Alkaline Diet (Alkaline ash diets, acid-ash diet) and Its Benefits
http://www.energiseforlife.com/us/list_of_alkaline_foods
Over the last 200 years, the food we eat has significantly less potassium, magnesium and chloride, along with more sodium. Humans mostly consumed fruit, vegetables, and small amounts of lean protein. Once the food industry came into existence, we began eating more refined grains, fattier sources of meat, and processed foods[2] that are high in sodium, saturated fat, and refined sugars — all of which cause inflammation and contribute to serious, chronic diseases.[3] The alkaline diet discourages such foods.
Aa diet low in acid-producing foods like animal protein (such as meat and cheese) and bread and high in fruits and veggies could
- help stop calcium from accumulating in urine,
- prevent kidney stones,
- keep bones and muscles strong,
- improve heart health and brain function,
- reduce low back pain, and
- lower risk for type 2 diabetes
- prevent plaque formation in blood vessels,
- reduce muscle wasting or spasms.
- help you lose weight
- avoid problems like arthritis and cancer.
The theory is that some foods, like meat, wheat, refined sugar, and processed foods, cause your body to produce acid, which is bad for you.
Proponents of the alkaline diet claim that eating certain foods influences the body's acid-base homeostasis, or pH levels. It's believed that encouraging a healthy, pH balanced environment within the body can produce favorable effects on one's health. Your body has mechanisms to keep pH levels in check — regardless of what you eat.
It's balanced and encourages the consumption of raw fruits and vegetables.
What Is the Alkaline Diet?
Also called the the alkaline diet promotes foods alleged to influence acid-base homeostasis in the body. Specifically, whole, raw, organic fruits and vegetables. These foods are thought to produce a "net alkaline effect." Advocates of the diet say that an alkaline environment within the body helps weight loss efforts, increases energy, and can boost the immune system.
How pH Affects Your Health
Elementary understanding of what pH is
The pH scale runs from 0 (acidic) to 14 (basic or alkaline); 7 is neutral.[4] Pure water has a pH of 7. Sulphuric acid has a pH of almost 0, and is both extremely acidic and highly corrosive. At the opposite end of the scale, lye has a pH of nearly 14. Lye is also highly corrosive, but that's because it's extremely alkaline. The acidity or alkalinity of a substance can be balanced with a buffer that resists changes in pH. Alternatively, you can add a substance with a pH on the opposite side of the scale to try and get closer to a pH of 7; i.e. adding a base to an acid, or vice versa.
The human body needs to maintain a pH in a narrow range, between 7.35 and 7.45, to function properly. This pH range provides the ideal working environment for the body's fluids and tissues. Your stomach is acidic, about 3.5 on the pH scale, and it must remain so in order to break down food. Blood is mostly neutral—a characteristic that enables it to transport various substances around the body without affecting or reacting to them.
Health and the Body's pH
Alkalosis occurs when your blood and other fluids become too alkaline. It's a condition that can be caused by liver or lung disease, low oxygen levels, or a sudden loss electrolytes. Symptoms include confusion, lightheadedness, twitching and spasming muscles, seizure, tingling in the extremities and face, and respiratory distress.
Acid is bad.
Acidosis Symptoms include confusion, fatigue, shortness of breath, and lethargy. Metabolic acidosis is the one you usually hear about with regard to the alkaline diet, but there are other causes of the disorder, such as kidney disease and dehydration.
Diet-induced metabolic acidosis results when too many animal products, and not enough fruits and vegetables, are consumed. Metabolic acidosis increases your risk of developing cardiovascular disease, diabetes, insulin resistance, and kidney stones. It causes kidney damage, which contributes to metabolic acidosis.
How Your Body Compensates for Unbalanced pH Levels
The kidneys are one of the body's primary defenses against acidosis. They accomplish this by sending excess metabolically-produced acids to your bladder to be eliminated via urine. They also maintain tight control over bicarbonate, which can act as either a base or an acid depending on what it reacts with. When kidney function is compromised the body is less equipped to control its acid load, which leads to an even higher acid load. This condition may worsen with age if kidney function continually decreases.[10]
The ability of the kidneys to filter acid is not the body's only mechanism to control its acid load; the lungs assist as well. Carbon dioxide is a product of cellular metabolism and it becomes acidic in the blood. The lungs are able to increase or reduce respiratory function to maintain acid-base homeostasis.[11]
What Makes a Diet Alkaline?
According to the acid-ash theory, certain foods allegedly promote either alkalinity or acidity in the body.
Peas, berries, citrus fruits, and melons are also supposed to be base-producing.
The diet nixes most of the other major triggers for food allergies, including wheatm, milk, eggs, peanuts, walnuts, fish, and shellfish. It's also good for people who are trying to avoid fat and sugar.
Cruciferous vegetables are supposed to be among the best options for promoting alkalinity.
Top 10 Alkaline Forming Foods
alkaline-forming foods are anti-inflammatory foods,
- Most fruits and vegetables, soybeans and tofu, and some nuts, seeds, and legumes are alkaline-promoting foods
- Garlic
- Mustard Greens
- green vegetables
- Avocado
- Figs
- Ginseng
- Apple Cider Vinegar
- Almonds
- Pumpkin Seeds
- Green Tea
- Tomatoes
- low sugar foods, fresh alkaline vegetables, nuts, seeds, salads, sea vegetables, water rich foods
Processed oils, nuts, refined grains, alcohol, and animal protein are believed to have a net acidic effect.
Top 10 Acid Forming Foods NOT Allowed
- lean meat, low-fat dairy, bread, and sweets
- sugars, trans fats, fast food, refined food and white breads
- Dairy
- eggs
- meat
- most grains
- processed foods, like canned and packaged snacks and convenience foods, fall on the acid side and are not allowed.
- Lard
- Peanut Butter
- Cranberries
- White Pasta and Bread
- Beef
- Corn Oil
- Pork
- Potatoes
- Beer & Hard Liquor
- caffeine
- Butter
aim to eat 70-80% alkaline forming foods and a maximum of 20-30% acid forming foods
Why some food lists contain fruits such as oranges and bananas as alkaline foods: this is because despite them containing alkaline minerals, they also contain a huge amount of sugar, which makes them highly acid forming ONCE CONSUMED
> Why lemons and limes are considered an alkaline food: despite them being acidic in their natural state - due to the very low sugar content but very high alkaline mineral content, they have an alkaline effect on the body ONCE CONSUMED
Measuring the Diet's Results
Our bodies steal calcium from our bones to restore acid-base homeostasis when blood becomes too acidic. . Meats and cheeses make it more acidic, while fruits and veggies make it less.
Unintentional Benefits of the Diet
Those who ate potassium-rich fruits and vegetables had more lean muscle mass than the control group after the conclusion of the trial.
Many of the foods recommended by the alkaline diet are nutrient-dense, low-calorie alternatives to traditional dietary choices. The diet promotes eating mostly organic plant-based foods high in vitamin C, selenium, iron, and zinc; all of which support gut health and the immune system. Sweet red peppers, broccoli, and carrots promote healthy skin due to their high concentrations of vitamin A.
When you avoid foods high in omega-6 fatty acids, you reduce your levels of arachidonic acid, which causes the inflammation associated with heart disease and joint pain. The alkaline diet also encourages you to avoid processed foods and refined sugars; neither offer any nutritional benefits and both are common causes of diet-related diseases.
The Role of Proper Nutrition in a Healthy Life
The "efficacy" of the alkaline diet may have little to do with pH levels and more to do with the many benefits of eating whole, organic food. In fact, nutrition affects gut health and overall wellness more than any other factor. Combining solid, consistent nutrition with regular body cleansing will help your body be its best. If you're looking for a plan for healthy eating, I recommend the Body Cleansing Diet. It encourages raw, organic fruits and vegetables, like the alkaline diet. It wasn't intentional, but many of the foods recommended by the alkaline diet also happen to be the best for cleansing and nourishing your body.