Yogurt is pasteurized milk that’s been fermented by lactic bacteria, a process that converts the milk’s sugar, or lactose, into lactic acid, resulting in its pudding-like texture and distinctive, slightly sour flavor. The most commonly available yogurts are made from cow, goat or soy milk, but it’s possible to make yogurt from most types of milk, including almond, rice and coconut milk. Like all foods, yogurt produces compounds when it’s metabolized that determine its pH nature in the body. Depending on the milk it’s made from and whether or not it contains added sugar, yogurt can be slightly to highly acid-forming in the body.
Acid Content
A food’s pH value is reflective of its acid content. Almost all foods contain enough naturally occurring acids to give them slightly acidic pH values. A few foods, including citrus fruits and yogurt, contain enough acid to classify them as high-acid foods with values below 4.6 on the pH scale. The pH range of yogurt is 4 to 4.4, which is slightly more acidic than buttermilk and cream cheese. A food’s pH value isn’t necessarily reflective of its pH nature in the body, however. For example, most fruits have acidic pH values, but are moderately to highly alkaline-forming in the body.
Yogurt and Metabolism
To some degree, all types of yogurt are acid-forming in the body. Like many other high-protein foods, including red meat, poultry, fish and many legumes, yogurt has sulfur-containing amino acids that produce sulfuric acid residues when metabolized. According to “The Acid Alkaline Food Guide,” unsweetened yogurt made from cow, goat or sheep milk is only slightly acid-forming in the body. Sweetening any of these yogurts with refined sugar or artificial sweetener makes them moderately acid-forming in the body, because refined sugar and artificial sweeteners are very acidifying. Frozen yogurt and unsweetened and sweetened soy yogurt are all highly acid-forming in the body.
Effects on Body pH
Every food you eat has a temporary and miniscule effect on your body’s pH balance. Alkaline-forming foods support your body’s homeostasis and contribute to crucial alkali reserves. Because cells and tissues require a slightly alkaline environment to function properly, your body must buffer and remove the acidic residues produced by acid-forming foods. A long-term diet emphasizing acid-forming foods can result in the buildup of acids in bodily tissues, or chronic low-grade metabolic acidosis, a condition marked by a slightly acidic body pH. Consumed in moderate amounts, however, nutritious acid-forming foods — including yogurt — are important components of a balanced diet.
Considerations
The least acid-forming yogurt is non-soy, fresh, unsweetened and organic. Pesticides and growth hormones reduce the alkalizing potential of alkaline-forming foods and magnify the acidifying nature of acid-forming foods. Additionally, any form of added sugar or artificial sweetener greatly increases a food's acid-forming nature. Topping a bowl of plain yogurt with fresh fruit makes it a more balanced meal, because most fruit is alkaline-forming in the body. Highly alkalizing fruits include blackberries, raspberries, strawberries, kiwi fruit, mangoes, papayas, dates, raisins and figs. Adding yogurt to a bowl of unsweetened oatmeal and granola also makes a more alkalizing meal. All wheat-based cereals are acid-forming, so combining them with yogurt increases the meal’s overall acidity.
References
- “The Encyclopedia of Healing Foods”; Michael Murray, N.D., et al.; 2005
- “The Acid Alkaline Food Guide”; Dr. Susan E. Brown, et al.; 2006
- “The pH Balance Diet”; Bharti Vyas, et al.; 2007
- MBH Engineering Systems: The Importance of pH in Food Quality and Production
- Oklahoma State University: “The Importance of Food pH in Commercial Canning Operations”; William McGlynn
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