Plant and animal products, proteins and carbohydrates, harmful and beneficial, organic and inorganic, gastronomic and grocery: what groups food items are not classified into! Each has its distinctive features which constitute a food plan. For example, vegetarians choose exclusively plant-based foods, adherents of healthy diets choose healthy foods, and those who are losing weight choose low-calorie foods. Another classification was proposed at the beginning of the 20th century. It was criticised, constantly revised and updated, occasionally consigned to oblivion and sometimes raised to the peak of popularity. Today it is once again fashionable.
According to it, our menu includes acidic and alkaline foods. As the former are harmful, the latter are just as beneficial. Does this classification stand up to current scientific scrutiny and is it worth paying attention to?
What is pH
To understand what alkaline foods are and what effect they have on the body, one must understand what pH is. This is an index of acidity which reflects the concentration of hydrogen ions and their level of activity. It quantitatively expresses the acidity of a particular environment. It is of vital importance to the biochemical reactions occurring in the organism. It affects the properties and functioning of proteins and amino acids.
The normal pH value for the human body is neutral, equal to 7. In the blood, it can rise slightly to 7.45 and not be harmful. For the gastric environment, the golden mean is a level of 3.5.
pH values
A change in the acid-base balance (also called acid-base equilibrium, abbreviated as ABE or COR) can lead to serious illnesses. Therefore, this is tightly regulated by the organism’s buffers (bicarbonate, phosphate, protein, hemoglobin and erythrocytes).
Acidosis is an increase in acidity (decrease in pH) in the body. Main causes:
- fever;
- intestinal disorders;
- pregnancy;
- starvation;
- diabetes.
Consequences of acidosis:
- atherosclerosis, varicose veins, high blood pressure, increased risk of stroke and heart attack;
- blindness;
- diabetes;
- tumors;
- coma, death;
- obesity, cellulitis.
The acidic metabolic products “like” to be deposited in the connective tissue of the thighs, buttocks and upper arms. This leads to an increase in the number of adipocytes. The result is excess weight and orange peel in these areas.
Alkalosis is an increase in pH due to an absolute or relative excess of bases. The most common causes of alkalosis are:
- hyperventilation of the lungs as a result of organic lesions of the brain, poisoning by toxins, elevated temperature, and acute blood loss;
- vomiting, taking diuretics, kidney disease, hyperhidrosis;
- prolonged consumption of alkalizing foods (leading to moderate alkalosis);
- hemolysis.
Consequences of alkalosis:
- hypokalemia;
- arrhythmia;
- neuromuscular excitability, convulsions;
- hypoxemia;
- pulmonary failure.
It should be noted that severe forms of alkalosis and acidosis develop extremely rarely, since the body’s buffers react immediately to changes in pH and normalize it. However, common illnesses, poor health and reduced performance are commonly indicative of slight, but still significant ABE disorders. There are various means of restoring it. One of these is an alkaline diet.
Effects of alkaline foods
In the mid-20th century, the proposal was made to distinguish between alkaline and acidic foods, which have the most direct impact on the body’s pH level.
Alkaline (alkalizing) foods — upon entering the body, trigger alkaline reactions, increasing the pH and normalizing (if consumed within the normal range) the ABE. They can lead to alkalosis.
Acidic (oxidizing) foods — upon entering the body, trigger acidic reactions, decreasing the pH and disrupting the ABE and leading to acidosis.
Given that 95% of people have low pH levels and an acidic environment predominates in the body, it is necessary to make alkalizing foods a staple of the diet. Their effect on the body is difficult to overestimate:
- reduce fatigue, drowsiness and depression; give energy and improve mood;
- strengthen the immune system;
- enrich the body with vital minerals: zinc, magnesium, calcium, sodium, iron;
- cleanse the intestines and remove toxins;
- promote weight loss;
- maintain youth and beauty, improving the appearance and health of the skin (combating cellulitis), hair and nails;
- normalize the work of the cardiovascular system;
- destroy free radicals, reducing the risk of cancer;
- improve eyesight;
- relieve swelling.
When consumed correctly and in sufficient quantities, products with an alkaline reaction can normalize the functioning of many organs, improve health and reduce the risk of various diseases. Conversely, if acidic foods predominate in the diet when the body is acidified, serious health problems are unlikely to be avoided.
A few “buts”
If foods with an alkaline environment are so beneficial and promote not only the body’s healing, but also weight loss, why do nutritionists and doctors treat them with some caution?
Reason 1
The first such classification of foods was proposed by Walker, a well-known expert in the field of nutrition. The problem is that he did not have a medical education. And exactly how he calculated the coefficients of alkalization and acidification is unknown. Yet his table is currently the basis for alkaline diet systems aimed at restoring pH. Doubts about the validity of the data that he provided are the main reason for distrust.
Reason 2
It has been scientifically proven that, even if acidic foods predominate over alkalizing foods in the diet for a long time, this will not lead to catastrophic consequences. The reason for this is the body’s buffers, which automatically normalize pH.
Reason 3
People often perceive foods that alkalize the body as a panacea for all illnesses and reject oxidizing foods. This is a fundamentally incorrect approach to organizing your diet, which will lead to alkalosis with all the ensuing consequences.
Reason 4
Walker’s ideas inspired many healers who are quite authoritative among the people. These include Aleksandr Timofeevich Ogulov and Ivan Pavlovich Neumyvakin. They have entire systems for restoring the body’s ABE. These include breathing exercises, ingesting baking soda and special physical exercises. And, of course, a special diet with a predominance of alkalizing foods. However, official medicine treats Ogulov’s and Neumyvakin’s methods with distrust and urges caution in trying them out on oneself.
Reason 5
There are no official scientific research results confirming a clear division of foods into those that alkalize and those that acidify the body. On the contrary, scientists are increasingly saying that it is conditional. For example, fresh beans are alkaline, while dried and boiled beans are acidic. One variety of blackcurrant has a sweet taste, as it has a high concentration of sugar. Another is so sour that it makes your jaw ache. And they will have completely different effects on pH.
And there is certainly no research on the degree of alkalization. It is unknown where Walker got the acid-base indexes for his classification. After all, he did not have scientific laboratories at his disposal, and he himself was not a doctor, chemist or biologist. He tested all his theories and methods on himself and drew conclusions based solely on his own experience.
