Acidity and alkalinity are measured on a scale called pH, with 0 representing the most acidic level and 14 being the most alkaline. Stomach acid, vinegar, and commercial colas are all within the acidic 2 to 3 range. Eating foods that create the most alkaline effect on blood pH levels can enhance calcium retention and reduce your risk of arthritis and osteoporosis.
Blood Alkalinity
The desireable pH for blood is between 7.35 and 7.45, or slightly alkaline, according to Registered Nutritional Consulting Practitioner Edith Kunszt. When the blood is too acidic, the blood has difficulty carrying oxygen effectively, and may also leach calcium from the bones to try to correct its pH. Foods that are in themselves acidic, such as strawberries, oranges and tomatoes, don't necessarily increase blood acidity, however. Fruits and vegetables, even those that seem acidic like tart citrus fruits, tend to make the blood more alkaline because they are rich in precursors to bicarbonate ions, which counteract blood acidity, according to the Oregon State University Linus Pauling Institute.
Minerals
Calcium, potassium and magnesium are alkalizing minerals that reduce blood acidity, according to the Robert Wood Johnson Medical School Women's Health Institute, which recommends mineral supplements to women trying to raise their blood pH levels. Foods rich in these three minerals also have an alkalizing effect on the body. Good dietary sources of potassium include bananas, avocados, tomatoes and potatoes, according to the University of Maryland Medical Center. Leafy green vegetables are good dietary sources of calcium, as are dairy products, but avoid hard cheeses, which are highly acid-forming.
Alkaline Diet
Eating predominantly a mix of colorful fruits and vegetables is the best way to maintain the ideal, slightly alkaline blood pH, according to nutritional researcher Sam Graci. Aim for a daily diet of about 75 percent alkaline-forming fruits and vegetables and 25 percent mildly acidic grains, legumes and soft dairy products, Graci recommends. Skip smeat, fish, eggs and hard cheese to keep blood acidity in check. The sulfur and concentrated proteins of these foods result in strongly increased blood acidity.
Considerations and Warnings
Foods that are themselves alkaline, rather than alkaline-forming in the body, are a preferred host for certain dangerous food contaminants. Botulism, a disease caused by the Clostridium botulinium organism, thrives in unsafely prepared alkaline foods like meats, and non-acidic vegetables like beans, according to the Alabama Cooperative Extension System. Home and commercial canners preserving alkaline foods must take special precautions to ensure that botulism is eliminated from their products, including adding acid components such as vinegar to the food, and using a pressure canner to reach temperatures sufficient to kill the botulism organism.
References
- Virginia Tech College of Agriculture and Life Sciences: What is pH?
- Robert Wood Johnson Medical School Women's Health Institute: pH Test
- Alabama Cooperative Extension System; The Univited Dinner Guest: Botulism; Evelyn F. Crayton; October 1988
- Oregon State University Linus Pauling Institute; Fruits and Vegetables; Jane Higdon PhD; December 2005
- "Alive"; Alkalinity; Sam Graci; August 2005
- "Alive"; Are You (pH) Balanced?; Edith Kunszt RNCP; October 2003
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