Food Rankings: Alkaline to Acidic

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enhanced_deficit

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Earlier stumbled on the Alkaline/Acidic foods concept but food/pH rank lists online tend to be confusing. Despite mixed/raw info I had come across, one positive impact for me has been more vegies/fruits/water consumption and lesser sugars/soda/coffee.

This seems to be one of the better lists. Curious if anyone here has tried to balance foods based on pH factor.


pH is Vital for Whole Body Health
pH-inding the Right Balance
At the first mention of acidity and alkalinity, eyes glaze over. After all, these terms sound somewhat scientific, and vague memories of junior high science class and litmus paper changing color may come to mind. However, the balance between acidity and alkalinity, and its importance, can be explained quite simply and should be explained. This balance is essential to good health.

The Basics

Every solution is either acidic or alkaline. (Alkaline is often called "base.") These solutions can be anything from body fluids, such as stomach acid and blood, to beverages, such as wine or coffee, to sea water. Acidity and alkalinity are measured in pH (potential of hydrogen). The pH scale goes from 0 to 14, with 0 the most acidic, and 14 the most alkaline. The pH of stomach acid is 1, wine is 3.5, water is 7 (neutral), venous blood is 7.35, arterial blood is 7.4, sea water is 8.5, and baking soda is 12. Ideally, our pH should stay on the alkaline side: between 7.35 and 7.45. Keeping our acidity and alkalinity balanced means regulating the hydrogen ion concentration in our body fluids. An acid is a molecule or ion (an ion is an atom that carries a positive or negative electric charge) that can contribute a hydrogen ion to a solution. An alkalizing substance is one that contains a molecule or ion that combines with hydrogen ions to remove them from a solution_it neutralizes acids and acts as a buffer.

The Misconceptions
Foods are classified as acid-forming or alkalizing depending on the effect they have on the body. An acid-forming food contributes hydrogen ions to the body, making it more acidic. An alkalizing food removes hydrogen ions from the body, making it more alkaline. It is important to note that this classification is based on the effect foods have on the body after digestion, not on their own intrinsic acidity or alkalinity (or how they taste to us). A common misconception is that if a food tastes acidic, it has an acid-forming effect on the body. This is not necessarily true. Very often, an acidic-tasting food is alkalizing. Citric fruits are a good example. People say that lemons, for example, are "too acidic"; however, they are actually alkalizing because the minerals they leave behind after digestion help remove hydrogen ions, decreasing the acidity of the body. (Many people use the term "residue" or "ash" to explain the effect of a food on the body. A food with an acid ash after digestion contributes hydrogen ions, making the body more acidic; a food with an alkaline ash after digestion removes hydrogen ions, making the body more alkaline.) Another misconception is that acid-forming foods are "bad." This is not correct; acidity and alkalinity are opposites and one is not intrinsically better than the other. This misconception has developed because the North American diet is excessively acidic, which does result in health problems.
Common acid-forming foods include processed junk foods and those that are high in animal protein. Some common alkalizing foods are spinach, soybeans, raisins, carrots, and most citrus fruits.

The Problem
Looking at this short list of acid-forming and alkalizing foods, you can see where the problem lies. North Americans eat considerably more acid-forming foods than alkalizing foods. Unfortunately, too much acid can cause health problems. According to well-known naturopath Paavo Airola in his book "How to Get Well", Acidosis, or over-acidity in the body tissues, is one of the basic causes of diseases, especially the arthritic and rheumatic diseases." Others concur with Airola. Speaking of the acidity of a high-fat, high-sugar diet, Michael Colgan, in The New Nutrition, says, "Acidosis destroys bones, because the body has to steal alkalizing minerals from them, to keep the blood pH from dropping into the acid range _ " Dr. Mary Ruth Swope, in Green Leaves of Barley, comments, "We have become too full of acid and, as a result, are experiencing a wide range of diseases that flourish in the acid medium." Dr. Yoshihide Hagiwara, in Green Barley Essence, mentions that, "Should this balance [acid and alkaline] be upset, the cell metabolism suffers, leading to conditions such as fatigue."
Common symptoms of an unbalanced pH include heartburn (a burning sensation in the stomach and acid-tasting burps), bloating, belching, and feeling full after eating small amounts of food. Other symptoms could include insomnia, water retention, migraines, constipation with diarrhea, fatigue, a burning sensation on the tongue and in the mouth, and halitosis.

The Solution
Eat a diet that helps your body maintain the correct acidity-alkalinity balance. According to Airola, the ideal diet should have a natural ratio of four parts alkaline to one part acid. Others contend that while this a good ratio for active people (exercise creates a lot of acid), less active people can handle a diet with a ratio of two parts alkaline to one part acid.



Here's a chart that ranks foods from most alkaline to most acidic. ​
[TABLE="width: 100%"]
[TR]
[TD="bgcolor: #5f788d, align: center"][SIZE=+1]Ranked Foods: Alkaline to Acidic[/TD]
[/TR]
[TR]
[TD="bgcolor: #ccffc7"]Extremely Alkaline

Lemons, watermelon.[/TD]
[/TR]
[TR]
[TD="bgcolor: #ccffc7"]Alkaline Forming

Cantaloupe, cayenne celery, dates, figs, kelp, limes, mango, melons, papaya, parsley, seaweeds, seedless grapes (sweet), watercress.

Asparagus, fruit juices, grapes (sweet), kiwifruit, passionfruit, pears (sweet), pineapple, raisins, umeboshi plums, and vegetable juices.[/TD]
[/TR]
[TR]
[TD="bgcolor: #ccffc7"]Moderately Alkaline

Apples (sweet), alfalfa sprouts, apricots, avocados, bananas (ripe), currants, dates, figs (fresh), garlic, grapefruit, grapes (less sweet), guavas, herbs (leafy green), lettuce (leafy green), nectarine, peaches (sweet), pears (less sweet), peas (fresh, sweet), pumpkin (sweet), sea salt (vegetable).

Apples (sour), beans (fresh, green), beets, bell peppers, broccoli, cabbage, carob, cauliflower, ginger (fresh), grapes (sour), lettuce (pale green), oranges, peaches (less sweet), peas (less sweet), potatoes (with skin), pumpkin (less sweet), raspberries, strawberries, squash, sweet Corn (fresh), turnip, vinegar (apple cider).[/TD]
[/TR]
[TR]
[TD="bgcolor: #ccffc7"]Slightly Alkaline

Almonds, artichokes (jerusalem), brussel sprouts, cherries, coconut (fresh), cucumbers, eggplant, honey (raw), leeks, mushrooms, okra, olives (ripe), onions, pickles (homemade), radishes, sea salt, spices, tomatoes (sweet), vinegar (sweet brown rice).

Chestnuts (dry, roasted), egg yolks (soft cooked), essene bread, goat's milk and whey (raw), mayonnaise (homemade), olive oil, sesame seeds (whole), soy beans (dry), soy cheese, soy milk, sprouted grains, tofu, tomatoes (less sweet), and yeast (nutritional flakes).[/TD]
[/TR]
[TR]
[TD="bgcolor: #ffbe6e"]Neutral

Butter (fresh, unsalted), cream (fresh, raw), cow's milk and whey (raw), margine, oils (except olive), and yogurt (plain).[/TD]
[/TR]
[TR]
[TD="bgcolor: #dfdfdf"]Moderately Acidic

Bananas (green), barley (rye), blueberries, bran, butter, cereals (unrefined), cheeses, crackers (unrefined rye, rice and wheat), cranberries, dried beans (mung, adzuki, pinto, kidney, garbanzo), dry coconut, egg whites, eggs whole (cooked hard), fructose, goat's milk (homogenized), honey (pasteurized), ketchup, maple syrup (unprocessed), milk (homogenized).

Molasses (unsulferd and organic), most nuts, mustard, oats (rye, organic), olives (pickled), pasta (whole grain), pastry (whole grain and honey), plums, popcorn (with salt and/or butter), potatoes, prunes, rice (basmati and brown), seeds (pumpkin, sunflower), soy sauce, and wheat bread (sprouted organic).[/TD]
[/TR]
[TR]
[TD="bgcolor: #dfdfdf"]Extremely Acidic

Artificial sweeteners, beef, beer, breads, brown sugar, carbonated soft drinks, cereals (refined), chocolate, cigarettes and tobacco, coffee, cream of wheat (unrefined), custard (with white sugar), deer, drugs, fish, flour (white, wheat), fruit juices with sugar, jams, jellies, lamb.

Liquor, maple syrup (processed), molasses (sulphured), pasta (white), pastries and cakes from white flour, pickles (commercial), pork, poultry, seafood, sugar (white), table salt (refined and iodized), tea (black), white bread, white vinegar (processed), whole wheat foods, wine, and yogurt (sweetened).[/TD]
[/TR]
[/TABLE]

[TABLE="width: 100%"]
[TR]
[TD="bgcolor: #5f788d, align: center"][SIZE=+1]More Ranked Foods: Alkaline to Acidic[/TD]
[/TR]
[TR]
[TD="bgcolor: #ccffc7"]Highly Alkaline Forming Foods

Baking soda, sea salt, mineral water, pumpkin seed, lentils, seaweed, onion, taro root, sea vegetables, lotus root, sweet potato, lime, lemons, nectarine, persimmon, raspberry, watermelon, tangerine, and pineapple.[/TD]
[/TR]
[TR]
[TD="bgcolor: #ccffc7"]Moderately Alkaline Forming Foods

Apricots, spices, kambucha, unsulfured molasses, soy sauce, cashews, chestnuts, pepper, kohlrabi, parsnip, garlic, asparagus, kale, parsley, endive, arugula, mustard green, ginger root, broccoli, grapefruit, cantaloupe, honeydew, citrus, olive, dewberry, carrots, loganberry, and mango.[/TD]
[/TR]
[TR]
[TD="bgcolor: #ccffc7"]Low Alkaline Forming Foods

Most herbs, green tea, mu tea, rice syrup, apple cider vinegar, sake, quail eggs, primrose oil, sesame seed, cod liver oil, almonds, sprouts, potato, bell pepper, mushrooms, cauliflower, cabbage, rutabaga, ginseng, eggplant, pumpkin, collard green, pear, avocado, apples (sour), blackberry, cherry, peach, and papaya.[/TD]
[/TR]
[TR]
[TD="bgcolor: #ccffc7"]Very Low Alkaline Forming Foods

Ginger tea, umeboshi vinegar, ghee, duck eggs, oats, grain coffee, quinoa, japonica rice, wild rice, avocado oil, most seeds, coconut oil, olive oil, flax oil, brussel sprout, beet, chive, cilantro, celery, okra, cucumber, turnip greens, squashes, lettuces, orange, banana, blueberry, raisin, currant, grape, and strawberry.[/TD]
[/TR]
[TR]
[TD="bgcolor: #dfdfdf"]Very Low Acid Forming Foods

Curry, koma coffee, honey, maple syrup, vinegar, cream, butter, goat/sheep cheese, chicken, gelatin, organs, venison, fish, wild duck, triticale, millet, kasha, amaranth, brown rice, pumpkin seed oil, grape seed oil, sunflower oil, pine nuts, canola oil, spinach, fava beans, black-eyed peas, string beans, wax beans, zucchini, chutney, rhubarb, coconut, guava, dry fruit, figs, and dates.[/TD]
[/TR]
[TR]
[TD="bgcolor: #dfdfdf"]Low Acid Forming Foods

Vanilla, alcohol, black tea, balsamic vinegar, cow milk, aged cheese, soy cheese, goat milk, game meat, lamb, mutton, boar, elk, shell fish, mollusks, goose, turkey, buckwheat, wheat, spelt, teff, kamut, farina, semolina, white rice, almond oil, sesame oil, safflower oil, tapioca, seitan, tofu, pinto beans, white beans, navy beans, red beans, aduki beans, lima beans, chard, plum, prune and tomatoes.[/TD]
[/TR]
[TR]
[TD="bgcolor: #dfdfdf"]Moderately Acid Forming Foods

Nutmeg, coffee, casein, milk protein, cottage cheese, soy milk, pork, veal, bear, mussels, squid, chicken, maize, barley groats, corn, rye, oat bran, pistachio seeds, chestnut oil, lard, pecans, palm kernel oil, green peas, peanuts, snow peas, other legumes, garbanzo beans, cranberry, and pomegranate.[/TD]
[/TR]
[TR]
[TD="bgcolor: #dfdfdf"]Highly Acid Forming Foods

Tabletop sweeteners like (NutraSweet, Spoonful, Sweet 'N Low, Equal or Aspartame), pudding, jam, jelly, table salt (NaCl), beer, yeast, hops, malt, sugar, cocoa, white (acetic acid) vinegar, processed cheese, ice cream, beef, lobster, pheasant, barley, cottonseed oil, hazelnuts, walnuts, brazil nuts, fried foods, soybean, and soft drinks, especially the cola type. To neutralize a glass of cola with a pH of 2.5, it would take 32 glasses of alkaline water with a pH of 10.[/TD]
[/TR]
[/TABLE]


http://www.angelfire.com/az/sthurston/acid_alkaline_foods_list.html

[/SIZE][/SIZE]
 
enhanced_deficit said:
Earlier stumbled on the Alkaline/Acidic foods concept but food/pH rank lists online tend to be confusing. Despite mixed/raw info I had come across, one positive impact for me has been more vegies/fruits/water consumption and lesser sugars/soda/coffee.

This seems to be one of the better lists. Curious if anyone here has tried to balance foods based on pH factor.
Click to expand...

I've never looked into it too much but according to that list my diet generally follows the suggested four parts alkaline to one part acid.

My diet is raw veggies, fruit, cooked veggies, and meat (usually grilled) - in order from most to least. I feel best eating this way - full but not bloated and I eat as much as I want.:)
 
Suzanimal said:
I've never looked into it too much but according to that list my diet generally follows the suggested four parts alkaline to one part acid.

My diet is raw veggies, fruit, cooked veggies, and meat (usually grilled) - in order from most to least. I feel best eating this way - full but not bloated and I eat as much as I want.:)
Click to expand...

In that case you can enjoy coffee guilt free :)
 
Question for ED. Are you trying to change your diet? Are you having some health issues? Just curious...
 
Good thread. pH is important. But unless you're an athlete and have time to create a highly regimented diet(these are impractical and frustrating for most), just use some general guidelines/principles. You can test that it's working/failing by testing your urine or saliva pH with pH paper.
 
Except that diet can't change your pH. Your body has mechanisms which regulate it. Your digestive system has buffers which let it handle acidic and alkali foods just fine. Your stomach acid is stronger than any acid you might consume. Add a weak acid to a strong acid and the strong acid is diluted so eating more acidic foods does not raise your body acid levels. Acids will be most harmful to your teeth. What the pH of foods is doesn't matter.

http://chriskresser.com/the-ph-myth-part-1

Foods don’t influence our blood pH

Proponents of the alkaline diet have put forth a few different theories about how an acidic diet harms our health. The more ridiculous claim is that we can change the pH of our blood by changing the foods we eat, and that acidic blood causes disease while alkaline blood prevents it. This is not true. The body tightly regulates the pH of our blood and extracellular fluid, and we cannot influence our blood pH by changing our diet. (5, 6) High doses of sodium bicarbonate can temporarily increase blood pH, but not without causing uncomfortable GI symptoms. (7, 8) And there are certainly circumstances in which the blood is more acidic than it should be, and this does have serious health consequences. However, this state of acidosis is caused by pathological conditions such as chronic renal insufficiency, not by whether you choose to eat a salad or a burger. In other words, regardless of what you eat or what your urine pH is, you can be pretty confident that your blood pH is hovering around a comfortable 7.4.

A more nuanced claim has been proposed specifically regarding bone health, and this hypothesis is addressed somewhat extensively in the scientific literature. It supposes that in order to keep blood pH constant, the body pulls minerals from our bones to neutralize any excess acid that is produced from our diet. Thus, net acid-forming diets (such as the typical Western diet) can cause bone demineralization and osteoporosis. This hypothesis, often referred to as the ‘acid-ash hypothesis of osteoporosis,’ is what I will discuss for the rest of this article. I’ll address some of the other health claims in part two.

The kidneys – not bone – regulate blood pH
While more reasonable than the first claim, the acid-ash hypothesis seems to completely disregard the vital role the kidneys play in regulating body pH. The kidneys are well equipped to deal with ‘acid ash.’ When we digest things like protein, the acids produced are quickly buffered by bicarbonate ions in the blood. (7) This reaction produces carbon dioxide, which is exhaled through the lungs, and salts, which are excreted by the kidneys. During the process of excretion, the kidneys produce ‘new’ bicarbonate ions, which are returned to the blood to replace the bicarbonate that was initially used to buffer the acid. This creates a sustainable cycle in which the body is able to maintain the pH of the blood, with no involvement from the bones whatsoever.

Thus, our understanding of acid-base physiology does not support the theory that net acid-forming diets cause loss of bone minerals and osteoporosis. But just for argument’s sake, let’s say that our renal system cannot handle the acid load of the modern diet. If bones were used to buffer this excess acid, we would expect to see evidence of this taking place in clinical trials. Alas, that is not the case.
Click to expand...

Lots more info at link .
 
Zippyjuan said:
Except that diet can't change your pH. Your body has mechanisms which regulate it. Your digestive system has buffers which let it handle acidic and alkali foods just fine. Your stomach acid is stronger than any acid you might consume. Add a weak acid to a strong acid and the strong acid is diluted so eating more acidic foods does not raise your body acid levels. Acids will be most harmful to your teeth. What the pH of foods is doesn't matter.

http://chriskresser.com/the-ph-myth-part-1



Lots more info at link .
Click to expand...

Your source is wrong. Acidic ph causes acidosis. This is not "new" information. It's been around for several decades now. One of the reasons "paleo"-type diets work is because they're alkalizing.
 
A couple of comments:

1. Grain based coffee-like beverages such as Postum and Pero are highly alkaline producing if taken without sugar.

2. What Zippyjuan says regarding blood pH is accurate but also misleading, as so much that he posts is. Blood pH is maintained no matter what. Blood pH. However, the things your body does to maintain that blood pH if you are eating too much acid producing foods is extremely unhealthy (i.e. causes your body to store fat, strongly affects your immune system (candida albicans thrives in people with high pH, whereas good gut biota thrive and keep candida and other harmful flora in balance when the pH (not of hte blood but the body as a whole) is maintained.) Plenty of info out there on the importance of maintaining a good balance between harmful and helpful gut flora. And it is well established that proper pH plays a vital role in this. Taking all the probiotics in the world isn't going to help you if the environment of your body kills or weakens them.
 
Original_Intent said:
A couple of comments:

1. Grain based coffee-like beverages such as Postum and Pero are highly alkaline producing if taken without sugar.

2. What Zippyjuan says regarding blood pH is accurate but also misleading, as so much that he posts is. Blood pH is maintained no matter what. Blood pH. However, the things your body does to maintain that blood pH if you are eating too much acid producing foods is extremely unhealthy (i.e. causes your body to store fat, strongly affects your immune system (candida albicans thrives in people with high pH, whereas good gut biota thrive and keep candida and other harmful flora in balance when the pH (not of hte blood but the body as a whole) is maintained.) Plenty of info out there on the importance of maintaining a good balance between harmful and helpful gut flora. And it is well established that proper pH plays a vital role in this. Taking all the probiotics in the world isn't going to help you if the environment of your body kills or weakens them.
Click to expand...
Good point. If blood pH changes significantly in either direction, you die.
 
If you want to see what it is like to have your blood pH drop, hold your breath for 3 or 4 minutes. Also, if you do this, report your experiences back to this thread.
 
Actually zippy and I worked through this about a year or so ago in a 20+ page thread and we finally figured it all out and clearly zippy has forgotten...

Yes, the body buffers your blood's pH, but what zippy doesn't tell you is HOW that occurs.. It occurs using important minerals and nutrients!!

So if you have an acidic diet that is high in nutrient dense grass-fed beef and seafood, then your body will be able to adjust your blood's pH and have more than enough nutrients left over for those mineral and nutrient's other functions.

If you have an acidic diet that is high in grains, or animals that eat grains which are nutrient deficient, then your body will eventually become nutrient deficient and it won't have the ability to buffer your blood's pH and eventually your blood CAN become more acidic which can lead to cancer, candida worsening and many other diseases.

If you tend to eat more balanced diet with a lot of alkaline foods, then your body uses less nutrients to buffer your blood's pH so you require that much less nutrients in your diet and are less likely to become deficient.
 
dannno said:
Actually zippy and I worked through this about a year or so ago in a 20+ page thread and we finally figured it all out and clearly zippy has forgotten...

Yes, the body buffers your blood's pH, but what zippy doesn't tell you is HOW that occurs.. It occurs using important minerals and nutrients!!

So if you have an acidic diet that is high in nutrient dense grass-fed beef and seafood, then your body will be able to adjust your blood's pH and have more than enough nutrients left over for those mineral and nutrient's other functions.

If you have an acidic diet that is high in grains, or animals that eat grains which are nutrient deficient, then your body will eventually become nutrient deficient and it won't have the ability to buffer your blood's pH and eventually your blood CAN become more acidic which can lead to cancer, candida worsening and many other diseases.

If you tend to eat more balanced diet with a lot of alkaline foods, then your body uses less nutrients to buffer your blood's pH so you require that much less nutrients in your diet and are less likely to become deficient.
Click to expand...

Quite informative.



heavenlyboy34 said:
Good thread. pH is important. But unless you're an athlete and have time to create a highly regimented diet(these are impractical and frustrating for most), just use some general guidelines/principles. You can test that it's working/failing by testing your urine or saliva pH with pH paper.
Click to expand...

Suzanimal said:
Question for ED. Are you trying to change your diet?
Click to expand...

That is what had piqued my interest in pH factoring. I usually work out 2-3 times a week with weights/or sports and animal source proteins meats/eggs/diary etc have been regular part of diet. At the same time was also indulging in coffee/sugary treats and researching their impacts came across food pH not too long ago. In good shape but I have always had interest in nutrition/eating healthy perhaps due to work out habit.
 
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