Enter your search... CATEGORIES 74 Alkaline Foods to Naturally Balance Your Body If you’re trying to go alkaline, you’ll need to know which foods help your body get to and stay in an alkaline state. The general idea is to eat foods without worrying about an acidic effect, although some are more alkaline than others. It’s not necessary to eat only alkaline foods in order to get the body’s pH levels to be alkaline, and a certain percentage of foods can and should be acidic, but you should try to choose natural whole foods, like fruits, vegetables and natural grains…   Should I Try The Alkaline Diet The alkaline diet is one in a string of evidence-based and non-evidence-based diet fads. The idea is to replace acid-forming foods with alkaline foods in order to balance your body’s pH levels. Certain food components that can cause acidity in the body include protein, phosphate and sulfur. Alkaline components, on the other hand, include calcium, potassium and magnesium. Acidic foods include meat, poultry, fish, eggs, dairy, alcohol and most grains, while alkaline foods include certain fruits, nuts, legumes and vegetables. There are also foods that are considered neutral, including natural fats, starches and natural sugars. The alkaline diet is said to improve health and fight serious diseases like cancer. Although the diet is actually quite healthy in essence, there is no evolutionary evidence or human physiological evidence to support some of the many health claims. The reason the diet is a healthy one is because it encourages the consumption of natural unprocessed plant-based foods and lots of fruits and vegetables. But acids, such as amino acids and fatty acids, are actually an extremely important part of any diet in people who don’t have an intolerance to them, and should not be cut out.  What Should My pH Levels Be? This is an important foundation of the alkaline diet, and the ideas behind it. The pH value is a measure of how acidic or alkaline something is, and ranges from 0 to 14. Anything ranging from 0 to 7 is considered acidic, 7 is neutral, and 7 to 14 is alkaline, or basic. However, the pH value in people’s bodies varies greatly throughout. Some parts are alkaline and other parts are acidic. The stomach, for example, has hydrochloric acid in it, making it highly acidic, but this is an important digestive necessity in order to break down food. Blood, however, is always slightly alkaline, and it is extremely serious and sometimes fatal if it becomes acidic. Food cannot change your blood pH though, so what you eat has nothing to do with blood becoming acidic. It is only ever caused by a serious disease affecting its level.  Healthy Alkaline Foods If you feel that you have an unbalanced diet and eat too many acidic forming foods, like meat, dairy, processed food and alcohol, and not enough alkaline foods, like fruits, vegetables and legumes, then take a look at this list and see if you can increase your alkaline intake…  1. Almonds & Almond Milk These tasty nuts consistently rank on the list of healthiest foods to eat, and they’re also an alkaline food. Almonds have been linked to increased muscle gain, lowering cholesterol levels, and aiding fat loss. You don’t have to eat a lot of almonds in order to enjoy their benefits, but they do make a great snack that you can take anywhere, making them a great option for in between meals. Top stats (per 100g): Calcium – 27% Iron – 25% Protein – 44%  2. Amaranth This is a grain that not many people are familiar with. It makes a great addition to any alkaline-focused diet plan. In addition to being an alkaline forming food, it is also known for its relatively high levels of protein for a grain, and it is full of vitamins and minerals that are essential for overall health. If you’re not sure how to prepare it for you and your family, there are plenty of recipes available to bring you up to speed. Top stats (per 100g): Calcium – 16% Iron – 42% Protein – 14g  3. Artichokes Artichokes are often seen on top of salads, or blended up in dips, but there are a number of reasons to make them more of a feature food in your diet. One of those reasons is their alkalinity, which helps raise your body’s pH levels. Artichokes are full of antioxidants, and help purify the liver, aiding digestion. So, a salad with leafy greens and topped with a hearty amount of artichokes is a great idea. Top stats (per 100g): Vitamin C – 20% Vitamin K – 12% Folates – 17%  4. Arugula Here’s a leafy green that’s really worth getting to know. Arugula is often used as part of a detox diet plan, and the fact that it’s an alkaline food is a big part of that. This ultra-healthy vegetable is full of Vitamin A and has an impressive amount of calcium. We usually associate dairy products with calcium, but this is a great alternative source to make sure you’re getting enough. Top stats (per 100g): Calcium – 16% Vitamin A – 47% Iron – 8%  5. Asparagus Sticking with the super beneficial greens – asparagus has an alkaline effect on the body, and it just so happens that it’s one of the strongest foods you can eat in terms of alkalinity. Each food is ranked according to how alkaline it is, and asparagus is one of the “big dogs” in that chart. But it brings a lot more than that to the table, including antioxidants, nutrients, and plenty of detoxifying components. Asparagus has even been found to have anti-aging benefits, which should be enough for most people to start adding more of it to their meals! Top stats (per 100g): Vitamin A – 15% Vitamin C – 9% Iron – 12% P.S. Take a look at the 5 veggies that boost female metabolism and burn off lower belly fat.  NEXT »  You may also like: 30 Easy & Healthy Pasta Recipes 37 Cancer Fighting Foods & Drinks 11 Prenatal Vitamins to Help Ensure a Healthy Pregnancy 56 Anti-Inflammatory Foods for a Healthier Body 30 Low Glycemic Foods to Keep Your Blood Sugar Levels Down 107 COMMENTS Lina NOVEMBER 10, 2013 AT 1:39 PM Link between alkaline foods and allergies is via regulation of histamine release. Many of alkalizing foods contain antihistamines. And as a backlink – histamine also regulates acidity i.e. less acid is produced with foods that do not stimulate histamine release, and they happen to be alkalizing foods (although not all of them are histamine neutral). Reply wood MAY 26, 2016 AT 1:03 PM Alkalining Vegetables: Beets, Broccoli, Cauliflower, Celery, Cucumber, Kale, Lettuce, Onions, Peas, Peppers, Spinach Reply she MAY 26, 2016 AT 1:17 PM Alkalizing Fruits: Apple, Banana, Berries, Cantaloupe, Grapes, Melon, Lemon, Orange, Peach, Pear, Watermelon Reply pearl MAY 26, 2016 AT 1:25 PM In case you’re attempting to go antacid, you’ll have to know which nourishments help your body get to and stay in a soluble state. The general thought is to eat sustenances without agonizing over an acidic impact, albeit some are more basic than others. It’s not important to eat just soluble nourishments keeping in mind the end goal to get the body’s pH levels to be basic, and a specific rate of sustenances can and ought to be acidic, yet you ought to attempt to pick characteristic entire sustenances, similar to organic products, vegetables and regular grains… Reply Mutembei JANUARY 4, 2014 AT 10:44 AM Thanks but which foods can relieve fatigue? Reply Neil OCTOBER 1, 2014 AT 3:30 AM Forgive my long wind intro but I feel it is important for this comment. I am an absolute believer of the alkaline-forming diet. 2 years ago my pH was regularly below 5.5 both saliva and urine. I had acidosis, gout, high cholesterol and overweight. I was suffering fatigue and my body and skin were suffering. I also had liver and kidney issues. My nails had beau lines which indicate internal organ trauma. After much research and changing food habits which included cutting way back on sugar foods from mid-afternoon; drinking lemon water and filtered water, taking more greens and ingesting and washing my teeth in refined coconut oil I can say I am a changed man. New stats. Saliva and urine pH is now 6.3 – 6.5. Cholesterol is 3.88. 25 kgs weight loss and staying off. Halistosis gone. Liver and kidney function normal and my skin is looking the best it has ever looked in years. My fatigue has gone and also all the aches and pains. My body temperature(very important ) is now 36.6 C (was .4.8 Reply Neil OCTOBER 1, 2014 AT 3:33 AM Just to add. This was all to do with science and research not just blogs. Watermelon made a big difference in my life. I also think more clearly now. Thoroughly support your article. Thanks Reply Thanosak OCTOBER 21, 2015 AT 5:53 PM i agree 100% to everything NEIL said.. especially for the water mellow i think has the hi ph 8,5 ,Melon & lemon juice too. Reply Theresa DECEMBER 31, 2015 AT 5:24 PM Hi, Was reading your comment and would love to know more on your eating habits! Thank you and hope you are still going strong! Reply Sue JUNE 17, 2015 AT 3:17 PM It must seem for you as if you’ve been reborn – so lovely to hear how well you feel now. I am just starting on my journey. Reply carolyn FEBRUARY 20, 2015 AT 7:23 PM Your bet is just to start eating health from the list and you will discover less and less fatigue. Make it a life style change Reply Cas JUNE 14, 2015 AT 3:38 PM Is your fatigue from high ammonia levels or from lactic acid? Ammonia builds from a high protein diet. And the ammonia can grind you down just as much. Eat 3 fresh organic home crops to 1 alkaline meat with some fats other than saturated fats and your fatigue should go away. Reply F.Khan JANUARY 22, 2014 AT 7:59 PM What are the 5 veggies that kill tummy fat Reply Johan APRIL 14, 2014 AT 4:41 PM This alkaline stuff is nonsense. The body adjusts pH levels on its own and if those levels get out of the normal range, as this dietary nonsense recommends, then people would die. Very simple. If this alkaline dietary stuff were true then our bodies don’t work the way science says they work. Don’t fall for the anti-science con. Reply Vanessa JUNE 14, 2014 AT 3:46 PM Ha – and don’t be too quick to be “blinded by science” Johan – I am proof of the pudding, simply because I was willing to think out of the box!! Reply Vicki JUNE 19, 2014 AT 1:30 PM Proof of the pudding…. are you saying that an alkaline diet change helped you to balance your PH or what did it do for you? I am weighing if to incorporate more into my diet. Reply Gail JULY 25, 2014 AT 7:55 PM I’m not sure what Vanessa is saying but following an alkaline diet will definitely help you become more alkaline and you will be healthier for sure. Johan is saying your body regulates itself however if you fill it with way too many acidic foods rather than alkaline foods it cannot regulate it enough for you to stay healthy with the correct pH. Reply Tamara DECEMBER 17, 2014 AT 4:37 AM And what was your “out of the box” decision, Vanessa? Could you share it with our little community? Thank you kindly. Reply Michael NOVEMBER 5, 2015 AT 10:59 AM Love your response Venessa. Reply mhikl NOVEMBER 25, 2014 AT 8:04 PM Johan, it is so complex. Looking at many sites, some call lard highly acidic, neutral or slightly alkaline. Some claim lemons are the most alkalising food; others label it moderate. What gives? There are so many agenda out there. It is difficult to find the sites that uses honest testing. This idea that veg is good and animal products not is become engrained in our society. Politics has no business in the kitchens of the nation. But agreed, your body fights to find the perfect balance—otherwise, death quickly ensues. However, in short terms, you can sway the balance a little and possibly to the betterment of health. Finding the actual levels is difficult. Does it depend upon mood, habit, blood type? With so many differences the problem lies somewhere between agenda and some other peculiar physical response. So it takes personal study and experiment (my body is my laboratory; my senses and physical changes indicate direction). I do know with my own body that if I spray my skin with a very light alkaline water (a pinch of baking soda) and I adhere to my paleo diet with low protein, high animal fat (I render my own lard and use bovine, salmon, and some herbal fats and the rest of my fair made up of low calorie green and alkaline vegetation, that it does better with less stress from eczema. However, what works for me may be different from others. But we must be honest. To have an agenda, Vegan, Paleo, political—that is wrong and unkind. I also alkalise my drinking water and have a structured water process, both mechanical and prayer (strangely), that I can test by going off and then checking the water retention or dehydration of my palms. One has to widely study, experiment and listen to the signals from the body. Namaste and care, mhikl Reply andrew NOVEMBER 26, 2014 AT 9:56 PM You make it seem like people aren’t dying. People are dying everyday because of life styles that involve more acidic than alkaline foods. Not to mention the effect it has on your consciousness. Reply Tamara DECEMBER 17, 2014 AT 4:32 AM …and people do die, when it gets out of normal range…. Reply carolyn FEBRUARY 20, 2015 AT 7:21 PM That is plain nonsense. My husband health is improving because of the change I have made. Now I have a large variety of alkaline that we can choose to stay on a healthy path. Reply Cas JUNE 14, 2015 AT 3:20 PM Grow your own organic crops. An alkaline diet is great, but if the veggies you are eating contain toxins such as nitrates or pesticides, toxins will slowly destroy the body. Farmers love to use chlorpropham to speed up harvesting crops and of course anything which causes inflammation will harm us. Chronic inflammation is 1 of the 3 primary ways we age. We do not age by time. Time is a socially constructed idea (we made up time). We need inflammation to heal the body, but when the inflammation is chronic (everyday) we turn over our cells exponentially faster. All toxins cause chronic inflammation. And anything made of flour, cleaning chemicals, auto fluids, fumes and all pollution are toxic to us. One should use dirt with cow manure and not nitrate based fertilizers so there will be nutrition in the food. Ever hear d of 10-10-10? Nitrate fertilizers possess nitrogen, potassium and phosphorus but of little other nutrition. This is why you seed very few ingredients listed on the produce labels at grocery stores. You seed some A and maybe some manganeese maybe even C but almost nothing else. Just after WWII, ammo companies didn’t know what to do with their nitrates and guess what they decided to do to keep making a buck? When we lack nutrients supporting our immunity, this is where free radical damage attacks us the most causing much more aging. Reply Cas JUNE 14, 2015 AT 3:39 PM This stuff is true and why some can run the 100 mile Western States Endurance Race and you cannot… Reply Tarun Sharma AUGUST 18, 2015 AT 12:13 PM Johan, there is no doubt that whatever u eat, your body will work to maintain optimum PH levels. But have u given it a thought as to which organs maintain this PH level by eliminating the acids? Would it also not b true that the organs would also have to work overtime to eliminate the extra acids to maintain these levels? Would this overtime working day in a and day out not cause fatigue to build up in the organs and cause them to, maybe, malfunction over time? And logically, if u eat alkaline foods, will the organs not have to work less and keep them healthy for a longer time? Well, the answers to these questions should give you ur answers… Reply Chris J AUGUST 26, 2015 AT 8:21 PM Johan, I think you missed something that this article missed as well. When the body naturally balances its pH level, it does so by pulling calcium out of the bones and other kinds of processes. Obviously this is something you don’t want to happen. You shouldn’t even eat “alkaline forming” foods, because this is encouraging the body to do the same thing. Eating alkaline foods is very different from eating alkaline forming foods. The bottom line is like all the healthy cultures, we should make vegetables the main part of our diets and then you can go ahead and eat meat and dairy and whatever. Reply Kaz SEPTEMBER 20, 2015 AT 2:37 AM Well Johan……I regret to inform you,that MOST mainstream science IS brought and paid for,thus making it NO MORE useful than Propaganda!!!. Reply jo SEPTEMBER 21, 2015 AT 4:09 AM Hi Johan, certainly the body balances blood ph very quickly, BUT it does it by stripping the minerals it needs to do this out of other organs and bones. If you keep this up for 20 years, yes, you will die. Reply Lee SEPTEMBER 21, 2015 AT 12:27 PM People do die, Johan. The body can be out of range for a short period of time, but when it’s chronically bouncing back and forth with ash residue, cells die and eventually disease sets in. Then people die from all sorts of things that could have been avoided.. Reply Brian OCTOBER 9, 2015 AT 3:53 PM Johan, your comment is kind of absurd and not grounded in any real scientific data, though you claim science is the justification for your statement. What you said is like saying that Diabetes is a myth because everyone’s body naturally regulates blood glucose and insulin on its own and diet will have no impact. Reply Nina Szabo OCTOBER 1, 2016 AT 3:27 PM It is true that the body adjusts to healthy ph levels if we are healthy. What has happened in recent years is that we consume more preservatives, more meat, more dairy, microwaved food, food that is not in season, food that is not fresh, soft drinks, alcohol, processed food etc. This is coupled with a sedentary lifestyle, more stress etc. So while a healty body would indeed adjust to healthy ph levels, we are overloading our body with these things that will make us ill. This is why there are so many charts etc about alcaline foods etc. Reply Mike AUGUST 24, 2014 AT 5:03 PM Alkaline Is Vital To The Body For Good Health Reply Neil OCTOBER 1, 2014 AT 3:15 AM A very good article. I notice that you didn’t list watermelon which is one of the highest alkaline forming foods. I understand it has a pH of 9.0. I am sure you have seen the same but there are so many confusing articles on the web today listing charts of acid-forming and alkaline-forming foods. many are so contradictory. May I ask where you get your information from? Thanks Reply Kim OCTOBER 2, 2014 AT 6:47 PM Gail is correct. You’re body needs more alkaline foods to keep balanced…most people today have highly acidic bodies and poor health (poor health due to eating highly acidic foods: e.g. coffee, most alcohols, processed/packaged foods, etc.). Better health = more alkaline foods (more REAL whole foods). Heck, science or no science, alkaline foods are INCREDIBLY healthy for you…so, why not eat more of them and try it for yourself. Rather than buying packaged food…make something at home. 100% you’ll body will feel better for it. 🙂 Reply Caitlin OCTOBER 4, 2014 AT 11:11 PM I think it’s pretty obvious that most of the foods listed as more acidic are bad for you in several ways, not just their acidity. Johan reminds me of my mom, as many people out there who are painfully gullible there are just as many who cannot get on their soapbox fast enough to tell you an idea is stupid. I’m doing my research on this stuff to find a more natural cure for my acne. I never realized how terrible my diet was! Also, I’m not sure almond milk is very alkaline. On this list: http://www.rense.com/1.mpicons/acidalka.htm Almonds are definitely alkaline, but almond milk is still acidic. Reply Hena OCTOBER 17, 2015 AT 2:08 AM Caitlin – almond milk is only acidic due to the processes it goes through before it put on the supermarket/grocery shelves. If you make it from fresh, it really is alkalizing. I make my own and find it wonderful. It has never caused me any problems and I suffer from some severe stomach problems due to a previously mainly acidic diet. Reply Elena OCTOBER 24, 2014 AT 3:33 AM all I know is that when I eat a lot of acid-producing foods such as wine, coffee and bread, my psoriasis gets significantly worse, my knees hurt more, and I feel more inflammation in general (eg., my back gets really hot at night). Trust me. I would not cut out these foods if they didn’t make me feel so miserable. Simply, I feel better when eating a diet heavily weighted towards the alkaline-producing foods. Do your own test. Reply Cas JUNE 14, 2015 AT 3:36 PM The pains you are feeling are from chronic inflammation. Chronic inflammation is 1 of the 3 primary ways we age. We need inflammation to heal but when the inflammation continues day after day we turn over our cells exponentially and of course exponentially age. WE do not age by time. Time is a socially constructed concept (we made it up). The processed foods you have been eating are toxic to your body, hence the inflammation to rid the toxins out of your body. All toxins cause chronic inflammation. And anything made of flour(i.e. cookies, cakes, pasta, pizza), cleaning chemicals, auto fluids, all pollution, and soda are toxic to us. Not to mention our body releases calcium from our bones to try and buffer the acid to protect out organs. After years and years of acid foods, our bones become brittle. Psoriasis is an auto immune condition. Simply put, it is an inflammatory response from your body to try and protect itself. Our immune system was not designed for foods we did not evolve on especially modern toxins. The body doesn’t expect one to keep putting the toxins in our body , so the body doesn’t know the immune system is hurting us. The best reason to stay off of bread is the damage sugars do to neurons. Sugar builds in the body and brain choking the neurons off one by one. Most cases of Alzheimers’ are due to decades of processed foods. If you wanna maximum health for maximum years, grow your own crops on dirt with cow manure to limit toxins and get nutrients in the food. Farmers love to use Chlorpropham to speed up the harvest. And farmes also love to use cheap nitrate fertilizers for profit. Reply Tamara DECEMBER 17, 2014 AT 4:28 AM In another website, I read that eggplants provide an acidic environment in your body; that’s why I actually stoopped eating them, even they have been long time favorites….. I wonder who is right now…. Reply Tamara DECEMBER 17, 2014 AT 4:34 AM I also read before that tomatoes do not form alkaline environment, and I stopped eating them because of that… Who’s right???? It is an extremely important to me, especially after I had undergone a serious surgery and am suffering from lymphoedema…. Reply CiCi MARCH 23, 2015 AT 12:36 AM You might want to research that again. I thought tomatoes contained lycopene which was said to help with cancer. Tomatoes itself are acidic, but it’s effects on the body are alkalizing. Reply Cas JUNE 14, 2015 AT 3:49 PM Most tomatoes are alkaline. Some are acidic. The idea is when one eats a food, the byproduct is either alkaline ash or acidic ash. Most acidic tasting fruits are alkaline. We all have some form of cancer. Our body either keeps it in check with our immune system or it doesn’t and becomes life threatening. Always go to a doc first because knocking out cancer quickly as possible is most important. If the doc can’t knock the cancer out and sends you home to die, the next idea is to figure out which immune cells such as macrophages eat which cancer cells and working to properly restore our immune system. Cancer loves acid and body fat, so I would cut way down on acidic foods and cut out saturated fats and processed sugars to cut down as much bodyfat I had. Reply Cynthia JUNE 12, 2015 AT 11:49 PM Tomatoes for some people are causes of arthritis. I happen to be one of those people. All foods from the Nightshade family of foods causes me great pain in my joints. It took me a long time to find that out but so glad I did. I now have relief by not eating those foods. Tomatoes, potatoes, peppers, eggplant. Reply Ulrich JANUARY 20, 2015 AT 8:00 AM Just for the record. I compared the nutritional value with what they are saying….. they embellished a bit. Reply Cas JUNE 14, 2015 AT 3:52 PM Nut values off are because some foods are raised on nitrate fertilizers and of course the nutrition is missing. 10-10-10- makes pretty crops but other than nitrogen, potassium and phosphorus, most other nutrients are missing. You will notice this on the nutrition labels for produce at grocery stores. Lots of potassium, some E. C maybe manganeese at times, but most nutrition missing. Grow your own crops on dirt from cow manure to stay healthy! Reply Phil & Eva Botting JANUARY 27, 2015 AT 1:45 AM Having an acidic body is heaven for cancer to fester, some peoples bodies do not use the chemical balance which results in sickness by keeping an alkaline body we are helping our bodies responses and creating an atmosphere that isnt satisfactory for disease to occur Reply Colleen FEBRUARY 7, 2015 AT 7:02 AM Good list and good info — thanks! I have to comment on a pet peeve, though. You say that lentils are gaining “notoriety” in recent years. This is a fairly common mistake. What you mean to say is something like “gaining popularity” or “gaining fame.” “Notoriety” means famous for a crime, or a bad action. Al Capone was a notorious criminal, lentils are a popular health food. 😉 Reply Marcia FEBRUARY 15, 2015 AT 12:10 PM Suffice it to say that increasing the amount of alkaline and reducing acidic foods in my diet has definitely helped in nearly eliminating my esophageal reflux. It has taken me 10 years to find a doctor who could point me in the right direction. I had a chronic cough primarily in the mornings. I was treated for GERD and allergies with no results, other than that I found t I did not have an allergy, nor did I have GERD. Since finding that my cough was the result of my diet (too much acid and too little alkaline), I’m now on the road to recovery. Yes, we are what we eat. Reply Cas JUNE 14, 2015 AT 3:54 PM When we have heartburn it is because we have so much acid in our blood, the acid is leeching back out of the blood into our stomach and back up our throat forcing the valve open and you feeling the burn. All foods made of flour produce tons of acid. Go green! Only 1 acidic to 3 or 4 alkaline foods to keep the reflux away… Reply plb4333 MARCH 3, 2017 AT 12:12 PM You’re a perfect example of someone who believes only what you want to believe and finding bad websites for scientific info. The pH of blood has nothing to do with your stomach and its acid formation. It’s actually been said that a stomach with low acidity can cause hearturn. This is why drinking apple cider vinegar with higher acidity helps with GERD/Heartburn… Reply carolyn FEBRUARY 20, 2015 AT 7:18 PM Thank you, thank you, thank you. Reply Martin MARCH 7, 2015 AT 5:52 PM Have to agree with the previous post.Johan is a complete imbecile and appears to suffer from verbal diarrhoea. The human body is completely incapable of coping with acidic foods and the result of this over time is almost certain death by cancer.Any scientist staying otherwise either has ties to the food industry or got their degree from the university of twattingham. Reply Cas JUNE 14, 2015 AT 4:02 PM Well there must be a balance between acidic and alkaline foods. We can’t make essential amino acids or essential fats. Reply Stacy APRIL 14, 2015 AT 10:28 PM Can you eat any organic chicken or beef with these veggies or foods listed?? Is chicken broth acidic? Reply Steve APRIL 17, 2015 AT 1:32 PM Stacy, you can eat chicken and beef and hummus. The idea here is to eat more alkaline foods than acidic foods to get your body to be more balanced in the alkaline side of the scale. Many vegans and vegetarians will disagree with me but I feel we need animal protein in our diets to feel ‘complete’. When I was only eating vegetables I was fairly healthy but was feeling a bit hollow inside. Now I eat a lot of fish and chicken and have beef (a really good steak or prime rib) as a special treat on occasion. When you look down at your plate and see more alkaline foods there than meat then you are on the way to improving your balance. This has been my experience and may not be for everyone. Oh, one more thing, at 50, my knees don’t hurt anymore, I don’t have that big gut anymore, my arthritis(diagnosed) is gone and my wife is more frisky, although that last may have nothing to do with me, just an observation. 😉 Reply Cas JUNE 14, 2015 AT 3:59 PM We need some meats for certain reasons. One reason being essential amino acids. The term essential means the body cannot make them. We need essential amino acids and fats. Avoid meats raised on grains because auto immune illnesses will only be the result. Saturated fats will only destroy the cardiovascular system and the brain. Try an avocado and some deep sea fish. Reply PJS SEPTEMBER 12, 2015 AT 4:37 PM Cas, watch the documentary Forks over Knives. We actually don’t need meat. There are many other ways of getting the amino acids and fats. The food pyramid is out! Reply kate FEBRUARY 27, 2016 AT 5:17 PM yes, chicken broth is acidic. May want to use vegetable broth in its place. Reply Stacy APRIL 14, 2015 AT 10:29 PM Is hummus acidic? Reply Carna APRIL 15, 2015 AT 6:23 PM I read an article a long time ago, and you can take it for what it’s worth. Some scientist took a tumor from a patient and cut it in half, they put half in an acidic solution and the other in saline solution. The half in acidic doubled it’s size in a few hours, the half in saline solutions died. Whether this is true or not I don’t know but I do know that eating better can solve many health problems. Back in the “70’s my dad who was taking insulin shots for diabetes went to a commune and ate a vegan diet and did some work for the farm because we didn’t have money. He forgot to take his insulin shots for five days with no repercussions until he went back to eating the old way, my mother said we couldn’t afford to eat the vegan diet. She was set in her ways and didn’t want to change. by the time he died in ’03 they were paying $300 a month on insurance and it didn’t cover his meds. He had bypass surgery and many other health problems. I do know that the Essenes who lived in the desert in Israel. wrote in the Essene book of peace (found in Dead Sea Scrolls or Nag Hamadi, can’t remember which) “Eat that which is dead become dead. Eat that is alive become alive.” Reply Suzie APRIL 19, 2015 AT 6:55 AM I went to the doctor several times with my skin problems and they said it’s contact dermatitis, they don’t know what’s causing it. I went back that the Dermeze doesn’t help and they referred me to a specialist. I didn’t have money for a specialist, so I just put up with it. I also have many muscle cramps which I put down to just not doing enough exercise and stretching…. It’s been about 3 years and it got to the point where the itchiness has become unbearable, I also have acne and I’m 59. I started researching on the internet and came across the acidosis issue. I realised these are the very foods I eat most of as they are the cheapest (try resisting a discounted chocolate mudcake that can make you satisfied much longer than a plate of steamed spinach). I am desperate and also my finances are slowly improving, so I went to shop today for rockmelon, watermelon, pumpkin, baby potatoes, rolled oats and celery. I ended up paying less than most days I leave at the supermarket. I stopped drinking coffee and tea effective immediately and will happily dust of some of my mother’s recipes that on the balance were alkaline in most cases. I am starting to feel a little relief from the itchiness already, after just the first 24 hours without coffee and after a meal of porridge, rockmelon and some avocado and red onion with wholemeal bread. Oh and don’t forget the almond milk that I now use to keep myself off coffee and tea. Keeping my fingers crossed. Reply toni MAY 26, 2015 AT 4:31 PM How are you doing after 6 weeks Suzie? Hopefully you are feeling much better… Reply Zara MAY 18, 2015 AT 6:01 AM Great article! Love it : ) Reply Vicky JUNE 17, 2015 AT 3:20 PM I disagree with some, but because we’re all different having differing stresses. Husband Ken has Prostate Cancer. His younger brother also had Prostate Cancer with higher PSA , also had stints to his arteries of the heart. Believe he has changed some. Wife said not on special diet, takes juice plus and other herbs and pills, unknown to us ? Ken is older married to me, worked in oil field’s chemical plants has been trying to eat better diet also takes herbs & pills, having approx. same M.D. Anderson, Lupron treatments but has small spots on bones near prostate Phase One Diet, Ph Alkaline Diet or as older brother lived, worked for Electric Co. Louisiana under different circumstances. Thanks for suggestions, Vicky Reply Shirly Ann Ramkeesoon JULY 9, 2015 AT 10:32 PM Informative Article! very helpful indeed!!! Reply Rebecca Sutton JULY 21, 2015 AT 2:15 AM What fruits contain alkaline? Reply Dropski JULY 21, 2015 AT 7:49 PM Alkaline food does not change your blood ph it changes the lymphatic systems ph Reply PJS SEPTEMBER 12, 2015 AT 4:33 PM This is an excellent list of foods; however, one of the major problems with today’s food source is genetic modification. If someone has cancer or has had cancer, eating soy products, GMO or not, is off the table. It is so difficult to trace our food supply these days. Reply Monique SEPTEMBER 20, 2015 AT 12:59 AM I cured myself of Diabetes and MS. Now I know the limits of what a good diet can do. You have to go beyond what you put in your mouth. Jesus said it isn’t what goes into Tha mouth that defiles him or her. A varied diet has its benefits but we must become single eyed to see the truth. The body is always working hard to regenerate itself. Reply Cheryl SEPTEMBER 21, 2015 AT 1:13 AM Hi, I am beginning my alkaline diet today and I don’t want to throw my system into shock…..anybody have some (especially breakfast/lunch tips OR any tips when beginning this eating plan? Reply Vern OCTOBER 8, 2015 AT 11:08 PM I eat plenty of alkaline forming foods and very little acid forming but I can’t get my PH above 5.5. Why is that? Reply Rosemarie OCTOBER 12, 2015 AT 4:56 AM Vern I have the same problem. Would like to know the answer to your question also. Reply R.K. MIGLANI OCTOBER 14, 2015 AT 1:21 PM thanks for all the information regarding ph level 8447671093 Reply Weightever NOVEMBER 27, 2015 AT 11:46 PM Thanks for this great article – I learned a lot! I especially liked the information on alkaline food and cancer. Reply Mabel DECEMBER 2, 2015 AT 4:15 AM Remember, too much alkaline food can cause constipation!!!! So, do some research and buy some ph tape to test your acid/alkaline balance. It needs to stay in the middle on the chart that comes with the tape. I think that # is 7. Reply geegee MAY 26, 2016 AT 1:22 PM Decent pictures. Somewhat irritating that you say that it is so natural to develop rosemary and lavender, not so in my greenery enclosure!!! Some data is incorrect or not very much clarified: – dried coconut is acidifying (you disregarded it a bit) – pomegranate is yes rich in cell reinforcements yet it is acidifying – goats milk: superior to anything dairy animals drain yet at the same time acidifying and to be considered for periodic utilize just (not day by day, not attempting to build use) All in all, a few sustenances are further down the alkalinizing scale than others and by placing everything in one not insignificant rundown with no notice of this, you may entice individuals towards things (like grains) which are not exactly as capable “alkalizers” great as others on your Reply Royal DECEMBER 7, 2015 AT 1:50 PM Johan is like many people I speak to. People honestly believe the mainstream science. It stands to reason that if the body is trying to keep a certain level helping it maintain it just makes sense. Why would you spend your time making your body work harder than it needs to for the sake of foods that really don’t taste that good. Call it conspiracy theory of your that narrow minded, but pharma have their fingers in too many pies and want you ill do you’ll need their drugs. Why would they ever want you eating healthy? Wake up, smell the roses, not the manure they are grown in. Alkaline works. I’m ill less often than every coworker that eats acidic, period! Congratz to all of you taking the time to play attention to what you put in your bodies. Cancer is big business and absolutely can be avoided naturally. I’ve personally spoken to people who have lived it. The human body is an amazing thing and can cure itself of just about anything if given the nutritional tools to do it with. Keep up the good fight everyone and keep spreading the health. Reply DR Gallardo DECEMBER 31, 2015 AT 3:46 AM Bravo, to all whom makes the time for better health is only possible through a functional GI and balanced blood PH. The Diabetes Association mandates acidic fruits & vegetables, enriched carbohydrates & sugars, Omega 6 manifesting vegetable/corn oils and numerous other dietary contradictions within Nursing facilities nationally on a daily basis. The point is our diverse country makes it impossible for the Department of Agriculture to structure a truly functional dietary pyramid that works for all. It is my opinion that each young citizen should recognize the importance of great health before old age and bad health determines their meal choices if they are fortunate enough to have Long Term care. Great health through smart diet is possible! P.S The Dept. of Agriculture recognises that 7,000,000 gallons of Round Up is dusted upon every crop nationally. This amounts to all commerce availability. Chromate may help this problematic issue. Reply james MAY 26, 2016 AT 1:10 PM Alkalizing Protein: Almonds, Chestnuts, Tofu Reply Michelle Ferguson AUGUST 22, 2016 AT 6:40 PM tofu is not consider alkaline due to the fact that it is soy and soy is a hybrid. Hybrid are man made. Reply Rosina Lock AUGUST 29, 2016 AT 1:47 AM Oh dear I forgot who I was replying to. Ah it was Michelle, yes she is totally correct. Tofu is hybrid. If you really want to follow a proper and true alkaline diet, the doctor who claimed to cure Cancer/HIV/AIDS/ETC.ETC. died two weeks ago (possibly murdered) to which I strongly believe, being a researcher for some years. Over 100 Nutritionists/Holistic Practitioners/Homoepaths/etc. anyone finding any cures are being murdered every few days since Christmas 2015. You should try looking on UTUBE at Dr. Sebi pronounced Saybee. This man is absolutely brilliant, and I have been following him for some time, yes he proved he cured what he stated, and two days after his death, well well well, the medical profession state they have found a cure for aids!! Isn’t that just like the FDA Etc. But coming back to Dr. Sebi, he talks of alkalinity, and he stated CARROTS? which I always thought was good? He says no! He also said no to Tofu, and also things like Echinacea, goldenseal etc.etc. If you watch his videos you will understand WHY he says they are no good. The problem is we are taken in by what we read, and unless we really research then we don’t realise we are still eating the wrong foods or taking the wrong vitamins,etc. I spend hours day in day out researching, especially cancer, and I have known for many years of cures, and I remember saying as a 13 year old girl “i think all the cures come from the fields or your kitchen cupboards, and years later, this proved to be quite true. Dr. Sebi was of black origin, but this man has such a wealth of information and was so highly intelligent. My other favourite doctor who also spoke the truth, and was murdered his name was Nick who also cured many of cancer, if you wish to see all these people that have lost their lives because they are Nutritionists! Holistic healers! etc. who have saved many people from certain death please check the website HEALTHNUTNEWS.COM by Erin Elizabeth, who is a very brave lady, and I hope she won’t become one of the victims, you will find all the doctors that have been murdered all because they are helping people like us. Michelle was correct when she said Tofu is a hybrid. These are the types of foods you need to look out for and to avoid, including herbs which of no use because of they way they are grown. Dr. Sebi refers to alkine foods as ELECTRIC FOODS! And by that, he means your body cannot survive without oxygen. So please, check this Dr. Sebi out, but all the shows etc that he has been on and all the information could slowly be taken off the internet! Many people owe their lives to this wonderful doctor who swore by alkalising the body with the right foods. He stated the herbs red clover, yellow burdock and burdock are alkaline but to be aware of comfrey/goldenseal/rosehips, echinacea to which thousands are taking not realising they are doing them no good, because some are hybrid or the contents wont do you much good. A lot of these items are being sold by the millions and the companies are making are fortune out of gullible people that are desperately sick and trying to help themselves because the medical profession won’t. I wish you all the very best in your attempts to get healthy and hope you can all find the right path. I refuse to see any medical doctor and have treated myself for 13 years, because I am sick and tired of lethal drugs and refuse to touch them anymore. Good luck to everyone. Rosina Lock Reply cis JANUARY 14, 2016 AT 8:55 AM Nice pictures. A bit annoying that you say how easy it is to grow rosemary and lavender, not so in my garden!!! Some info is inaccurate or not well explained: – dried coconut is acidifying (you glossed over it a bit) – pomegranate is yes rich in antioxidants but it is acidifying – goats milk: better than cows milk but still acidifying and to be considered for occasional use only (not daily, not trying to increase use) In general, some foods are further down the alkalinizing scale than others and by putting everything in one long list with no mention of this, you might tempt people towards items (like grains) which are not quite as powerful “alkalizers” good as others on your list. Reply Andrea FEBRUARY 17, 2016 AT 5:56 AM What about turkey, tuna and soy milk? Are they very acidic? ..I constantly consume those three. Reply alfio FEBRUARY 19, 2016 AT 3:34 AM Why is Chlorella powder or pills not ON THIS list??? Reply Rich FEBRUARY 27, 2016 AT 6:05 AM FYI. I have read where the acid side of the pH scale is good for the outside of the body and the higher side of the pH chart is good for the inside of the body. This ofcourse would be in the liquid form as in water. I know that there are ion water machines that can be purchased that can do this. Reply wood MAY 26, 2016 AT 1:05 PM Alkalizing Spices: Cinnamon, Curry, Ginger, Mustard, Sea Salt Reply jim MAY 26, 2016 AT 1:18 PM Alkalining Vegetables: Beets, Broccoli, Cauliflower, Celery, Cucumber, Kale, Lettuce, Onions, Peas, Peppers, Spinach Reply Maureen Janet Finch JULY 2, 2016 AT 11:50 AM Alkaline foods Reply Maureen Janet Finch JULY 2, 2016 AT 11:50 AM Useful list to follow Reply Paul JULY 14, 2016 AT 3:11 PM A lot of interesting stuff here but I do wish people who do make sensible contributions to the debate, would READ what they sending BEFORE pressing the send button. Some of the replies are impossible to make sense of because of silly typos or bad spelling. Use your spellchecker. Reply Lisa AUGUST 10, 2016 AT 5:16 PM Can you tell me if decaf tea is acid or alkaline? Also how about sweet & low? Good or bad? Reply Michelle Ferguson AUGUST 22, 2016 AT 6:47 PM sweet and low is horrible and the teas are okay. Some of the alkaline teas are green and black teas chai, dandelion, and raspberry. Reply Leigh Kamp AUGUST 11, 2016 AT 3:37 AM Rhubarb is a vegetable which is used like a fruit. Please do not be inaccurate when supplying information to live by. When you make a wrong statement then the trust of your other information goes down. Reply Iwona AUGUST 24, 2016 AT 9:03 AM Lots of good info. Thanks! I incorporate all of these food into my diet on daily basis. Reply mss burr SEPTEMBER 5, 2016 AT 2:27 PM Starchy foods break down into sugar in the body. Sugar is converted into acid in the body. What food are before they go into your body is not the concern. It is what they are converted into once they are in the body. Reply Joshua NOVEMBER 17, 2016 AT 10:06 AM Anyone ever heard of Kangen Water by Enagic? “Listen” if you are concerned about alkalinization and fighting cancer. Dr. Otto warburg (1931 Nobel Prize winner) discovered the “Real Cause” of cancer in 1923. He finds, “‘cancerous tissues are acidic where as non-cancerous tissues are alkaline. Just recently, Japan has had a product coming into the United States which took 30 years. Kangen water has an ORP value as low as -600 and descending. Antioxidant value greater than green tea. And also micro-clustering of molecules. There are free trials in a number of states at least. Reply Martin Luther NOVEMBER 17, 2016 AT 7:06 PM It’s now a week I only eat breakfast and lunch. Instead of supa I take carrot, apple, watermelon beetroot juice .will it help cut weight coz am 82 kgs thanks (0704449353 ) Reply Greg NOVEMBER 27, 2016 AT 1:03 PM This is all so confusing…my chiropractor has me drinking alkaline water but didn’t mention any of the alkalizing foods. I have gout, high blood pressure, elevated cholesterol, about 30lbs overweight, lower back/sciatica problems and neuropathy in my feet. I’m only 55. My GP has me on medications for the gout, BP and cholesterol. After reading the above article and all the comments, would incorporating more alkalizing foods into my diet really help with my issues? Reply Mya NOVEMBER 28, 2016 AT 4:36 PM Thanks for the article AND comments! This helps those of us researching, desiring to make better lifestyle changes, to make more informed decisions. Reply Roger DECEMBER 5, 2016 AT 3:45 AM Whilst I like your article and I am well read on nutrition I have to tell you that most soybeans out there are GMO. I also have to say that all processed Soy should be avoided.The only safe Soy is NATTO…Fermented soybeans rich in Vitamin K2.Further research is needed by you. Reply Barb JANUARY 20, 2017 AT 10:18 AM POMEGRANATE : Please be careful with pomegranate if you are on any kind of medication. I have lupus and discovered that I loved pomegranate juice… Drank a lot of it, and pomegranate tea. Then started having a lot of weird medical issues. It took my doc and I two years to sort out that the pomegranate was blocking the effect of several of my essential medications. I hated to stop the pomegranate, but it was absolutely necessary. It is similar to the famous effect of grapefruithe, in that pomegranate has MANY medication interactions. There are good websites that explain and list them. … Sometimes being healthy means avoiding certain “healthy” foods… Darn!! Reply Barb JANUARY 20, 2017 AT 10:31 AM GREEN TEA: I drink Bigelow decaf green tea, so I think I am getting the green tea alkaline benefit without the caffeine acidity. As an observation, I am pre-diabetic, and I know I feel better on days I drink a couple cups of decaf green tea. NOTE: consuming 6 or more cups of green tea/day can make you anemic, BUT adding some lemon juice to it stops that (I forget what the iron-blocking chemistry is, but lemon inhibits it.) Reply Barb JANUARY 20, 2017 AT 11:02 AM INFLAMMATION: Just a note to contribute info from a 67-yr old who has chronic inflammation since teen years due to auto-immune disease — lupus SLE — (genetic component, but aggravated by other factors)… My doc recommended avoiding some categories of foods because they increase inflammation or pain. Those are: alcohol, aspartame, caffeine, processed sugar, red meat, and yeast. This has been DIFFICULT for me to do. When I have, however, I HAVE experienced much fewer inflammatory symproms and less pain. Perhaps this recommendation can help you who are also dealing with chronic pain and inflammation. Reply Barb JANUARY 20, 2017 AT 11:10 AM Thank you for your site. I find it very informative and well-balanced. I will recommend it to others. I’m pleased that I discovered it online today. Reply Delia Josephine JANUARY 23, 2017 AT 6:27 AM I have actually like your advise on alkaline food. I have been advised to eat alkaline foods but did not know what they are. Thanks alot now I know and I have copied alot. May God bless you. Need your guidance via my mail on how to eat in a healthy way to reduce weight. Reply Hendrick H MAY 31, 2017 AT 5:56 AM Great article, does anybody have any experience with hair loss from being too acidic, or reduced hair loss on the alkaline diet? There is some research that shows that alkaline foods can help to block DHT: https://www.hairlossrevolution.com/best-natural-dht-blockers/ Cheers Hendrick Reply LEAVE A COMMENT NAME *  EMAIL *  WEBSITE   Submit MEDICAL AND GENERAL DISCLAIMER FOR BEMBU.COM All material provided at Bembu.com is for informational purposes only, and is not to be taken as medical advice or recommendation. Any health concern or condition should be addressed by a doctor or other appropriate health care professional. The information and opinions found on this website are written based on the best data available at the time of writing, and are believed to be accurate according to the best discernment of the authors. Those who do not seek council from the appropriate health care authority assume the liability of any injury which may occur. Additionally, the opinions expressed at Bembu.com do not represent the views of each and every author or contributor to Bembu.com. 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