Is Your Acidic Diet Ruining Your Health?

Senior Man With Reflux

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When you hear the words ‘acidic foods’, what do you think of? Oranges, lemons, limes, grapefruits? While it’s true that all of these foods are highly acidic, they are actually quite beneficial to the body and don’t cause high levels of acid once they are consumed. What actually should be considered an acidic food? These would be foods which leave an acidic residue in the body after it’s been digested. These means that these tend to food that are high in both phosphorus and protein.

Alkaline foods, on the other hand, leave an alkaline residue behind. These are foods that are generally high in calcium, potassium, and magnesium. The normal pH of the human body tends to be on the alkaline side, at about 7.4.

It’s not so much that some foods contain acid, but that they case the body to produce more acid during their digestion, which leads a numerous health problems. The Alkaline Diet, written by Victoria Beckham, simply gushes about how we should consume more foods that have high levels of alkaline due to its health benefits. Some of these alkaline foods include kale and raisins. Both of these foods can help to lower the risk of inflammation, diabetes, as well as help with weight loss. Read also how to alkalize your water at home.

Some of the most acidic foods are:

  • Dairy
  • Soft drinks ( colas and fruit flavored carbonated sodas)
  • Red meat and poultry
  • Fish and eggs
  • Alcohol
  • Fried foods
  • Grains ( especially white flour)

A study that followed 66,000 French teachers was published in an issue of Diabetologia in November of 2013. Scientists were trying to understand the link between diet and the risk of developing Type 2 diabetes. The subjects were followed for 14 years noting which women ate large quantities of acidic foods.

This study concluded that there was a very frightening connection between eating a diet high in acidic foods and the risk of developing diabetes. Even women who maintained a normal weight increased their risk of diabetes when their diets contained acidic foods. When you eat, your body uses acid to digest food, and some foods cause more of an acidic reaction in the body than others. Later on, your body must get rid of any excess acid, either through urine, or through exhalations.

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