There are many widespread benefits to eating alkaline foods because most cellular functions and processes occur more efficiently in alkaline environments. Immunity, metabolism, growth and repair are all enhanced by alkaline environments, but hampered by over-acidity. Further, many disease processes and inflammatory reactions flourish within acidic tissues and fluids. The standard American diet has slowly evolved into a very acidic one, but replacing acidifying foods and beverages with alkalizing ones could have profound effects on your health.
Alkalinity Defined
An alkaline solution is defined as one with low levels of hydrogen ions, at least compared to purified water at room temperature, which is considered neutral and designated as 7 on the pH scale. Acidic solutions have many hydrogen ions floating around, which tend to have destructive effects on tissue. In some circumstances acids are useful, such as stomach acid, which can have a pH level as low as 4. However, most tissues and fluids function best when alkaline. For example, your blood is carefully maintained at a pH of close to 7.35 so that it can carry oxygen, nutrients and waste materials most efficiently. Eating acidic foods puts your body into crisis and its solutions often cause symptoms and diseases. Eating alkalizing foods, which may paradoxically contain natural acids, promotes health in many ways.
Bone Loss and Arthritis
Eating foods that cause acidity, such as excessive animal protein, sugary food and highly processed food, put your body into crisis because various biochemical reactions need an alkaline environment to occur. As such, a common strategy your body employs is to pull minerals from your bones and dissolve them into your blood and body fluids in efforts to reduce the acidity. Calcium, magnesium and potassium are very alkalizing elements, but their removal from bone is a primary cause of osteoporosis and some types of arthritis, as cited in "Human Biochemistry and Disease." Osteoporosis dramatically increases the risk of bone fractures, particularly in the spine and hips, and osteoarthritis leads to pain, low-grade inflammation and reduced mobility.
Energy Levels
Low or acidic pH levels within fluids affect a variety of functions within cells, including their ability to metabolize nutrients into usable forms of energy, such as ATP molecules. ATP, or adenosine triphosphate, is made within the mitochondria of cells and is crucial to energy levels, but over-acidity hampers this process, as cited in "Advanced Nutrition and Human Metabolism." Eating alkaline foods, such as fruits, vegetables and most dairy products, not only provides nutrients for energy metabolism, but their alkalizing effect encourages the biochemical reactions to make energy. Further, over-acidity reduces the blood's ability to exchange oxygen with cells and oxygen transfer among cells, which can result in overall fatigue and lack of energy.
Immunity
When cells of the immune system are healthy, they are more effective at patrolling your body for potential pathogens. In fact, most pathogens such as bacteria, viruses, fungi and parasites, proliferate in acidic and low-oxygen environments, as do many types of cancer, according to the "Professional Guide to Diseases." As such, alkaline environments discourage disease processes and enhance the functioning of the immune system. As an added benefit, strongly alkalizing fruits and vegetables such as citrus fruits and broccoli, are often rich in vitamin C, a known immune booster.
Oral Health and Digestion
Eating highly refined sugary foods or drinking soda cause problems in the mouth and digestive tract because of their acidity. Tooth enamel destruction and decay from acidity leads to weak teeth and promotes cavities, gum infections and bad breath. Drinking milk and eating highly alkaline foods such as watermelon, celery and guava can improve oral health. Although stomach acid is needed to digest food, too much acidic food can disrupt the balance. Ironically, citrus fruits and apple cider vinegar can improve digestion because they have an alkalizing affect, even though they taste sour and contain acids, as noted in "Biochemical, Physiological and Molecular Aspects of Human Nutrition."
References
- "Fluids and Electrolytes with Clinical Application"; Joyce LeFever Kee; 2010
- "Human Biochemistry and Disease"; Gerald Litwack; 2008
- "Advanced Nutrition and Human Metabolism: 5th Edition"; Sareen S. Gropper and Jack L. Smith; 2009
- "Professional Guide to Diseases: Ninth Edition"; Springhouse Publishing; 2009
- "Biochemical, Physiological and Molecular Aspects of Human Nutrition"; Martha Stipanuk; 2006
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