Want to test your actual blood pH? You can’t do it with a pee stick from CVS. You’d need a blood gas analyzer, which is a machine that costs as much as a used car. Doctors use this when they suspect something serious—like respiratory issues or kidney failure. I promise you don’t need one.
So why do wellness influencers act like balancing your pH is the secret to life? Because it sounds science-y and sells detox kits. The irony is that your body balances its own pH every second—via your lungs (breathing out acid) and kidneys (peeing out acids). You’re basically a walking, talking pH buffer.
How To Test The PH Level of Your Body - YouTube
Signs You Probably Shouldn't Ignore
If you’re worried about being too acidic, you’d have symptoms like rapid breathing, confusion, or extreme fatigue. That’s called metabolic acidosis, and it’s a medical emergency, not a "need more kale" situation. If your pee strip shows a weird color but you feel fine? You’re fine. The strip is just telling you what you ate for lunch.
One time I got a reading of 8.0 after a heavy lemon water phase. I thought I was a miracle of health. Turns out, lemons are acidic in the mouth but have an alkaline effect in the body, and my kidneys were just dumping excess bicarb. It was science, not enlightenment.
