What is an Alkaline Diet and How Does It Work?

Over the last few years the Alkaline diet has been in the headlines, although for both positive and negative reasons. The alkaline diet is based on the idea that too much acidity in your body can reduce your energy, cause illness and upset your digestion. The diet is designed to offset the acidity by eating alkaline forming foods and was initially developed to help with kidney stones and urine infections, as the PH of your urine changes depending on what you eat.

What Does The Alkaline Diet Claim to Do? 

The Alkaline diet is believes that the level of acidity is affected by the foods you eat, the amount you exercise and your mood. It recommends that around 80% of the food you eat should be alkaline forming. It’s believed that too much acidity can cause fatigue, irritability, sensitivity, aches and pains, headaches, insomnia, stomach acidity, acid reflux, indigestion and heartburn. The benefits of more alkaline in your diet could be improved heart function, reduced food cravings and greater emotional wellbeing.

What Are The Alkaline Forming Foods?

Alkaline forming foods are those rich in calcium, magnesium, potassium and sodium.

  • Avocado
  • Apricots
  • Apples
  • Bananas
  • Beans
  • Beetroot
  • Berries
  • Cherries
  • Cabbage
  • Carrots
  • Celery
  • Cider Vinegar
  • Coconut
  • Dried fruit
  • Figs
  • Grapefruit
  • Grapes
  • Lemon
  • Lentils
  • Linseeds
  • Lettuce
  • Melon
  • Milk
  • Mushrooms
  • Onion
  • Oranges
  • Potatoes
  • Peaches
  • Pears
  • Prunes
  • Rhubarb
  • Quinoa
  • Raspberries
  • Root vegetables
  • Seeds
  • Short-grain brown rice
  • Spinach
  • Tangerines
  • Tomatoes
  • Yogurt

What are the Acid Forming Foods that Should Be Reduced? 

Acid forming foods are rich in chlorine, phosphorous, sulphur and nitrogen.

  • Asparagus
  • Bacon
  • Beef
  • Brazil Nuts
  • Cheddar cheese
  • Chicken
  • Coffee
  • Cola
  • Cranberries
  • Cress
  • Edam
  • Eggs
  • Fats
  • Fizzy Water
  • Fried foods
  • Hazelnuts
  • Herrings
  • Lamb
  • Liver
  • Mackerel
  • Mayonaise
  • Mustard
  • Olives
  • Oatmeal
  • Plums
  • Rice
  • Rye
  • Salt
  • Shellfish
  • Sugar
  • Stilton
  • Tapioca
  • Tea
  • Veal
  • Walnuts
  • Wholemeal Floir
  • Wheat

Does the Alkaline Diet Work?

There isn’t much evidence that the Alkaline diet has real health benefits, although more research into it is needed. Dieticians have warned that diets like this should be adopted carefully, and claims that it’s good for people with cancer dont have any evidence. The NHS advices against cutting out whole food groups if certain versions of the diet are adopted. A strict eating plan that cuts out grains, dairy and animal foods completely could leave you lacking in protein, as well as vitamin D, vitamin B12, calcium and iron. However, they do acknowledge that the food you’re advised to eat on the diet are all good for you and are largely those that are promoted for healthy weight management.

2020-09-10T15:24:04+00:00

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