Why alkaline foods

The body continually strives to balance pH. When this balance is compromised many problems can occur. It is important to understand that we are not talking about stomach acid or the pH of the stomach. Doing so lets you determine your pH factor quickly and easily in the privacy of your own home.

If your urinary pH fluctuates between 6. If your saliva stays between 6. The best time to test your pH is about one hour before a meal and two hours after a meal. Urine testing may indicate how well your body is excreting acids and assimilating minerals, especially calcium, magnesium, sodium, and potassium.

Even with the proper amounts of buffers, acid or alkaline levels can become extreme. When the body ingests or produces too many of these acids or alkalis, it must excrete the excess. The urine is the perfect way for the body to remove any excess acids or alkaline substances that cannot be buffered. If the average urine pH is below 6. The blood pH has to be kept within a tight range of with a normal range of 7. The extra buffering required can deplete the body of alkaline minerals such as sodium, potassium, magnesium, and calcium, making the person prone to chronic and degenerative disease.

Minerals are borrowed from vital organs and bones to buffer neutralize the acid and safely remove it from the body. Because of this strain, the body can suffer severe and prolonged damage due to high acidity—a condition that may go undetected for years.

Cardiovascular damage. For example, lemons are very acidic, however, the end-products they produce after digestion and assimilation are very alkaline so lemons are alkaline-forming in the body. Likewise, the meat will test alkaline before digestion but it leaves very acidic residue in the body so, like nearly all animal products, meat is very acid-forming. It is important that your daily dietary intake of food naturally acts to balance your body pH. This chart is intended only as a general guide to alkalizing and acidifying foods.

There are several versions of the Acidic and Alkaline Food chart to be found in different books and on the Internet. The following foods are sometimes attributed to the Acidic side of the chart and sometimes to the Alkaline side.

Although it might seem that citrus fruits would have an acidifying effect on the body, the citric acid they contain actually has an alkalinizing effect in the system. For example, lemons are very acidic, however the end products they produce after digestion and assimilation are very alkaline so, lemons are alkaline forming in the body. This offers several health benefits. Here are some of the benefits that alkaline diet supporters may claim, and the scientific research either supporting or refuting them:.

Ultimately, weight loss depends on consuming fewer calories than one burns. Diets lower in fat and calories may promote weight loss, but only when a person remains physically active and eats a healthful diet with variety.

According to a study , the typical diet of people in the United States is very acidic. This can challenge the kidneys. For people with kidney disease, a lower-acid diet may improve symptoms or even slow the course of the disease. For most people with chronic kidney disease , there is no need to follow a specific alkaline diet. Instead, simply reducing protein , such as milk, meat, and cheese, may help.

Some proponents of this diet claim that it can reverse cancer or support chemotherapy. There is no scientific evidence supporting these claims , and no studies have performed direct tests on this claim. However, significant evidence from a study suggests that reducing meat consumption and eating more fruits, vegetables, and whole grains might prevent cancer. It found that consuming vitamin C, vitamin A, fiber, and a Mediterranean-style diet might reduce cancer risk.

The ACS advise avoiding processed foods, soft drinks, and many high-fat foods. Instead, it is more beneficial to eat a diet rich in fruit, vegetables, and whole grains. In the U. Lifestyle factors including poor nutrition and low activity levels are major contributors. An alkaline diet may naturally raise levels of growth hormone , but the research is preliminary and inconclusive.

Research finds that growth hormone supports body composition and lowers heart disease risk factors. Alkaline diets also tend to be low in fat and calories, naturally promoting a healthy body weight and lowering heart disease risk factors.

They also reduce or eliminate red and processed meats, removing a major contributor to heart disease from the diet. Better heart health is just one potential benefit of having higher growth hormone levels.

Improving growth hormone levels may also promote better brain functioning, particularly memory and cognition. With that framework, the answer is that acid- and alkaline-based foods have a great impact on our bodies, but not necessarily as a result of how one might think they can induce pH changes in our bodies.

Our lungs and kidneys are largely responsible for controlling the pH of our blood, and it is imperative that it remain between 7. The pH of our urine can vary, with the kidney orchestrating what is eliminated to help maintain the balance.

The rationale behind the alkaline diet is this: Based on the types of foods we eat, our body and the kidneys in particular needs to do more or less compensating for optimal pH. For example, citrus fruits are acidic but are considered high alkaline foods because they have a low renal acid load. This may help clear up some confusion when looking at food lists for this diet. This brings us back to the initial question, does eating low-PRAL foods help us stay healthier or fight disease?

Not surprisingly, the data on this is mixed and there is no consensus on what an alkaline diet may look like over a lifespan. What is that and how does it impact your health? What should someone considering starting the alkaline diet know? Related Posts. More Stories From Focused on Health. You may know that too much alcohol can be toxic to your liver. But too much weight around your middle can be just as harmful. How to make a healthy snack your kid will eat.

Kids need fuel throughout the day to stay alert and healthy. Nutritious, tasty snacks can help set your kids up for a bright future and reduce their lifetime cancer risk. Help EndCancer. Give Now. Your gift will help make a tremendous difference.

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