Preventing hyperacidity and illness: The best foods for an alkaline diet
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Not all acids are the same: The human body maintains an individual acid-base balance, which gets out of balance in half of all people. Alkaline-rich foods play a crucial role in regulating acidity and restoring natural balance. Here we present you with all the relevant information, including tables with alkaline foods, on the alkaline diet.
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Keeping the body’s acid-base balance in balance is not only trendy, but also has a health aspect: many foods contain acid-producing substances that “acidify” the body. This can lead to, among other things, harmful health consequences. An alkaline diet is crucial to counteract this.
Consequences of an unstable acid-base balance
Almost all illnesses can be traced back to excessive acidity in the body. As a result, this could lead to chronic diseases such as neurodermatitis, osteoarthritis, osteoporosis, cardiac arrhythmias and even cancer.
Alkaline nutrition is considered a good way to prevent this. However, the effects are largely unproven scientifically. In addition, the human body has some highly efficient mechanisms and organs (such as the kidneys or liver) that can prevent hyperacidity.
Differences between acidic and alkaline foods
Alkaline foods not only relieve the regulatory mechanisms, but also prevent excessive acidity in the body. Alkaline or “alkaline-forming” foods provide the body with important alkaline minerals.
It is not initially clear how the distinction is made between acidic and alkaline food. The acid-base representation is not about the acidity of food, but rather a constructed value. This refers to the components into which a food is broken down through digestion and metabolism.
This becomes very clear using the example of lemons: lemons are considered sour not only because of their taste, but also because of their high vitamin C content and the many ascorbic and fruit acids. However, the body breaks them down quickly, so that alkaline substances, such as the minerals potassium and magnesium, ultimately predominate.
This means that more alkaline than acidic substances remain after digestion. Therefore, the lemon is not classified as an acidic fruit, but rather as an “alkaline-forming” fruit. This also includes many vegetables and fruits, herbs, mushrooms, sprouts and sprouts and almonds.
The alkaline content of different types of fruit and vegetables varies from strongly alkaline to weakly alkaline. Vegetables in particular contain many alkaline substances, such as: spinach, carrots, celery, rocket, green beans, cauliflower, savoy cabbage, fresh peas, tomatoes, cucumbers, beets, white beans and bananas.
Most types of fruit can only keep up to a limited extent, as they have a weak to medium alkaline effect. Acidic or acid-forming foods, on the other hand, have a negative impact on the acid-base balance and should be largely avoided. This includes milk and dairy products, fish, meat, eggs, sweets and grains.
Good and bad acid generators
Good acidifiers: These foods are very nutritious and healthy. However, the following applies: you should enjoy them in moderation and always combine them with alkaline-forming foods. These include whole grain cereals and products, oat flakes, legumes, whole grain rice, millet, nuts (hazelnuts, walnuts, macadamia and Brazil nuts), oilseeds (linseed, sesame – but also sunflower and pumpkin seeds, chia and poppy seeds), pseudocereals ( amaranth, quinoa and buckwheat) or tofu.
Bad acid generators: You may have already guessed: Bad acid generators include all heavily processed products from the food industry and fast food. If you want to eat healthily, you should consistently avoid these foods. This category includes ready-made products and drinks, dairy products, grain products made from white flour (e.g. cakes, pastries, pasta, cereals), products made from gluten (vegetarian bolognese, cold cuts or seitan), highly processed soy products (minced meat substitute or soy protein), alcohol and coffee as well other caffeinated drinks. If you want to prevent food cravings, click here.
More about nutrition
Grains: spelled, rye, barley, corn Grain products made from white flour: baked goods, pasta, cereals Grain products: bulgur, couscous, oat flakes Meat and meat products: sausage, ham, offal Pseudo-grains: quinoa, amaranth, buckwheat Fish and seafood: salmon, Shrimp, herring Legumes: lentils, beans, soybeans, chickpeas, peas Milk and milk products: yogurt, quark, pudding Tofu and fermented soy products: miso, tempeh heavily processed products: ready meals, sauces, etc. Nuts Eggs Oil seeds: sesame, linseed, pumpkin seeds, Poppy seeds, hemp alcohol, soft drinks, lemonades, caffeine, cocoa and raw cocoa powder, highly hydrogenated fats (margarine, spreadable fats)
That’s why alkaline foods are important
At least 50 percent of all people have an imbalance in their acid-base balance and are therefore at risk of a mineral deficiency. A large part of it is excreted via the lungs when exhaling or by the kidneys in the urine. This risk is particularly increased by the predominant consumption of too much meat, cheese, coffee, alcohol and fast food. Lack of exercise, stress and nicotine also promote health problems.
Too much “acid” in the body is a major problem if all enzymes and metabolic processes in the body are to function. On the other hand, if you eat a balanced and healthy diet, you no longer need to worry about your acid-base balance. With lots of fresh foods such as fruit and vegetables, whole grain products, legumes and nuts, you can significantly relieve the burden on your regulatory mechanisms.
It is also recommended to drink two liters of mineral water or unsweetened tea every day. This promotes acid excretion via the kidneys. Regular exercise also supports the release of carbon dioxide through breathing. A relief day can help when fasting.
This is how alkaline excess nutrition works
A purely alkaline diet is very difficult to implement in everyday life. Instead, it is recommended to switch to the so-called base-excess diet. In the defused version, the focus is on predominantly consuming alkaline foods. Here you can also use acid-forming foods, but only the weak acid-forming ones.
These still contain important minerals and vitamins that can enrich your diet and contribute to a healthy diet. As a guideline for your own diet, it is recommended to eat 70 to 80 percent alkaline foods and 20 to 30 percent acid-forming foods.
Alkaline fruit
Apples, pineapples, apricots, apricots, pears, clementines, strawberries, figs, blueberries, raspberries, cherries, kiwi, limes, tangerines, mangoes, melons, mirabelle plums, oranges, grapefruits, papayas, peaches, plums, quinces, gooseberries, star fruits, dried fruits, grapes, lemons, plums
Alkaline vegetables
Artichokes Eggplants Lettuce Cauliflower Green beans Broccoli Fresh peas Cucumbers Kale Carrots Potatoes Kohlrabi Pumpkin Chard Peppers Parsnips Radishes Brussels sprouts Beets Red cabbage Celery Asparagus Spinach Sweet potatoes Tomatoes White beans Savoy cabbage
Alkaline herbs, mushrooms and sprouts
Basic mushrooms
Alkaline herbs & spices
Basic sprouts & germs
Chanterelles Nutmeg Broccoli Sprouts Oyster Mushrooms Cloves Bokshornklee Shiitake Chili Peppers Radish Sprouts Mushrooms Oregano Porcini Dill Morel Parsley Truffle Pepper Peppermint Rosemary Sage Chives Coriander Thyme Ginger Vanilla
Alkaline drinks
Water Unsweetened herbal and fruit teas Water with lemon juice or apple cider vinegar Vegetable juices with no added sugar Fruit smoothies with no added milk or sugar
Cook with alkaline foods
The core idea of a purely alkaline diet includes lots of fresh fruit and vegetables. The golden rule applies here: the ratio between alkaline and acid-forming foods should be 80 to 20 percent. Here you will find five recipe ideas for alkaline cooking.
You can include the following examples in your alkaline diet:
Pumpkin, potato or turnip soup: Cook the vegetables in vegetable broth until soft, puree and season to taste. To refine your dishes, you can also use pumpkin seed or sesame oil instead of dairy products. Fresh herbs are an important part of the alkaline diet and spice up every dish. Nut butter is ideal for thickening sauces and also tastes great in salad dressing. Make sure that the puree does not contain any added sugar. With the above-mentioned base or acid-base powder from the market, you can reduce the acid load caused by food and compensate for excess acid. This dietary supplement is composed of a mixture of mineral salt compounds and sucrose and/or lactose.