You probably know that a healthy diet can fend off disease, but you may find yourself confused about what kind of healthy diet you should follow -- high protein or high fiber, low fat or good fat, low calorie or low carb. Here's another to consider: alkaline vs. acidic. Dr. Ragnar Berg, a Swedish nutritionist and Nobel Prize winner, came up with the theory that you can stay disease-free by eating a diet comprised of 80 percent alkaline and 20 percent acidic foods.
pH Balance
Some foods create acid in your body, while other foods neutralize acid. If you eat foods with an alkaline effect, you can keep your blood pH between 7.35 and 7.45, an ideal balance. Your body can maintain this balance on its own. Berg's theory is that the foods you eat help your body achieve the pH balance. If your body doesn't have to strain to eliminate acid, it can do a better job of keeping you healthy. By Berg's definition, the composition of a food doesn't make it an acid or alkaline food -- it's the effect the food has on your body that matters.
Digestion
If you've ever suffered from acid indigestion, you might see the merits of the alkaline diet -- all that churning in your stomach certainly doesn't feel healthy. But Berg's theory falters somewhat when you consider the basic science of food digestion. To break the food you eat into nutrients, your stomach produces a strong hydrochloric acid. In other words, your stomach frequently contains a lot of acid, independent of your eating habits. But your body's ability to absorb the nutrients broken down by acid demands an alkaline environment. Eating foods that form alkaline in your system may help you gain greater health benefits.
Acid and Alkaline Foods
Most fruits and vegetable produce an alkaline effect. Exceptions include cranberries, blueberries, prunes, plums, currants, corn, lentils, olives and winter squash. Some foods that contain acid -- lemons, for example -- turn alkaline in your body. Fruits and vegetables leave behind calcium, magnesium, iron, potassium and sodium. These minerals neutralize acids, hence alkalizing. On the other hand, protein-rich foods such as fish, meats and beans and refined carbohydrates such as flour and sugar leave sulfuric, phosphoric and carbonic acids in your system. A diet high in protein and carbohydrates can cause metabolic acidosis, an environment that can help chronic diseases develop and flourish.
Supplements
Berg's theory, though flawed, aligns with what modern nutritionists say -- eat lots of vegetables, avoid refined carbohydrates and go easy on the protein. If you find it difficult to eat five to nine servings of fruits and vegetables a day, four so-called super foods may help: wheatgrass, barley grass, spirulina and chlorella. You can take these green foods, rich in alkaline-producing nutrients, in supplement form. This can give you the benefits of vegetables without needing to chew them by the cupful.
References
- Yummy Plants: Alkaline Foods vs. Acid Foods
- PRWeb; Green Super Foods Boost Energy Naturally; The Institute for Vibrant Living; March 2011
- MayoClinic.com; Is Alkaline Water Better for You Than Plain Water?; Katherine Zeratsky, R.D.; March 2010
- "Barriere Star Journal"; An Alkaline Approach to Good Health; Roger Drinkwater; March 2011
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