Definition

• An alkaline diet is a diet that is high in alkaline foods and low in acidic foods. It is premised on the belief that the Western diet is unhealthy and is creating an acidic environment within the body. Advocates of an acid alkaline diet argue that the acidic environment fosters and creates certain health problems that can be avoided or minimized by altering the way we eat.
  
  

Significance

• Proponents of an alkaline diet believe that high pH levels, or high acid levels in the blood, contribute to premature aging, cancer allergies, heart and muscle problems, obesity and general feelings of fatigue. They claim that these high pH levels can actually be altered by diet, thus reducing the risks of these health problems and/or preventing them altogether.
  
  

Effects

• Physicians at Bringham and Women's Hospital, a Harvard-affiliated teaching hospital, dispute claims about the effectiveness of the acid alkaline diet. Experts argue that certain mechanisms, such as breathing rates, and the excretory system help to maintain normal pH levels regardless of diet. Thus, they point out that altering the consumption rate of acidic and alkaline foods will have no lasting effect on the pH balance of the body.
  
  

Foods to Eat

• The basic premise behind an alkaline diet is that you should eat more alkaline foods to lower pH levels. Recommended foods that are high in alkalinity include wheat, barley, squash, spinach, avocado, broccoli, peppers, tomatoes, onions, chickpeas, pinto and kidney beans, mint, garlic, basil, olive oil, radishes, lemons and limes, watermelon, grapefruit, alfalfa sprouts and lentils, among others.
  
  

Foods to Avoid

• In addition to eating alkaline-rich foods to lower the pH level, foods rich in acid should be avoided as part of an alkaline diet, including saturated fats, dairy products, sugar, most meats, wheat, pasta and white rice, most fruits, tobacco, coffee and carbonated beverages.