Alkaline/Acid Foods

[Jitendra Hy-do-u-no-us?]

How to use this information For decades, the alkaline or acid-forming properties of one’s diet was thought to be important only for kidney stone patients. An alkaline ash diet, emphasizing fruits and vegetables, produces more alkaline urine, and was used to treat uric acid stones. The acid ash diet, emphasizing meat, fish and grains, was used with oxalate stones. We now know, however, that there are significant adverse consequences to anyone consuming the Standard American Diet (abbreviated SAD) because it is extremely acidforming.

Food consumption surveys reveal that Americans are now consuming more soft drinks than any other beverage including water. Add coffee to that (including decaf) and you have a metabolic disaster in the making. And that’s only the beginning. Americans consume meat and poultry products at an average of two meals a day every day, and the grains we consume have all had the alkaline minerals refined away. At the same time, consumption of alkaline-forming vegetables and fruit is at an all-time low. The result is widespread acidosis that accelerates catabolic damage and impairs anabolic repair processes.

Perhaps the best example of this is the effect of acid / alkaline factors on bone health. It has long been known that high protein diets increase risk for osteoporosis. Numerous theories have been proposed to explain this, but it now appears that a high intake of acid-forming foods (primarily meat, poultry, and eggs) over the course of a lifetime, may accelerate the loss of alkaline minerals (calcium, magnesium, potassium) from the bones. In other words, the body may deplete one system (the skeleton) in order to maintain balance in another more sensitive system (the blood). In support of this theory, the New England Journal of Medicine reported a study in which postmenopausal women were given an alkalinizing agent (potassium bicarbonate) to neutralize the acid produced by a high protein diet. Researchers were able to see significant improvements in the bone retention of calcium and phosphorus in a little over two weeks.3 Does this mean that we should all be taking potassium bicarbonate supplements? Not at all; many of the women in the study had digestive problems as a result of the bicarbonate therapy, and antacids have been shown to seriously reduce nutrient bioavailability.4,5

A more sensible conclusion is that we should eat less meat and more fruits and vegetables. In support of this important dietary shift, Oasis has created MetaGreens™. MetaGreens contains a extraordinary mix of land and sea vegetables, all of which are rich in alkaline minerals. Importantly, these greens are pesticide-free, grown on high-nutrient soil that has never been chemically fertilized. Harvested at the peak of nutrient value, these ingredients are processed by low-temperature dehydration to retain all the raw food goodness and manufactured in small batches to maximize freshness. The result is a comprehensive, high-potency vegetable powder that mixes easily in water to produce a health tonic with remarkable anabolic properties. As part of a sensible diet and a lifestyle that includes regular exercise, MetaGreens can help restore the alkaline balance that is essential for optimum health and longevity. From an article by: By Stephen Cherniske, M.Sc.

[yoshi]

link to list of acidic/alkaline foods

http://www.thewolfeclinic.com/acidalkfoods.html

[Jitendra Hy-do-u-no-us?]

link to list of acidic/alkaline foods

http://www.thewolfeclinic.com/acidalkfoods.html

Thank You Yoshi that link is very helpful. Believe it or not my interest in alkaline/acid content of food was sparked by visiting Amma who had a book on it, on display,at one of her visits to America.

Separating the facts from the fads The widespread confusion is due primarily to the fact that there are four distinct acid/alkaline factors in human health and nutrition. Following is a careful discussion of each: a mini-course in biochemistry which you can refer to the next time someone says to you, "Oh, I never eat oranges; they're too acid." First of all, what is an acid? An acid is any substance which, in solution with water, will turn litmus paper red, taste sour, and chemically release hydrogen ions. Acids are referred to as strong or weak, depending on their concentration of hydrogen ions, and this factor is measured on a pH scale which uses pure water as a neutral point of 7.0 . Values less than 7.0 are acid, and the stronger the acid, the lower the pH. Common acids include acetic acid (vinegar), and hydrochloric acid, the digestive fluid secreted by the lining of your stomach. Alkaline (also called base) substances, in water solution will turn litmus paper blue, taste bitter, and chemically accept hydrogen ions. Alkali, or bases, are measured on the pH scale in numbers greater than 7.0, and the stronger the base, the higher the pH, up to 14. Common bases are sodium hydroxide (lye), and sodium bicarbonate (baking soda). NOTE: Acid and alkaline are value neutral terms. Neither is good nor bad, but both have definite properties and essential activities in the human organism. The four factors of acid/alkaline balance related to nutrition are:
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1. The acid/alkaline balance of the blood and body fluids.
2. The acid/alkaline quality of certain foods before they are eaten.
3. The acid and alkaline chemistry of digestion.
4. The effect of foods AFTER they are digested and metabolized, often referred to as acid/alkaline "residue" or "ash".
1. Acid/alkaline "balance"
In medical terminology, when one speaks of the acid/alkaline BALANCE, or the acid/alkaline equilibrium, it refers to the relative pH of the blood, which must be kept within a narrow range around 7.4 (slightly alkaline). This vital function is accomplished most efficiently by a number mechanisms, including automatic buffer systems in the blood, and the pH regulating action of the lungs and kidneys. In ACIDOSIS, or acidemia, the pH of the blood is too acid (less than 7.35). In this case, blood buffer systems will adjust towards alkaline, and the rate of breathing will increase to remove carbonic acid via the exhalation of carbon dioxide (CO2). Next, the kidneys increase the acidity of the urine, and balance is quickly restored. NOTE: Acidosis is NOT caused by eating acidic foods such as lemons and oranges. It is most often the result of impaired metabolism, such as in diabetes or starvation, kidney disease, or respiratory disorders that limit the release of CO2 from the lungs. ALKALOSIS or alkalemia, is less common than acidosis, but can result from hyperventilation (too rapid breathing), loss of stomach acid due to excessive vomiting, or over-use of antacids and/or ulcer medications. In this case, blood buffer systems adjust toward acid, and breathing becomes more shallow to conserve CO2 and raise carbonic acid levels in the blood. Once again, the kidneys contribute to the "balancing act" by excreting more alkaline urine.
2. ACID FRUITS Fruits are sometimes classified as either acid, sub-acid, or sweet.
This differentiation has nothing to do with the acid/alkaline balance in the blood, which is not affected at all by the acid content of a food. In fact, as you will see, the metabolism of most all types of fruit results in an alkaline ash, with the exception of cranberries and some varieties of plums. Once again, acidosis is not caused by eating "acid" fruits. Whatever negative effects individuals may experience from eating citrus fruits, are most likely due to food allergy, fermentation in the gastrointestinal tract due to maldigestion, or localized irritation from the citric acid in the fruit; all of which are common. The only reason to classify fruits this way, other than the dubious practice of "food combining" may be to help in the botanical description of the food. For example, oranges, grapefruit, lemons, limes, tangerines and kumquats are citrus fruits containing citric acid. Apples, sometimes classified "sub-acid", contain malic acid. Cranberries contain benzoic acid, etc.

Stephen Cherniske, M.Sc.

[Jitendra Hy-do-u-no-us?]

In my many experiments with meditation i am always on the look our for freeing the body and consciousness from distractions and experiencing that sense of lightness that sometimes occurs during mediation. i have found that the foods i eat determine to some degree the amount of relaxation or tension involved in meditation. A diet high in fruits which is alkaline i find more suitable for meditation. Perhaps others have had different experiences.

'It is important to remember that the method of cooking will also have either an acidic or alkaline reaction. For example, a potato that is baked or boiled in its jacket is alkaline food, whereas a fried potato is acid-forming.'

i found this chart helpful:

http://www.acidalkalinediet.net/acid-alkaline-food-chart.php

Keep this in mind while reading the chart:

A negative PRAL score indicates the food is basic/alkaline.
A positive PRAL score indicates the food is acidic.
A score of 0 indicates the food is neutral.

These are foods high in Alkaline levels;

http://www.acidalkalinediet.org/10-fruits-high-in-alkaline/