What is the alkaline diet?
February 18 2014
There’s been a lot of talk lately about the alkaline diet, or pH diet. Here’s what you need to know.
According to some alternative practitioners, the shift to an acid-producing diet is the cause of a number of chronic diseases and that’s why some practitioners recommend the alkaline diet.
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.
An alkaline diet is a diet that emphasizes, to a varying degree, fresh fruit, vegetables, roots and tubers, nuts, and legumes. It is also known as the alkaline acid diet and acid alkaline diet. The idea behind the alkaline diet is that certain foods including meat, eggs, dairy, grains as well as sugary and salty foods –which are staples of the North American diet – make the body acidic, which can lead to a host of health problems including weight gain, osteoporosis, arthritis, diabetes, heart disease, even cancer.
By eating more fresh fruit, vegetables, roots and tubers, nuts, and legumes, proponents of the diet contend you’ll have more energy, lose excess weight, boost immunity and fend off countless chronic diseases.
The goal of the alkaline diet is to maintain the pH level of your blood (alkaline). If you don’t – because you eat too many acidic foods – your body will restore blood pH balance by robbing minerals from your bones (calcium, magnesium and potassium are alkaline). Proponents of the alkaline diet contend that’s how our meat- and dairy-heavy diet causes osteoporosis.
According to most experts, the notion that diet can markedly change the pH of your blood goes against what we know about the body’s chemistry. The human body naturally regulates a constant pH in the bloodstream. (Diabetes and kidney disease can cause problems with pH regulation.) There’s not a stitch of evidence that any food – or diet – can substantially change blood pH. Clinical trials on the effectiveness of an alkaline diet for reducing health risks are also lacking.
Is the alkaline diet healthy? There’s no question a regular intake of alkaline foods is good for you. Eating more fruit and vegetables increases your intake of potassium, a mineral linked to protection from high blood pressure and stroke. A steady intake of magnesium-rich beans (e.g. kidney beans, black beans, chickpeas) and lentils helps guard against heart disease, Type 2 diabetes and prostate cancer. Avoiding foods packed with sodium and refined sugar is beneficial too.
But depending on which version of the alkaline diet you follow, you could be lacking protein and key vitamins and minerals. Strict alkaline diets eliminate all meat, poultry, fish, eggs, dairy and grains, which can lead to nutrient deficiencies.
It’s a good idea to consult your doctor before trying any new diet. Stick to a diet that is easy to follow, nutritious, safe and backed by plenty of scientific evidence. If your goal is weight loss, a sensible and mindful eating system such as the MealEasy Weight Loss Plan is the best bet for overall health.
