I'm one of those people who blackens guitar strings really quickly. Always have been. Costs me a fortune. Anyway I've always had a vague inkling that it had something to do with my sweat's acidity levels but I've kept the thought at the back of my mind. I never thought it would be that much of a problem because I eat very healthily - loads of greens, loads of salad and fruits - and I don't drink or smoke. On the minus side, I do work out pretty hard (which is supposed to increase acidity?) and also eat quite a lot of protein to that end. I also eat a lot of beans and grains. 
 
Yesterday I was in the health section of Whole Foods and they had some pH strips on sale. I figured why not? So I tested my tinkle. Between 5.5 and 6! Not that good. Not mega-bad, but definitely way more acidic than I thought I was. Doing a little light research it seems that drinking a little baking soda in water every day helps bring your pH up. So today I mixed way too much into my daily green shake - 2 teaspoons, lol. It fizzed up and tasted gross, but a couple of hours later I tested my wizz again and the pH had shot up to 8.5! So smaller doses methinks - the general advice is to take maybe 1/2 a teaspoon in water 4 or 5 times a day. I'll monitor with the strips for a while (gotta use them up!) and see if I can strike a healthy balance. Don't want to get obsessed with it, but at the same time I'm really curious as to how this will affect the lifespan of my guitar strings. Anyone been down the same route? 

I never tested myself but I'm almost sure the numbers would be alarming. You may remember seeing pictures of one of my guitar's bridge after only a few weeks - my sweat burned the finish in no time. I can't wear white clothes, my sweat ruins them. It also "burns" bed sheets. Even if I take 2 showers a day, one just before going to bed - you can always tell my side of the bed.
 
I've tried changing my diet a bit, though I was eating healthy already, but there are things like coffee which I'm just not ready to give up on.
 
As for strings, on my main guitar, I usually change them once a week, anyway.

I remember you posting that Rain, and in fact I had a feeling you'd be the first to chime in! Anyway maybe try the baking soda thing for a bit to see what a difference it makes. I've had literally one dose of it tonight (albeit a large one) and it made a drastic change to my pH straight away. Not only that but my mouth feels a lot "cleaner," can't really describe it except to say that it tastes a lot more neutral, like water, and my throat feels a lot clearer because it seems to have thinned my mucous. 
 
I think when you have high acidity, your body has to work extra hard in order to maintain your blood's ideal pH level, and this can affect your health and energy levels. 
 
I can't wear white clothing either...but maybe I will this summer 

I think I ought to give it a try - and also grab some of those strips tomorrow. :)
 
It would make sense, considering all the efforts I make to stay healthy and in shape. I know it cannot be good for my health to have such high acidity levels all the time. And I know that my energy level is nowhere near where it should be.
 
In the worst cases, it feels quite similar to sticking my tongue on a 9 Volt battery, and it's almost as if I had vinegar in my veins. Very odd.

Apparently, the average pH in humans has been dropping over the centuries as our diets have changed. Specifically, the ratio of potassium to sodium has reversed: our ancient ancestors had a ratio of 10:1 potassium to sodium. Modern diets have a typical ratio of 1:3 - three times as much sodium as potassium. This, coupled with a shortfall in magnesium consumption, results in acidosis, or excessive acidity in the body.
 
Note that testing urine doesn't really tell you what you need to know, because it's the acidity of blood that matters and the two aren't directly proportional. Just the opposite: altering the acidity of urine is part of the process that keeps your serum pH consistent.  A low-carb, high-protein diet will increase acidity in urine but not necessarily in blood.
 
Acidity in urine does indicate a higher chance of kidney stones, though - and if  you haven't experienced that joy I can tell you it's most unpleasant.
 
A better test for acidity is saliva, so your test strips may be better applied there.
 
Keeping the pH slightly above neutral and eating potassium is especially important for old guys like me, because it helps slow muscle loss with aging. It's also been linked to reduction in back pain. So Bananas! Lots o' bananas! When I'm in the Philippines I eat at least 6 a day, and there's nothing like a naturally-ripened banana straight from the tree. Back here in the USA, those bland-tasting picked-green things will have to do.
 
And lay off the caffeine. Sigh. Sadly, it's one of the worst offenders. And I drink coffee constantly at gigs.
 

Is there anything Bitflipper doesn't know ?
 
You should have your own version of google Bit...... Just Ask Bitflipper !
 
I've already stopped using google if at all possible, so I would definitely switch to JAB !
 
 
@ Sharke - can't you just buy black strings ?

Unless you're intending on bleeding or peeing all over your instruments (art can be a strange thing) the only thing that matters is your sweat.
Human sweat naturally has a high salt content and it will corrode your metalwork. No PH altering snake oil will change that.
 
You can reduce your salt intake if you like, but that won't affect the salt content of your sweat by much, if at all. Your sweat is salty to act as an anti-bacterial protection for your pores and sweat glands.
 
The only viable solutions are things like gold plated hardware or plastic coatings (lacquer) and oily coatings for strings such as FastFret (tm)

Bitflipper: I think everyone's blood pH is essentially within the same small range - if it wasn't, you'd be dead. The goal of reducing acidity isn't to change your blood pH, it's to change the rest of your bodily fluids so that your body doesn't have to work as hard to maintain that ideal blood pH. That's what I've read a few times anyway - however, I'm by no means a biologist. Where I think you might be mistaken is in your assertion that the saliva is a better test - all of the pH strips I looked at gave instructions for both urine and saliva and said that if possible, test the urine. However again, I'm no authority and could be wrong. Might have to do some more research on this.

Paulo: black strings would be awesome. Lead the way.

Karyn: I understand what you're saying, but it is true that some people's sweat is more corrosive than others. I've had friends who always groaned when I picked up their guitars because I was notorious for turning strings black quickly. I have a friend who sweats like crazy when he's playing on stage but somehow doesn't have the same string blackening problem as me, and I don't sweat much.

How much you sweat is not the issue, it's the salt content.  You could argue that sweating profusely under hot stage lights could produce less salty sweat as the water content is replenished faster in the sweat glands..
 
Conversely, someone who sweats little could have oily sweat that sticks to everything (think fingerprints) and holds the salt, increasing corrosion.
 
 
But ultimately it's the same problem as we have with cars in winter. Salt corrosion.

sharke

Paulo: black strings would be awesome. Lead the way.

 
 
Here ya go.......
 

 
http://www.zzounds.com/item--DRSBKE10
 
 

 
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