What Makes a Food Alkaline?

To release energy from food, you "burn" or metabolize it into waste products. The process is chemically similar to burning a substance into ash. Followers of an alkaline diet eat a majority of foods that break down into an alkaline residue.

Terminology

• Alkaline foods may be called alkaline-ash, alkalizing or alkaline-forming. Alkaline foods do not necessarily have an alkaline pH prior to consumption.

Alkaline Ash Components

• When a food burns to an alkaline ash, the residual components are mainly sodium, potassium, calcium and magnesium; the residue from acid-ash foods is composed mostly of sulfur, phosphorus, chlorine and incombustible organic acid radicals.

Misconceptions

• Orange juice is considered "alkaline."

  Though the pH of a glass of orange juice is acidic, it is considered alkaline because it breaks down into components that are bases. Likewise, many lists include milk on the acidic side of the spectrum.

Types of Acid/Alkaline Foods

• Asparagus is alkaline and nutritious.

  Examples of alkalizing foods are fresh fruits, vegetables, nuts, some beans and sprouted grains. Many meats, cereals and artificial sweeteners are acidifying foods. Most dairy, with the exception of hard cheese, is neutral.

Effects of Alakaline Foods

• Your body will maintain a slightly alkaline pH--about 7.35-7.45--regardless of your diet; alkaline foods prevent your body from using stored minerals (such as bone calcium) to do so.