# Whats the deal with testing urine pH?

**URL:** <https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-the-deal-with-testing-urine-ph/665758>\
**Category:** Factual Questions\
**Created:** [August 8, 2013, 11:38pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-the-deal-with-testing-urine-ph/665758 "2013-08-08T23:38:09Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 5\
**Page:** 1

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**Author:** ![DaveBfd](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/c6cbf5/32.png) [@DaveBfd](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DaveBfd)\
**Post date:** [August 8, 2013, 11:38pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-the-deal-with-testing-urine-ph/665758/1 "2013-08-08T23:38:09Z")

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As usual, my father has bought into another seemingly useless “health” practice. He now tests his urine pH to see how healthy he is… or something.

Is there any point to this? Does urine pH effectively determine anything about you?

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**Author:** ![aNewLeaf](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/ac91a4/32.png) [@aNewLeaf](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/aNewLeaf)\
**Post date:** [August 8, 2013, 11:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-the-deal-with-testing-urine-ph/665758/2 "2013-08-08T23:44:12Z")

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Google suggests it’s just woo. Here’s an [article with some details](http://sciencebasedpharmacy.wordpress.com/2009/11/13/your-urine-is-not-a-window-to-your-body-ph-balancing-a-failed-hypothesis/).

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**Author:** ![DaveBfd](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/c6cbf5/32.png) [@DaveBfd](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DaveBfd)\
**Post date:** [August 8, 2013, 11:50pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-the-deal-with-testing-urine-ph/665758/3 "2013-08-08T23:50:11Z")

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Yes I had seen that site, thank you. I just wanted some more info as well so I could be sure.

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**Author:** ![Chief\_Pedant](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/a6a055/32.png) [@Chief\_Pedant](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Chief_Pedant)\
**Post date:** [August 9, 2013, 2:56am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-the-deal-with-testing-urine-ph/665758/4 "2013-08-09T02:56:51Z")

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Urine pH tells you which direction the kidneys are adjusting for to maintain a blood pH of about 7.4. We (at least, I) don’t typically pay much attention to it in a medical urinalysis unless the patient is forming stones, being treated for a UTI with methenamine, or (rarely, here) needs to have urine pH adjusted in the hope of enhancing elimination of a toxin such as salicylate or maybe hoping to avoid renal damage from severe rhabdomyolysis or some sort of similar really unusual situation.

Day to day urine pH in a healthy individual? One more thing for quacks to focus in on because they’ve never actually been to medical school…that doesn’t mean an unhealthy diet wouldn’t affect urine pH. It just means measuring urine pH is not a good way to get a healthier diet.

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**Author:** ![thelurkinghorror](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/7c8e57/32.png) [@thelurkinghorror](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/thelurkinghorror)\
**Post date:** [August 9, 2013, 5:38am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-the-deal-with-testing-urine-ph/665758/5 "2013-08-09T05:38:50Z")

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Take it from me: peeing in red cabbage soup as a banquet waiter and then telling them you were just testing the pH will still get you fired.