Acid Vs. Alkaline Foods & Health

The acid-base balance in your body involves the maintenance of normal concentrations of hydrogen ions. This concentration determines the acidity level of any solution present in your body. Alkaline or alkalizing and acidic or acidifying refers to the effect of food on your body, but not to the food itself. You can divide foods into three basic groups, acidifying foods, alkalizing foods and acid foods.

Definitions

Acidifying and alkalizing foods are those that exert either acidifying or alkalizing effects on your body. Acidic foods refer to the intrinsic property of being acidic without consideration of the effect the acidic food may have on your body. This is an important distinction because there are foods such as sugar that, despite being used to moderate the acid taste of other foods, have an acidifying effect in your body due to the mechanism by which your body metabolizes the food.

Acid-Base Balance in the Diet

According to "The ACP Handbook of Women's Health," your body functions best with a pH above 7. This means your body functions better in an alkaline state. Diseases and disorders generally have an easier time proliferating when your body has a pH below 7 or when your body is in an acidic state. Disorders that become more common with a pH below 7 include skin problems, infections, degenerative illnesses, excess weight gain and cancer.

Alkalinizing and Acidifying Foods

Among sweeteners, stevia is the most alkaline and aspartame and saccharine are the most acidifying. In fruits, lemons, watermelon, grapefruit, mango and papaya are the most alkalizing. On the other hand, blackberries, cranberries and prunes are the most acidifying fruits. Asparagus, onions, vegetable juices, parsley, raw spinach, broccoli and garlic are among the most alkalizing in the group of beans, vegetables and legumes. On the other hand, chocolate is the most acidifying member of this group. Almonds are alkalizing while peanuts and walnuts are acidifying. Olive oil is alkalizing and corn oil has the lowest acidifying effect.

More Alkalinizing and Acidifying Foods

In the grain and cereals group, amaranth, millet, wild rice, quinoa have the lowest alkalizing effects, and wheat, white flour, pastries, are the most acidifying. Breast milk is alkalizing, while cheese, homogenized milk, ice cream have a strong acid effect. Herb teas and lemon water are the most alkalizing beverages and beer and soft drinks are the most acidifying. Every food group also contain many in-between foods that do not have extreme alkalizing or acidifying effects.

Acid to Alkaline Ratios

According to "Human Physiology: The Mechanisms of Body Function," healthy individuals should ideally base their diet on 60 to 70 percent alkalizing foods and 30 to 40 percent acidifying foods. Further, the pHion Balance website states that how your body manages acidic foods should also influence the acid-alkaline ratio. If your body metabolizes acids properly, you should consume more alkalizing and acid foods than acidifying foods. On the other hand, if you have a metabolic inability to handle acids, you should consume more alkalizing foods than acidifying and acid foods.