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If you have done any research into the alkaline diet then you will have learned that it is in essence a fairly simple dietary protocol. The idea behind it is that over the centuries, Western diets have continued to move away from the consumption of fresh fruits and vegetables and towards a more processed acidic diet. These days we consume more empty calories than ever in soft drinks and fast foods. The alkaline diet simply proposes consuming more fruit and vegetables as part of our daily diet. This is really just common sense with some supporting scientific evidence.

Acid forming and base (alkaline) forming foods are classified based upon the nutrient and mineral content of the foods not the actual pH of the foods themselves. A typical example is oranges. These are of course acidic but when eaten exert a base effect upon the human body. This is due to the relatively high potassium content.

The rationale that advocates of the alkaline diet propose is that pH balance is important. The pH of human blood normally falls within the range of 7.35 to 7.45. Quite a narrow spectrum, I am sure you would agree. We are in big trouble if our blood becomes more acidic or alkaline than this. So do the foods we eat really have much of an effect on the pH balance of our body? The fact of the matter is that the foods that we consume do not cause too much of a shift in the pH of our blood. This is because our bodies have systems designed to cope with the consumption of too great a proportion of acid or alkaline forming foods. But it is upon these protection systems that following an alkaline diet has a positive effect.

For example, the consumption of carbonated soft drinks has an acidifying effect upon the human body. To get rid of this acidity, calcium salts from bone are used to neutralize the acids before they are excreted. A study in the Journal of Nutrition concludes that:

excessive dietary protein from [acidic foods] adversely affects bone, unless buffered by the consumption of alkali-rich foods or supplements.

This backs up what we believe to be true, as well as the premise of the alkaline diet, that eating lots of fruit and vegetables is good for our health. At health food stores and on the internet you can find what might be considered scam products such as pH balancing capsules and powders. Would in not be cheaper just to eat more fruits and vegetables instead? You can read more about this topic in this alkaline diet scam review. This way of eating is supported by abundant scientific evidence. But spending a lot of money on alkalizing products is of questionable benefit. The simple message seems to be, cut down on carbonated soft drinks while also increasing the amount of fruit and vegetables that we eat. If you want to use alkalizing supplements then you may well derive some benefit but the fact of the matter is that compared to fresh fruit and vegetables, they are often very expensive.

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