The General Guide to Acidic and Alkaline Foods
The General Guide to Acidic and Alkaline Foods
The pH level of a body is necessary to maintain life. pH is the measure of the acidity or alkalinity of the subject, and must be in balance to sustain health. pH stands for the potential of hydrogen, a common element in the blood of a person, and a normal pH level is around 7.35-7.45.The pH scale is measured from 0-14, with lower numbers signifying acidity and higher numbers meaning alkalinity.
A balanced pH is necessary in the body, particularly in the blood. Blood courses through all parts of the body and carries cells to tissues that will help in fighting disease. When the pH level of a person’s blood is found to be more acidic (less than 7 on the pH scale), the body is more prone to disease and health issues, and must provide alkaline minerals to restore the balance. pH levels may also be found in urine and saliva.
A high state of acidity within a persons bloodstream causes a large number of health concerns, and puts them at risk for inflammatory illness and a loss of important nutrients in the body. This is largely due to the foods and medicines that people eat and the quantities consumed. Many foods of the American diet today are highly acidic, resulting in an unbalanced pH level of the blood.
Researchers recommend testing the body’s pH levels to get a baseline level of pH. A person should then eat a balanced diet of both acidic and alkaline foods to maintain a stable pH level. If an initial check of pH shows acidity, a person should first focus on eating alkaline foods to bring their pH back to a normal level and restore nutrients. A person can then continue to monitor that level and their diet to maintain their best health.
pH Resources
- Acidity and pH: A basic explanation of pH levels and what they mean.
- Understanding Acid Alkaline Foods: A description of an alkaline diet, with certain foods as an example of acidity or alkalinity.
- Alkaline Foods/Acidic Foods: An overview of food types with examples in each category.
- Health Education Foundation for America: An extensive list of alkaline and acidic foods.
- Acid Food List: A list of acid foods and the amount they decrease alkaline reserves in the body.
- Testing pH balance: An explanation of the importance of pH balance and how to test it.
- Saliva pH Test: An example pH test of saliva to determine susceptibility to disease, primarily cancer.
- pH Balance: Causes of pH imbalance and the cause of disease.
- Urine pH: An explanation of the test to measure urine pH from the National Institutes of Health.
| Alkaline Foods | Acidic Foods |
|---|---|
| Almond | Bacon |
| Apple | Beef |
| Banana | Beer |
| Beets | Blueberry |
| Broccoli | Bread |
| Carrot | Butter |
| Cinnamon | Cheese |
| Cucumber | Corn |
| Eggplant | Crackers |
| Garlic | Cranberry |
| Grapes | Fish |
| Kale | Flour |
| Lemon | Green Beans |
| Lettuce | Ice Cream |
| Lime | Lobster |
| Mushrooms | Macaroni |
| Mustard | Oatmeal |
| Onions | Olives |
| Orange | Peanuts |
| Pear | Pecans |
| Peas | Pork |
| Radishes | Rice |
| Raspberry | Sausage |
| Shiitake | Shrimp |
| Spinach | Soft Drinks |
| Strawberry | Sugar |
| Tomatoes | Walnuts |
| Watermelon |
Wheat |