Alkaline Diet Frequently Asked Questions

The link between acidity and illness has been known at least since 1918, when scientists found that an acidifying diet could cause bone loss in rabbits. Only recently, however, has the alkaline diet gained widespread popularity among people who are looking for a better way to lose weight, increase their energy levels, and resolve various health problems. In this article, I will discuss the most important facts about this diet, including both the risks and the benefits of this unique way of eating.

The alkaline diet is also known as the acid alkaline diet and the acid-alkaline balance diet, among other terms. In any case, the goal of this diet is to emphasize foods that have an alkalizing effect on the body. The typical Western diet is rich in foods that cause the body to become more acidic, including meat, dairy products, grains, and sweeteners. High protein foods--including meat and poultry, fish and seafood, dairy products, eggs, and legumes--are acidifying because they are high in protein. Protein is acidifying because it contains the minerals phosphorus and sulfur. When protein is metabolized, these minerals are released into your body, make it more acidic. Of course, some protein is essential for proper health. The problem is that the Western diet typically provides too much protein, leading to the many health problems associated with chronic low-grade acidosis. Other acidifying foods lower your body's internal pH because they contain organic acids that your body is unable to metabolize.

In contrast, alkalizing foods are generally rich in alkaline minerals, including calcium, magnesium, and potassium. At the same time, they are relatively low in protein. If alkalizing foods contain many organic acids--think of citrus fruits, for example--these acids can be broken down by the body, and therefore do not contribute to excess acidity.

The following foods are alkalizing, and are therefore emphasized on the alkaline diet: Most whole fruits and vegetables, some whole grains, some nuts and seeds, and certain healthy oils, including olive oil, flaxseed oil, and coconut oil. In contrast, acidifying foods include meat, poultry, fish and seafood, eggs, dairy products, most grains, and virtually all processed foods that are made with refined starches and sugars. (For information about specific foods, you may wish to refer to an alkaline diet food chart.)

The alkaline diet is generally quite safe. This shouldn't be too surprising, since a diet that emphasizes fruits and vegetables (along with whole grains, legumes, and nuts and seeds) is the healthiest type of diet for virtually everyone. Nonetheless, there are a few people who should not attempt the diet without a doctor's approval. Those who suffer from kidney disease are often advised to reduce their potassium intake, even to the point of avoiding many fruits and vegetables. People who take prescription drugs that affect blood potassium levels could also experience side effects if they suddenly began eating more potassium-rich fruits and vegetables. Check with your doctor if you suffer from one of these conditions, or if you are currently following a special diet at your doctor's recommendation.

Advocates of the alkaline diet claim that it can help people to lose weight, increase energy, and overcome many health problems, from joint pain to premature aging. Unfortunately, there is little scientific evidence either for or against some of these claims.

On the bright side, scientific studies do provide support for the following benefits:

• Preventing muscle wasting. When your body becomes too acidic, it may try to mop up the excess acid by breaking down muscle tissue to liberate alkaline minerals. When you follow an alkaline diet, you reduce your body's acid load, making it less likely to cannibalize its own muscle tissue.


• Preventing osteoporosis. For the same reason that an alkaline diet can help to prevent muscle atrophy, it can also reduce bone loss. When your body is too acidic, it starts breaking down bone tissue to release alkaline minerals that it can use to neutralize excess acid.


• Preserving kidney function. When you consume an acid-forming diet, the responsibility for eliminating that excess acid falls upon your kidneys. An alkaline diet can lessen the burden, helping to preserve kidney function as you age.


• Preventing kidney stones. Some studies have suggested that an alkaline diet can help to reduce kidney stone formation.


• Relieving chronic pain. Several studies have shown that consuming more alkalizing minerals can reduce the discomfort associated with low back pain and rheumatoid arthritis.

For most people, the alkaline diet offers many benefits and few risks. So why not give the alkaline diet a try? Of course, most of us know that we should eat better, but we procrastinate when it comes to actually changing our diets. We're afraid of having to follow a complicated plan, or of giving up our favorite foods. I sympathize with these concerns, because I've been there myself. But once I finally overcame my inertia and tried the alkaline diet, I was surprised by how much better I looked and felt. These benefits more than made up for the small sacrifices I had to make. So if the alkaline diet sounds appealing to you, stop making excuses and get started today!