My friend Liz recently commented on my last post, “icky sicky,” asking why we want our bodies to be alkaline and what that means. I love getting requests from readers, so I decided to dedicate this post to discussing body pH and the relevance of alkaline foods.
There has been a lot of buzz recently about the “alkaline diet,” which has been touted as a way to lose weight and fight disease. Before I explain the difference between acidic and alkaline foods, it is important to first understand the concept behind the diet. Everyone’s body maintains a certain blood pH level. The ideal blood pH is between 7.35 and 7.45, which is slightly alkaline. As you may remember from high school chemistry, the acid/alkaline spectrum runs from 0 to 14, with 0 being the most acidic and 14 being the most alkaline. The neutral point is a pH of 7.
Maintenance of blood pH in a slightly alkaline state is considered to promote balance and homeostasis of the body. Thus, experts encourage incorporating food to encourage this alkaline state in the body. Acidic waste is created in the body as a byproduct of metabolism. The more acid residue that is present, the harder the body must work to try to neutralize it. Proponents of this diet further claim that if waste elimination is compromised because of too much acidity in the body, this can result in disease and other problems in the body. However, if the body is in a slightly alkaline state, this will allow for better health.
What is an alkaline diet? It is a diet that is high in fruits, vegetables, nuts and legumes. Highly alkaline foods include lemons, avocados, asparagus, kelp, cucumbers, broccoli, spinach, kale, radish, spinach, and sweet potatoes. Proponents of the alkaline diet promote drinking raw vegetable juice as well. Further, apple cider vinegar, which I mentioned in my last post, is considered an alkaline food, and is what prompted this post.
Acidic foods include alcohol, soda, coffee, processed food, sugar, artificial sweeteners, white flour and meat. The Standard American Diet has become highly acidic over the years. The alkaline diet encourages eating approximately 80% alkaline foods and 20% acidic foods.
Some experts believe that an alkaline diet can reduce cancer risk/growth, promote energy, and naturally help with weight loss. Further, they claim that consumption of acidic foods results in the body losing certain essential minerals as it tries to restore balance, and that this also promotes disease.
Although there is some disagreement in the scientific community about the theories behind the alkaline diet, experts seem to agree that from a health standpoint, this is an excellent diet to promote healthy living and weight loss. The alkaline diet is a great way to maintain balance and good health in the body.
Further, as stated above, the diet encourages approximately 80% alkaline foods and 20% acidic foods, so no foods need to be completely eliminated to obtain the benefits.
For more information, check out Kris Carr (www.kriscarr.com). There are also numerous books on this topic (e.g. “The pH Balance Diet” or “The Ultimate pH Solution”) which you can explore.
Chemistry aside, the bottom line is that this is an excellent diet to incorporate more fruits and vegetables, and to promote balance in the body and better health.
If this little chemistry lesson was particularly interesting, you can purchase pH strips to test your saliva or urine pH, which can provide some indication as to your body’s blood pH level.
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