Alkaline Diet Foods Are Essential for Good Health

Alkaline diet foods are essential for your body’s mechanisms for detoxifying excess acidity to function properly. When your body becomes overly acidic, you can be sure that disease is not far behind. A healthy human body exists in a slightly alkaline state. In contrast, a corpse is acidic. This does not mean, of course, that eating acidic foods will cause you to fall down dead today. Your body is quite adept at coping with an overly acidic diet. It responds to this type of diet by drawing minerals from the blood and using them to neutralize the excess acid. Once this has occurred, the minerals leave your body along with the acid when you urinate. If the excess acid has been caused by a temporary dietary binge, not much harm has been done. As soon as you resume eating alkaline diet foods, your body will simply use the alkaline minerals to replenish its supply. But what if you don’t go back to an alkaline diet? What if you were never following a high alkaline diet in the first place? In this case, your body can easily use up all of the alkaline minerals floating around in your blood. When this happens, it will then draw minerals from your bones. Over a long period of time, this process of demineralization can lead to osteoporosis. Eventually, your bones can become so weak and brittle that a slight fall can cause them to shatter, leading to a disabling or even fatal fracture.

That is one of the ways that an overly acidic diet can harm your body: By causing your body to become depleted of important minerals. Excess acid can also harm your body directly, by damaging sensitive tissues. Every organ and cell in your body functions best at a specific level of acid-alkaline balance. This level is not the same throughout your body. On the contrary, each body system functions best within a specific pH range. It is nonetheless accurate to say that the body prefers an acid alkaline diet, because in general optimal health is achieved at a pH that is slightly above 7, the neutral point on the pH scale.

Overacidity can be caused by a number of factors. These factors can include prescription and over-the-counter drugs, emotional stress, and even the altitude at which you live. Believe it or not, tobacco smoke makes your body more acidic, as does urban pollution. But the most important factor is whether or not you have an alkaline diet. Everything you eat contains organic acids and minerals which can be either acidifying or alkalizing. In effect, with each bite you take, you are making your body either a little more acidic, or a little more alkaline. This means, in turn, that you are either bringing your body closer to optimal health, or setting the stage for serious illness.

Some of the foods which are the biggest culprits in creating an overly acidic body are processed, packaged foods; sugary and processed carbs, such as breakfast cereal and pasta; dairy products, including milk, cheese, and ice cream; all types of meat and poultry; alcoholic beverages; and a wide variety of artificial food additives, which are used in a surprising number of processed foods.

In contrast, a healthy alkaline diet emphasizes fresh fruits and vegetables, certain whole grains, and many nuts and seeds. Some dairy products can be included in moderation on the alkaline diet, along with some legumes. Despite what some people think, it is not necessary, or even desirable, to completely eliminate acidifying foods in order to achieve an alkaline diet. This is true for several reasons. First, you don’t want to create a state of overalkalinity. This is unlikely to happen from food alone, but it’s a good idea to be on the safe side and aim for a moderately alkaline diet rather than going to either extreme. The second reason that it is a bad idea to eat only alkaline diet foods is that such a diet would be quite boring and difficult to follow. You might manage to follow it for a day or two, but soon you would be tired of all of your favorite foods being off-limits, and you would probably go back to your usual way of eating. It is much better to aim for a moderately alkaline diet, and achieve it, then to aim for a completely alkaline diet, and fall flat on your face. Besides, some acidifying foods actually contain valuable nutrients. For example, prunes are acidifying, but they are rich in potassium, and some studies show that they can actually improve bone health. You don’t want to overdo it on any acid food, but by including certain healthy acidifying foods in your diet, you can reap the benefits of these foods while still enjoying a diet that is alkalizing on balance.

When you follow the alkaline diet, you ensure that your body has an ample supply of alkaline minerals to meet its needs. When your body is sufficiently alkaline, the oxygenation of the blood is promoted. Your heart and cardiovascular system function at a higher level of efficiency. Even your cells work better, producing a steady supply of energy to keep you going through your daily routine. When your body is in a slightly alkaline state, it is better able to absorb nutrients, helping you to slow down the aging process and remain in good health longer. Along with regular stress management and a sensible exercise program, the alkaline diet is one of the keys to achieving and maintaining good health. At a time when the United States is struggling with a health care crisis, we need to do everything we can to prevent chronic diseases, not just to treat them after they have become a serious problem. The alkaline diet is certainly not a panacea for our nation’s health care crisis, but any plan which can reduce a person’s risk of developing numerous diseases needs to be part of the solution. A well-balanced alkaline diet emphasizes fresh fruits and vegetables, whole grains, healthy fats, and both soluble and insoluble fiber. Numerous studies have shown that this type of diet–whether or not you call it an alkaline diet–can help prevent cancer, reduce the risk of cardiovascular disease, and completely or partially prevent a wide range of other health problems.