Alkaline Diets & PH Eating Plans

Proponents of alkaline diets and pH eating plans claim that eating a diet high in acidic foodstuffs -- including meat and dairy products -- can disrupt the natural balance of the human body and lead to ill health. They also believe that acid promotes the loss of essential nutrients from the body.

PH

• pH is a measure of alkalinity or acidity -- it is, in fact, the negative logarithm of the hydrogen ion concentration -- on a scale of zero to 14. Human blood typically has a pH of between 7.35 and 7.45, making it slightly alkali, or basic.

How It Works

• Many perfectly normal metabolic processes produce acid. The idea behind an alkaline diet or pH eating plan is to supply the body with alkali in the diet to neutralize excess acid and lower pH. Eating an alkaline diet may have some beneficial effects, but no scientific evidence exists to support this.

Alkaline Foodstuffs

• Alkaline foodstuffs include a wide range of fruit and vegetables. Seeds, nuts and grain are also alkaline, as are fats and oils, water, unsweetened soy milk and herbal tea.