Why I’ve Been Testing My pH Since 1984 (And Why You Should Too)

If you’ve followed my work for any length of time, you know I’ve been talking about pH for decades. In fact, I’ve been testing my pH since 1984. Why? Because even a slight tilt in pH matters. The body is deeply affected by acid-alkaline balance, and over time I’ve found that first-morning urine pH can offer a simple, practical window into mineral balance, acid load, and overall physiology.

As I often explain, just as we are acidifying the oceans, the water, and the land, we are also acidifying our bodies. And a big reason for that is mineral depletion. That is one reason I still believe pH testing is one of the easiest and most empowering at-home wellness habits you can build into your routine.

Why pH Testing Still Matters After All These Years

One of the most important things pH testing does is help you see whether your body may be struggling with an acid load. When the body is under too much acid stress, it must buffer those acids somehow. That buffering depends heavily on alkaline minerals like magnesium, potassium, and calcium.

That is why pH is not just some abstract chemistry concept. It connects directly to the way your body uses minerals, and that has major implications for bone health. If your body is constantly compensating for excess acidity, your mineral reserves can become stretched thin.

If you want a deeper overview of how acid-alkaline balance affects the skeleton, start here:

What Your First-Morning Urine pH Can Tell You

One of the reasons I have loved this tool since 1984 is that it gives you feedback you can actually use. Your first-morning urine pH can help you see whether your internal chemistry is trending more acid or more alkaline.

And that matters because when you improve your pH, you may also be supporting better mineral status. As I’ve said before, it’s kind of fun to see your pH because you can change your pH. You can know you’re getting more magnesium, you can see that your mineral balance is improving, and you can feel more confident that your cells are not constantly struggling against an acid load.

For step-by-step instructions, read:

Why first-morning urine?

Dr. Brown recommends testing your first-morning urine pH because it provides one of the most useful day-to-day indicators of your body’s mineral buffering status. It’s easy, inexpensive, and simple to track over time.

How pH Connects to Bone Health

At Better Bones, we always come back to the same principle: bones are living tissue, and they respond to your overall body chemistry. A body that is continuously burdened by dietary acid load may have a harder time maintaining the mineral reserves needed to support strong bones.

That’s why an alkaline-forming diet is so central to Dr. Brown’s approach to natural bone health. The goal is not perfection. The goal is to create a daily eating pattern that supports a slightly alkaline internal environment and reduces the drain on your mineral reserves.

Read more here:

How to Improve Your pH Naturally

The good news is that pH is something you can influence. Over the years, I have encouraged people to focus first on the basics:

  • Eat more alkaline-forming foods such as vegetables, fruits, nuts, and seeds
  • Include adequate clean protein to support tissue repair and bone matrix
  • Reduce the excess dietary acid load from heavily processed foods and sugar
  • Test your first-morning urine pH regularly so you can see whether your habits are working

If you want a practical way to apply this, check out:

The Easy Way to Test Your pH at Home

If you enjoyed the video, you may want to start testing your pH at home with an easy-to-use pH test strip. This is one of the simplest ways to begin understanding your body’s acid-alkaline balance in real time.

Shop pH testing support here:

A simple routine to start

  1. Keep your pH strips in the bathroom
  2. Test your first-morning urine before eating or drinking
  3. Write down the reading
  4. Track trends over time instead of obsessing over one day
  5. Use your results to guide improvements in diet and mineral support

Why I Still Recommend pH Testing Today

After all these years, I still believe pH testing is valuable because it makes the invisible visible. It helps you connect what you eat, how you feel, and how well your body may be managing its mineral reserves.

It’s not complicated. It’s not expensive. And it can become a powerful daily reminder that your body chemistry matters.

That’s why I’ve been testing my pH since 1984. And if you’re ready to start, there’s no better time than now.

Ready to Build Strong Bones Naturally?

If you want to go beyond pH testing and learn the full system Dr. Brown has taught from her 40-year career, the next step is the Better Bones Solution Masterclass.

Inside, you’ll learn the principles of building strong bones naturally through nutrition, mineral balance, lifestyle, and targeted strategies that support lifelong bone health.

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Dr. Susan E. Brown, PhD

Dr. Susan E. Brown, PhD

Dr. Susan E. Brown, PhD, is a medical anthropologist and New York State Certified Nutritionist with more than 40 years of experience in bone health research, clinical nutrition, and health education. She is the founder of the Center for Better Bones and the Better Bones Foundation, and author of Better Bones, Better Body — the first comprehensive guide to natural bone health. Her whole-body, alkaline-centered approach identifies 20+ nutrients essential for bone health and has helped thousands of women build stronger bones naturally. | Wikipedia: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Susan_E._Brown | Amazon Author Page: https://www.amazon.com/Susan-E-Brown-PhD/e/B001HOFHX8/

Weekly wisdom from the woman who builds better bones

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