Salivary pH Testing
Salivary pH is a measurement of the acidity of the saliva in the body. Salivary pH is influenced by a number of mechanisms that work to keep the saliva ph within an optimum range for proper digestion of food.
A high concentrated level of carbon dioxide in the body causes the saliva to become acidic while a lower level of carbon dioxide in the body causes the saliva to become alkaline (remember that we breath in oxygen and breath out carbon dioxide). Saliva should have a slightly alkaline reading of 7.1 – 7.5. The alkalinity of the saliva provides the best pH for optimum digestion.
The pH Challenge Test
The pH challenge test is a dynamic measurement of the body’s alkaline mineral reserves. The purpose of the test is to assess whether the body has the reserves necessary to respond to an acid challenge. During this test the body is challenged with acid in the form of lemon juice. The initial acidity of the lemon juice causes the saliva to buffer this acidity over the course of a few minutes by becoming more alkaline. I expect the saliva to become more alkaline to show that the body can respond to an acid challenge by marshalling up the necessary alkaline mineral reserves. If there is enough alkaline minerals in the body, the body will use them as a buffer. If there is an alkaline mineral insufficiency, the body will not be able to buffer and the saliva will remain acidic for a longer period of time.
This test allows me to see how stress impacts the mineral reserves in the body. Increasing levels of stress to the point of adrenal exhaustion (see Adrenal Stress Test) will cause the loss of the primary mineral reserves, which are composed of alkaline minerals potassium, magnesium, sodium and calcium in the body. As these alkaline mineral reserves are lost the body becomes more acidic.