Everything You Need to Know About: Alkaline Food

There’s a lot of hype on the Internet and in the health and wellness world about alkaline foods and their kind of “magical” effect on the body. Which, of course, means there’s also a lot of skepticism. If you’ve never heard of this concept or aren’t sure what alkaline foods are, strap in, because I have some information for you!

To put it simply, after our bodies burn up the food we consume for energy, there’s a kind of “ash” left over. That ash can either be acidic, alkaline or neutral depending on what the food was. Here’s where the magical part comes in. Some people say alkaline ash acts as a sort of protection for your body (more on these benefits below), whereas acidic ash can weaken your immune system and make you more susceptible to diseases. Your ash can also be considered neutral, which is said to have no effects.

If some of these words are taking you back to high school science class, it’s because all of this goes back to the pH level of your body (remember learning about that in 9th grade?). A 0-7 pH level means you’re acidic, 7 is neutral and 7-14 means you’re alkaline (or “basic” as it was probably referred to in your science class).

So now you might be wondering how to tell if you’re acidic, neutral or alkaline. Here in lies the mystery because there really isn’t a super reliable way to tell. The stomach has lots of acids to help break down food, which is totally healthy and natural. But the blood is slightly alkaline to help maintain cellular function. Neither of these change, nor do you want them to, so they’re not reliable for testing. Some say you can measure alkaline through urine, but it’s also considered pretty unreliable (according to this article and its corresponding research).

If your curiosity has been piqued, though, here are some of the benefits of an alkaline diet:

Benefits of eating alkaline food

• Improved energy levels

• Reduced acid reflux

• Improved metabolic function

• Increased antioxidant properties within the body

• Anti-aging

• Increased colon health

And if you’re looking to incorporate more alkaline-heavy foods into your diet consider the following:

Alkaline Food

• Nuts

  • Almonds

  • Chestnuts

  • Cashews
    
    

• Vegetables

  • Artichokes

  • Arugula

  • Asparagus

  • Kale

  • Broccoli

  • Root veggies

  • Spinach
    
    

• Fruits

  • Lemons

  • Limes

  • Oranges

  • Strawberries

  • Blackberries

  • Cantaloupe
    
    

• Other

  • Pumpkin seeds

  • Ginger root

  • Sea salt

  • Parsley

Acidic foods (foods to eat less of according to the alkaline diet)

• Dairy products

• Alcohol

• Fish

• Red meat

• Turkey

• Added sweeteners

• Eggs

• Most grains

What’s your take? Do you think alkaline foods have benefits beyond just their natural nutritional value?