Acid/Alkaline Foods Flashcards
One of the basic necessities for the body to function properly is…
maintaining the proper balance of acidity and alkalinity (pH) in the blood and other body fluids
Acid-alkaline theory of disease
an oversimplification, but states that many diseases are caused by excess acid accumulation in the body
Conditions affected by acid theory
osteoporosis, rheumatoid arthritis, gout, etc
Ex: osteoporosis may be result of a chronic intake of acid-forming foods consistently outweighing the intake of alkaline foods, leading to the bones being constantly forced to give up their alkaline minerals (calcium & Mg) in order to buffer excess acid
Dietary goal for good health re: acid/alkaline
make sure you consume more alkaline-producing foods than acid-producing foods
Acidic foods vs acid forming
not the same!! lemons and citrus are acidic, but are alkalizing to the body
pH nature of food is determined by metabolic end products when it is digested
Ex: citric acid in citrus fruit is metabolized in the body to its alkaline form (Citrate) and may even be converted to bicarbonate, another alkaline
Professor Jurgen Vormanne chart acid/alkaline
Foods with negative value exert a base (B) or alkaline effect
Foods with positive value an acid (A)
Neutral foods are labeled with N
calculation based on potential acid load to kidneys in milliequivalent per 3.5oz(100g serving
Acidic beverages
pale beer, coca-cola
Alkalizing beverages
apple juice, draft beer, stout beer, beetroot juice, carrot juice, cocoa with skim milk, coffee, espresso, fruit tea, grape juice, green tea, herbal tea, lemon juice, mineral water, orange juice, red wine, Indian tea, tomato juice, vegetable juice, white whine
Acidic fats, oils, nuts
almonds, butter, peanuts, pistachio, walnuts
Alkalizing fats, oils, nuts
hazelnuts, margarine
Neutral fats, oils, nuts
olive oil, sunflower seed oil
Acidic fish & seafood
carp, cod, eel, haddock, halibut, herring, mussels, prawn, rosefish, salmon, sardines, shrimp, sole, tiger prawn, trout, Zander
Alkalizing fish & seafood
none on chart
Acidic fruits
none on chart
Alkalizing fruits
apples, apricots, bananas, black currants, cherries, kids, grapefruit, grapes, kiwifruit, lemon, mango, orange, peach, pear, pineapple, raisins, strawberries, watermelon
Acidic grains & flour
amaranth, barley, buckwheat, corn, cornflakes, spelt grains, millet, oat flakes, brown rice, white rice, rye flour, wheat flour
Alkalizing grains & flour
none on chart
Acidic pastries
macaroni, noodles, spaetzle, spaghetti
Alkalizing pastries
none on chart
Acidic bread
rye, wheat, white, wholemeal, pumpernickel
Alkalizing bread
none on chart
Acidic legumes
lentils, peas
Alkalizing legumes
green beans, soybeans, soy milk, tofu
Acidic meat & sausages
beef (lean only), sausage, chicken (meat only), corned beef, duck, frankfurters, goose, lamb, liver, pork sausage, pork, rabbit, salami, turkey (meat only), veal
