The Alkaline Diet: Answers to Common Questions

Understanding the Alkaline Diet

Although the alkaline diet is much more popular today than it was a decade ago, it is still less familiar to most people than low-carb approaches like the Atkins plan and South Beach Diet. That's why I want to explain the basics about the alkaline diet, as well as concerns about safety and possible benefits.

To begin with, let's define some terms. The alkaline diet is the most common name for this way of eating, but it can also be known as the alkaline ash diet, the acid alkaline diet, or the acid-alkaline balance diet. Whatever name you use, the goal of the alkaline diet is to increase your consumption of foods that have an alkalizing effect on the body, while decreasing consumption of foods that have been acidifying effect.

Despite the name "alkaline diet," the purpose of this diet is not to make your body as alkaline as possible. Nor is it necessary or even desirable to eat only alkalizing foods. Instead, the objective of the alkaline diet is to achieve an optimal balance between acidifying and alkalizing foods. This concept will be familiar to anyone who has studied Ayurvedic or Traditional Chinese Medicine, ancient systems of healing which stress the importance of balancing opposing elements.

To be specific, most experts recommend a ratio of approximately 20-35% acidifying foods to 65-80% alkalizing foods. For most Westerners, achieving this optimal acid-alkaline balance will require significant dietary changes. This is because the usual Western diet is heavily weighted toward acid-forming foods.

How Food Affects Your Body's Acid-Alkaline Balance

Alkaline foods are also known as alkalizing foods, alkalinizing foods, alkaline-forming foods, and alkaline-producing foods. All of these terms refer to foods that cause your bodily fluids to become more alkaline. It is important to understand that a food that is acidic or alkaline outside the body will not necessarily have the same effect after it has been eaten and digested. This is a frequent source of confusion, even for people who are fairly familiar with the alkaline diet.

For example, we all know that lemons, limes, grapefruits, and other citrus fruits are highly acidic. However, once these foods have been digested, they have an alkalizing effect on the body. At the other end of the spectrum, people would think of beef, peanuts, or white sugar as acidic foods, yet all three have a highly acidifying effect on the body.

As you can see, your taste buds are not a reliable guide to how a particular food will affect your internal pH. Instead, I recommend seeking the advice of experts who can make dietary recommendations based on scientific research. As a starting point, you can download a free acid alkaline food chart from AlkalineDiet.org.

What to Eat (and What Not to Eat) on the Alkaline Diet

In general, the alkaline diet emphasizes the following whole foods:

• Most fruits
• Most vegetables
• Some nuts and seeds
• Some whole grains
• Some vegetable oils

On the other hand, the following foods are acidifying, and must therefore be eliminated or consumed in moderation:

• All meat and poultry
• All fish and seafood
• Most dairy products and eggs
• Most common grains, including corn, rice, and wheat
• Sugar and other sweeteners
• Artificial food additives

In case you find this list overwhelming, I want to remind you that you do not need to eliminate all of these foods from your diet in order to achieve an optimal acid-alkaline balance. However, you will most likely need to reduce your consumption of some of these foods, especially white flour, sugar, and other "empty calories" that add virtually no nutritional value to your diet.

Potential Risks of the Alkaline Diet

For most people, I believe that the alkaline diet is a safe nutritional approach. However, even the safest diet may be inappropriate for some people, and the alkaline diet is no exception. One of the core tenets of the alkaline diet is to eat more fresh fruits and vegetables. These foods help your body to become more alkaline, because they are rich in alkalizing minerals, especially potassium. For most people, increasing potassium consumption is highly beneficial. Our ancient ancestors consumed far more potassium than sodium, but for most people today, that ratio has been turned on its head. Some studies have suggested that increasing potassium consumption--and cutting back on sodium--can help to reduce the risk of hypertension. However, people who suffer from kidney disease may need to minimize their potassium intake, and should therefore check with their doctors before beginning an alkaline diet. Also, if you are on a prescription drug that regulates potassium levels, a sudden increase in potassium consumption might not be a good thing. Again, check with your doctor if you believe these concerns may apply to you.

The Benefits of the Alkaline Diet

If your body becomes extremely acidic, the outcome is severe illness, or even death. An acid-forming diet will not immediately lead to these extreme consequences, but even low-grade acidosis can cause serious health problems. Your internal pH level affects the functioning of every cell and organ in your body, which means that the benefits of the alkaline diet can be as numerous as the functions of your body itself. The following are some of the benefits that are commonly experienced by people following the alkaline diet, or that have been suggested by scientific research.

• Increased energy
• Weight loss
• Reduced risk of osteoporosis
• Reduced risk of hypertension (high blood pressure)
• Reduced risk of muscle wasting
• Reduced risk of kidney stones
• Reduced acid load on kidneys, resulting in preservation of kidney function

Conclusion

Unlike fad diets that are based upon celebrity hype, the alkaline diet is supported by science. Although more research needs to be done to understand all the health benefits of the alkaline diet, I see no reason to begin incorporating more alkalizing foods into your lifestyle. After all, foods like fresh vegetables, quinoa, almonds, and olive oil are not only alkalizing, but have many other benefits besides. So even if the alkaline diet were to be pushed aside by some hot new diet, these foods would continue to be the ingredients of an optimal nutritional plan.