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Is Your Acidic Diet Ruining Your Health?
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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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Contrary to what most people believe, all citrus fruits, such as lemons, are not acidic because they are low in both phosphorus and protein while having higher levels of potassium and magnesium. All vegetables and fruits should be considered alkaline, as well as seeds and nuts. Most legumes are neutral foods.
With the industrial age came an industrial revolution that has brought grains and cereal consumption into our lives as never before, thus drastically increasing the acidity of our diet.
Most American diets are high in sugar, processed grains, and red meat. This has wreaked terrible havoc on our health as a result.
Soft drinks are an extremely acid food, but not for the reason most people think. Carbonated drinks are high in both sugar and phosphorus. Almost all soft drinks are made from distilled water, which can steal minerals from the body and weaken the bones. Distilled water is free of minerals and actually leaches minerals out of our bodies, especially out of our bones. Read more about dangers of soft drinks.
Consuming foods in excess that are highly acidic will greatly increase your risk of developing gout, high blood pressure, osteoarthritis, osteoporosis, fibromyalgia, diabetes, and many other types of chronic health problems and diseases.
Many leading health authorities believe that disease and the aging process is largely due to an accumulation of toxic, acid waste in the body.
To make your body more alkaline, the best course of action is to increase your consumption of fresh, organic fruits and veggies. A report published by The Framingham Osteoporosis Study showed that consumption of fruit, magnesium, vegetables, and potassium are known to encourage strong bone density. Trying to counteract acidic food intake by taking calcium supplements won’t protect you since acidic foods will drain your body of that calcium and other minerals.
It’s also been shown that cancer cannot live in an alkaline environment. Mounting evidence makes it clear that, the more alkaline you can maintain your body, the healthier you will be.
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