Do Alkaline Diets Work?

One study estimates that 87% of people ate an alkaline diet before farming, which is the central argument for a modern alkaline diet [27]. Recent research suggests that about half of all people ate an alkaline net diet prior to agriculture, while the other half ate a net diet [28]. ^{Sources: 3}

The alkaline diet aims to prevent this by taking into account the pH of the food when trying to limit the intake of dietary acids. The acid-to-ash hypothesis helps to determine the principles of alkaline nutrition. ^{Sources: 4}

The claim that an alkaline diet alters the pH value of the blood is incorrect. The pH value of the blood and its regulated range can lead to life-threatening diseases. Nevertheless, the food we eat can change the pH of our urine. ^{Sources: 6}

In fact, the pH of urine is a poor indicator of your body’s pH and your health, as there are many factors other than diet that influence it. The kidneys excrete excess acid from the urine. In this way, the body ensures that the blood remains in the necessary pH range. ^{Sources: 6}

The alkaline diet is one of a list of trendy celebrity diets that rely on avoiding foods that cause the body to produce acid. The idea is that the food you eat changes the pH, which is a measure of the acidic alkalis in your body. It is believed that acidic foods disturb this pH value and cause numerous health problems. ^{Sources: 5}

The alkaline diet reinforces the good old-fashioned healthy diet. She recommends eating more vegetables and fruit, drinking plenty of water, and avoiding sugar, alcohol, meat and processed foods. If you change your diet, you will notice a change in the pH of your saliva and urine (these are waste products), but either way, if you eat enough alkaline foods, they will not affect your blood. ^{Sources: 0}

Many people believe that the main benefits of the alkaline diet are false. Diet promotes the false idea that it is possible to change the pH of the blood through diet. This is not true and large changes in the pH level in the blood can be life-threatening. ^{Sources: 2}

Weight loss depends on consuming fewer calories than those burned. Since the alkaline diet tends to be low in calories, it can help people lose weight. It reduces the consumption of fatty and processed meat and encourages people to eat more fruit and vegetables. A diet with less fat and calories can promote weight loss as long as a person stays active and eats a healthy diet. ^{Sources: 2}

It has been suggested that an alkaline diet can prevent a number of diseases and lead to significant health benefits. Looking at the above discussion of bone health, there are certain aspects that are doubtful as to whether they have any benefit. There does not seem to be enough evidence that milk and cheese are harmful, and Rmer’s formula suggests that phosphate could benefit bone health due to a positive calcium balance. Another mechanism by which an alkaline diet can promote bone health is an increase in growth hormone and the resulting increase in osteocalcin. ^{Sources: 7}

Many observational studies have found this association, but others have not found a significant association (13, 14, 15, 16, 17). Clinical studies tend to be more precise and conclude that the acidic form of the diet does not affect calcium levels in the body (9, 18, 19). However, it can improve bone health by increasing calcium retention and activating IGF-1, a hormone that stimulates muscle and bone repair (20,21). ^{Sources: 3}

In this article, we will look at some of the claims around alkaline diets, whether they are true, which foods can improve health, and why. A handful of studies have shown that eating low-acid foods improves health, even if they do not increase the pH of the blood. ^{Sources: 2}

It is crucial for your health that your pH level in the blood remains constant. A significant change in the pH value can be life-threatening. By ticking up or down the diet, you can change the pH of your saliva and urine, but not the body in general. In fact, the idea that the pH level in the blood is wrong and that the diet has other health benefits is false. Some dietitians, for example, claim it can prevent cancer. ^{Sources: 5}

In an alkaline diet, there are many healthy foods (the acids listed above) that are rich in fiber, vitamins and minerals that are essential for overall health, including grains, beans and nuts. This includes coffee and wine, which nutritionists say should be consumed in moderation. ^{Sources: 8}

An alkaline diet allows us to put food on a scale and classify it as either acidic or alkaline. Foods with pH levels between 1 and 7 are considered acidic, such as meat, dairy products and coffee, which we have already mentioned. Foods between 7 and 14 are considered alkaline and nutritious and antioxidant. Some great examples of healthy alkaline foods are citrus fruits. ^{Sources: 1}

A pH of 7 is considered neutral, which is optimal for the human body, but tends to be around 7.4. Therefore, we consider a healthy pH to be slightly alkaline. The more alkaline something is, the higher the number. The less acidic the solution, the lower its pH value. ^{Sources: 4}

Ph values are crucial for plant cultivation, but they also influence the mineral content of the food we eat. The minerals in the ocean, in the soil and in the human body act as a buffer to maintain an optimal pH when the acidity increases and the minerals fall. ^{Sources: 4}

As a reaction to acid loads, as they occur in modern nutrition, phosphate carbonate is released into the systemic cycle, whereby the pH value returns to homeostasis [7]. In chronic acidosis and bone disease, calcium in the form of phosphate carbonate is the largest reservoir at the base of our bodies. ^{Sources: 7}

If it falls outside this range, it can be fatal. One example is metabolic ketoacidosis, which is caused by diabetes, hunger, alcohol consumption and too little nutrition. The alkaline pH value in the blood is between 7.36 and 7.44. In healthy people, the body uses many mechanisms to control the pH in a narrow range to ensure that our pH remains constant.