An Alkaline Diet
The alkaline diet is an eating plan that emphasizes fresh vegetables and fruits with the aim of maintaining an optimal pH level in the body. It's based on the premise that the food we eat alters the body's pH to be either acidic or alkaline. This concept was developed during the mid-1800s as the dietary ash hypothesis.
Advocates of the diet have claimed that high levels of ‘excess’ acid in the body, caused by our modern diets, contribute to a range of health conditions including arthritis, osteoporosis, kidney and liver disorders, and even cancer.
Advocates cite ‘acid-producing’ foods to be meat, wheat and other grains, refined sugar, dairy products, caffeine, alcohol and processed foods. Foods that are considered ‘alkaline’ include fruit and vegetables.
The diet was originally developed to help prevent kidney stones and Urine infections, as the pH of your urine changes depending on what you eat.
Our bodies are constantly striving to maintain proper ph balance within our different cells, tissues, and body fluids in order to stay healthy. For example, the pH of blood is strictly maintained at a level of 7.365 to 7.45. Anything above or below this range can actually result in death. So the body does a very good job of making sure this range is never altered no matter what.
Other body fluids such as urine and saliva, can show changes in pH depending on various factors, including what we eat. Our body needs a slightly alkaline pH to work at its best. If a proper pH balance is not maintained, it is likely that the body will be functioning at a low grade metabolic acidosis which is harmful for the body.
Alkaline Diet and pH Levels
The pH scale measures the acidity or basicness of an item on a scale of 0 to 14. On the other side of the spectrum, something that is alkaline (greater than 7) is at the baseline end.
To assure that their urine is not acidic (below 7), some advocates of this diet urge individuals to check the pH of their pee. however, it’s essential to remember that pH varies considerably throughout the body.
While certain regions are acidic, other areas are alkaline — there is no constant level.
Your stomach’s hydrochloric acid level is 2–3.5, which is extremely acidic. This acidity is required for the breakdown of meals. Human blood, on the other hand, is always slightly alkaline (pH 7.36–7.44), even if you’re not eating anything or are asleep.