancing your optimal health. Be proactive and monitor your progress with easy to use pH strips. Better yet, ask us at your next visit for your free evaluation. 

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