Several studies suggest that acidification of the modern diet is harmful to human health. Discover the best alkalinising foods for restoring an optimal acid-base balance.
The food we eat nowadays bears no resemblance to that eaten by our Paleolithic hunter-gatherer forebears.
The development of agriculture around 10,000 years ago, followed by industrialisation 200 years ago, have led to an unprecedented acidification of our diet (1-2).
While the ratio of potassium to sodium used to be around 10:1, it is now estimated to be 1:3. This is due to a decline in consumption of fruit, vegetables and fibre, and a rise in that of simple sugars, salt and unhealthy fats (trans and saturated), excess levels of which can quickly become toxic to the body.
According to the acid-balance theory espoused by Franz Xaver Mayr and Howard Hay, this major shift may have minor but long-lasting effects on our blood’s pH, gradually contributing to chronic low-level acidosis and overloading the buffering systems responsible for regulating the body’s pH.
This metabolic problem could be behind many symptoms such as fatigue and lack of energy, and promote the development of various chronic disorders (4) such as hypertension and osteoporosis.
To counter this acidosis, supporters of the theory recommend consuming alkalinising foods and reducing intake of acidifying foods (to a maximum of 30%). This is sometimes referred to as the ‘alkaline diet’.
There are several methods of classifying foods according to their acid or base nature (including the Potential Renal Acid Load or PRAL), but in general terms, the higher a food’s protein content, the more acidifying it is.
This should not be confused with a food’s taste: lemons have an acidic flavor but an alkalinising effect.
Here is a list of the most acid-forming foods according to nutritionist Sarah Brown in her bestselling book The Acid-Alkaline Food Guide:
From the most to the least alkalinising: dried apricots, candied pineapple, raisins, dried figs, prunes, dried dates, candied pears, bananas, guavas, papayas, passion fruit, blackberries, strawberries, raspberries, melon.
Dried fruits clearly top the list as the nutrients become concentrated in the flesh as the fruit is dried. Eat them as snacks and add them to your desserts.
Again, in descending order: yams, chard, plantains, raw spinach, cooked potatoes, sweet potatoes, squash, beans, asparagus, green leafy vegetables, endive, curly kale, celery.
Those vegetables considered to be starches are best of all. Cook them with green vegetables like cabbage, or combine them with pulses when eating acidifying foods. Try to eat vegetables raw when you can as they contain more phytonutrients.
This is the most alkalinising of all the food groups, due to their exceptional mineral content. In descending order: parsley, chervil, basil, dill, spearmint, savory, oregano, turmeric, paprika, thyme, chilli, ginger.
The vast majority of seeds, grains and nuts are also alkalinising but only fennel seeds, celery seeds, dill seeds and cumin seeds make the list of top base foods.
To move more effectively towards an alkalinising diet, you can also take advantage of ‘alkalinising’ supplements (such as Alkaline Formula, which contains alkaline nutrients, minerals that help maintain a good acid-base balance and plant extracts studied in this context : liquorice root, camomile flower, parsley, papaya, ginger root…)
References
Keywords
2 Days
Love this product, works so well for my arthritis!
BLANCO Judy
5 Days
Great quality supplements, fast shipping and excellent customer service. Thank you
Romana
5 Days
fast service and shipping..best prices for GHK-CU
Marie
5 Days
Professional, timely shipping and effective products!
Mohamad Hussein
6 Days
Fast shipping plus hard to find peptide.
WATERS R
8 Days
Above and Beyond!
DOMINIC
12 Days
Fast, affordable, effective.
Buyer
13 Days
The supplements made an immediate impact on my microbiome. I love it.
JOHNSON Stephen
14 Days
SUPERSMART IS A GREAT CO- MPANY, GREAT PRICES,IT'S SO VERY EASY TO GET A HOLD OF AND, I RECEIVED MY ORDER IN SUCH A VERY SHORT TIME,AND BECAUSE OF THAT,I AM ALREADY LOSING WEIGHT! IT'S MAKES FOR A GREAT DAY WHEN I WEIGH MY- SEF AND I FIND OUT THAT I HAVE LOST A COUPLE OF MORE PO- UNDS.I ALSO DO THE "SPEED UP YOUR METABOLISM TRICK",WH- ERE YOU DIET ONE DAY AND ARE OFF THE NEXT,AND YOU DRINK DIET GREEN TEA AND AND EAT "DIET TYPE " OF MEALS.IT DOES HELP.I ALSO TRY TO EAT FOODS THAT "BURN CALORIES" ON "DIET DAYS".
PERFUMO Irene L
15 Days
The package arrived in good condition. It is too soon to say how effective the S-Acetyl-Glutathione is as I have taken only 1 capsule.
WRIGHT Connie
17 Days
Great people, friendly, helpful and competent!
WHITEHILL Claude Steven
19 Days
Ease of ordering and customer service.
CARTER Rhonda
24 Days
Good product, value and price. Arrived ahead of promise.
El Capt
26 Days
Excellent products. High quality and outstanding customer service! Thank you!
BUISSON Laurence
28 Days
Very quick shipping and deliveries.Customer service is also quite efficient.
Norman