Alkalizing foods are all those that are able to balance the acidity of blood, making it less acidic and approaching the ideal pH of the blood, which is around 7.35 to 7.45.
Proponents of the alkalizing diet claim that the current diet, rich in refined foods, sugars, processed meats and animal proteins, tends to leave the blood pH more acidic, which can harm health and increase problems such as inflammation and low blood pressure. immunity.
Alkaline foods
The alkaline foods are mainly foods with few sugars, such as:
- Fruits in general, including acidic fruits like lemon, orange and pineapple;
- Vegetables and greens in general;
- Oilseeds : almonds, nuts, hazelnuts;
- Proteins : millet, tofu, tempeh and whey protein;
- Seasonings : cinnamon, curry, ginger, herbs in general, chili, sea salt, mustard;
- Other : alkaline water, apple cider vinegar, plain water, molasses, fermented food.
According to this diet, alkalizing foods favor health and body detoxification, bringing benefits such as preventing infections, reducing inflammation, improving pain and preventing diseases such as cancer.
How To Measure Body Acidity
The acidity of the body is measured through the blood, but to facilitate monitoring, the creators of the alkaline diet suggest measuring the acidity through testing and urine. However, the acidity of the body varies by location, being very acidic in the stomach or vagina, for example.
The acidity of urine varies according to the diet, diseases in the body or medicines used, for example, and can not be compared to the acidity of the blood.
How the body maintains blood pH balance
The pH of the blood is controlled so that it is always around 7.35 to 7.45, by a process known as a buffering effect. Whenever a disease, food or medicine changes the pH of the blood, it is quickly controlled to return to its normal state, mainly through urine and respiration.
Thus, it is not possible to leave the blood more acidic or more basic through the diet, since only some very serious diseases, such as COPD and heart failure, can lower the pH of the blood, leaving it slightly acidic. However, the alkaline diet proposes that keeping the pH of blood less acidic, even if its acidity is within the normal range, already brings health benefits and prevents diseases.
To know more about acidic foods see: Acidic foods.
