What's the big deal about the body's alkalinity or acidity?
Our blood is slightly alkaline, with a normal pH level of between 7.35 and 7.45. The theory behind the alkaline diet is that our diet should reflect this pH level and be slightly alkaline. Health professionals believe that a diet high in acid-producing foods disrupts this balance and promotes the loss of essential minerals such as potassium, magnesium, calcium, and sodium, as the body tries to restore equilibrium. This imbalance can cause illness.
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Acidic
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Neutral
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Healthy
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Alkaline
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1 2 3 4 5 6 7
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7.0
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7.4
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8 9 10 11 12 13
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The ideal pH for blood is 7.4
7.0 being neutral. Anything above 7.0 is alkaline, anything below 7.0 is considered acidic.
Almost all foods that we eat, after being digested, absorbed, and metabolized, release either an acid or an alkaline base (bicarbonate) into the blood. Grains, fish, meat, poultry, shellfish, cheese, milk, and salt all produce acid, so the introduction and dramatic rise in our consumption of these foods meat that the typical Western diet became more acid-producing. Consumption of fresh fruit and vegetables has decreased, which contributes to an acid producing diet.
According to some alternative practitioners, the shift to an acid-producing diet is the cause of a number of chronic diseases. Some practitioners recommend the alkaline diet if a person has the following symptoms and other illnesses have been ruled out.
* Lack of energy
* Excessive mucous production
* Nasal congestion
* Frequent colds and flu
* Anxiety, nervousness, irritability
* Ovarian cysts, polycystic ovaries, benign breast cysts
* Headache
Although conventional doctors do believe that increasing consumption of fruit and vegetables and reducing one's intake of meat, salt, and refined grains is beneficial to health, most conventional doctors do not believe that an acid-producing diet is the foundation of chronic illness. In conventional medicine, there is evidence, however, that alkaline diets may help prevent the formation of calcium kidney stones, osteoporosis, and age-related muscle wasting.
What is the Evidence for Alkaline Diets?
Large, well-designed clinical trials on the effectiveness of the alkaline diet for general health are lacking.
What are the Safety Concerns?
It's a good idea to consult your doctor before trying a new diet. The alkaline diet should not be used by people with acute or chronic kidney failure unless under a doctor's supervision. People with pre-existing heart disease and those on medications that affect potassium levels in the body should check with their doctor first.
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