Acid & Non-acid Producing Foods

Certain foods produce acid in the body, while others, although they taste acidic, have an alkalizing effect on the body. If your blood has excessive acidity due to toxins and stress, or if you suffer from acid reflux, it is important to avoid an acid-forming diet. Most fruits are non-acidic, whereas animal proteins from meat and dairy products are acidic and can upset your acid-alkaline balance, reports Christiane Northrup, M.D., gynecologist, author and authority on women's health, in an article in "The Huffington Post," June 2, 2010.

Acidic Foods

An acid-producing food leaves an acidic ash and an increase in hydrogen ions in the body after digestion. Acidic foods are not necessarily foods with an acidic taste. Citrus fruits, including lemons, may seem acidic, but they leave minerals after digestion that remove hydrogen ions from your body and decrease acidity. Foods high in animal proteins, such as meat, poultry, milk, eggs, cheese and fish, are acid-producing. These foods are not unhealthy even though they form acid, because the body needs acids to maintain an acid-alkaline balance. A diet that is excessively acidic, with too much animal protein, junk food, soft drinks or refined carbohydrates that also are acid-producing, needs to be balanced by more alkaline foods. The ideal diet, according to the Wolfe Clinic, is composed of only 25 percent acidic foods.

Acidic Fruits and Vegetables

Eating the wrong foods can cause normal body cells to become too acidic. Because cancer cells are acidic, according to the Puna Wai Ora Mind-Body Cancer Clinic and Healing Center, it is important to avoid an excess of acid-producing foods that include sugar and white flour. Although most fruits and vegetables are alkaline, a few are acid-producing, but they should not be avoided because your body needs them to maintain the proper acid-alkaline balance. Blueberries, prunes and cranberries are acid-producing, as well as plums, currants and canned fruits. Winter squash, olives, corn and lentils are acid-producing vegetables.

Non-Acidic Fruits

Most fruits do not produce acid in the body, and the most alkaline fruits are dried apricots, cantaloupe, dried figs and watermelon, according to the "Mayo Clinic Diet Manual." All citrus fruits are non-acidic and have an alkalizing effect on the blood. Pineapple, melon, grapes, peaches, cherries and pears do not produce acid in the body, nor do tropical fruits, such as papayas. Berries, including raspberries, blackberries and strawberries, with the exception of blueberries, are non-acid producing fruits. It takes three servings of non-acidic fruits or vegetables to neutralize the acid produced by one serving of animal protein, according to Dr. Northrup.

Non-Acidic Vegetables

Most vegetables do not produce acid in the body. The most alkaline vegetables are dandelion greens, beet greens, baked potatoes and Swiss chard, according to the "Mayo Clinic Diet Manual." Salad greens, carrots, cucumbers, celery, alfalfa, onions, lettuce, watercress and radishes are non-acidic. Garlic, fermented vegetables and oriental vegetables, such as shitake mushrooms, reishi and maitake, are alkaline, as are bell peppers, avocados and tomatoes, which are really fruits.