Overview
You’ve likely heard of pH at some point in your life. You may have also heard of pH in relation to wellness conditions regarding urine. pH is a scale used to measure the acidity or basicity of a substance. The range goes from 0 to 14, with 7 being neutral. If a substance’s pH is less than 7, it is acidic. Likewise, if a substance’s pH is above 7, it is basic. It’s essential to know key facts about pH, as it plays a vital role in our everyday lives.
It is important for your urine’s pH to be on point, as maintaining these levels helps reduce the potential of experiencing any major issues down the line. It is thus important to be proactive about checking your urine’s pH regularly. With recent wellness innovations, you don’t have to go out to get your urine pH checked. You can do it right from the comfort of your home.
But what if you don’t know anything about pH or how to check it? Here’s all you need to know to achieve and maintain an optimal pH range in urine.
Urine pH
Human urine pH is typically slightly acidic, ranging on average between 4.5-8, with most human urine ranging between 6-7. Several different factors impact your urine’s pH, such as your diet and certain medication.
Why Should We Test Urine pH?
Your urine pH can offer many insights into your body that you otherwise wouldn’t have discovered. When you learn the pH level of your urine, you can shape your lifestyle choices accordingly. That said, your diet is one of the main factors affecting your urine pH, and abnormal results can be a good cue for making changes in your diet.
Related: Vivoo pH Box
pH Levels
To understand what your urine pH levels are telling you, you need to know the basics of normal and acidic/alkaline pH levels. Here’s the rundown:
Normal urine ph range
A neutral pH is 7.0, and most people’s urine pH level is around 6.0. However, if your urine pH is slightly below or above the optimal range, there is no need to be concerned.
Abnormal pH value in urine
An abnormal pH value can provide you with important information on what is happening in your body or how your diet or other unusual situations might be a factor.
Causes of acidic or alkaline urine pH
Alkaline urine pH: This is when you have a high urine pH (above 7.0). This might be due to:
- A diet high in vegetables and fruits and low in protein and grains
Acidic urine pH: This is when you have a low urine pH (below 7.0). This might be due to:
- Excessive alcohol consumption
- Starvation
- High-protein diet
- Dehydration
- Eating high amounts of processed foods, especially sugary foods
What is the relationship between urine pH and dietary content?
Your diet can greatly influence your urine’s pH. For example, if you eat a diet full of fruits, vegetables, and legumes, but low in meat, you will likely have alkaline urine or urine with a high pH level. On the other hand, if you consume mostly meat, your urine’s pH is more likely to be acidic.
Diet’s PRAL and its Effect on Urine pH
PRAL stands for “Potential Renal Acid Load” and is a measurement of the amount of acid the body produces due to one’s diet. Positive PRAL levels ??indicate that more acid has been produced from ingested food. Negative PRAL levels ??indicate that alkaline has been produced in the body as a result of digested food.
PRAL can be helpful for estimating the effect of your diet on urine acidity. Acid is produced in the body as a result of normal processes such as digestion and metabolism. Some diets can cause more acid buildup in the body than others. The lungs and kidneys tightly regulate the pH of the whole body to maintain your wellness.
High-protein diets increase the acid load and cause changes in the urinary system but have little effect on blood pH levels. Fruits, vegetables, and fruit juices are rich in alkali and have a low acid load and PRAL score. Cereal products, meat, milk, and fish products are low in alkalinity and have a higher acid load and PRAL score. Because adequate protein intake is essential for the optimal functioning of your skeletal and muscular systems, increasing your consumption of fruits and vegetables may be more effective than reducing your protein intake for achieving an ideal pH level.
If an imbalance in your urine pH level takes place due to excess acid, you can regulate it by making minor changes to your diet and lifestyle.
Related: Are You too Acidic? Alkaline Foods to Correct pH Imbalances
How to Raise Acidic Urine pH to Normal Levels
If you are looking for ways to fix the acidity in your urine at home, you might consider trying one of these tips:
- Avoiding milk and other dairy products
- Reducing your intake of protein from animal sources
- Increasing your intake of plant-based proteins like legumes
- Increasing vegetables and fruits in your diet.
Here are some foods that you can incorporate into your diet that help make your urine more alkaline, resulting in negative PRAL levels:
- Watermelon ( -2)
- Jalapenos (-4.3)
- Basil (-10)
- Garlic (-2.6)
- Onions (-4.6)
- Avocado (-8.6)
- Mushrooms (-4.5)
- Ginger (-7.8)
- Soybeans (-5.7)
- Tofu (-12.3)
- Green beans (-3.1)
- Bananas (-6.9)
How to Lower Alkaline Urine pH
If you want to work on lowering your alkaline levels on your own, here are some tips to help you do just that:
- Adding grains to your diet
- Adding high-protein foods to your diet
Here are some foods that you can incorporate into your diet that can help make your urine pH more acidic, resulting in positive PRAL levels:
- Red meat (beef and lamb) (+12.5)
- Poultry (+7.5)
- Fish (+5)
- Other seafood (shrimp, shellfish, etc.),
- Cheese (+5 - +20)
- Milk (+0.2)
- Other dairy products (yogurt, kefir, etc.)
- Eggs (+9.4)
Related: Making Your Urine More Alkaline Naturally
The Significance of Urine pH
Overall, staying on top of your urine’s pH is essential for your wellness. With Vivoo test strips, you can check your urine pH regularly and make any necessary changes in your lifestyle and diet if you find that your urine pH is abnormal. When you pay special attention to maintaining an optimal urine pH with Vivoo, you will improve the overall quality of your life and save yourself future stress and undesirable issues in your body.
