Incredible Alkaline Foods List with PDF Download

“Your health is an investment and not an expense!” On this note, let’s begin with today’s hot topic where I shall talk about the complete list of alkaline foods that must be consumed, with authentic reasons.

The basic introduction about the difference between acidic and alkaline foods is based on the pH value of the food product. 

pH levels of your body:

The pH value ranges from 0-14.

  • Acidic : 0.0 – 6.9
  • Neutral : 7.0
  • Alkaline : 7.1 – 14.0

If the pH<7, it represents the acidic nature whereas, if the pH>7, it stands for the basic nature of the food product. 

Simply put; alkaline food items can work effectively in improving your health by replacing the acid forming foods.

It is an age-old fact known by all that our body breaks down food after consumption in order for physical growth and development. 

The conversion thus requires a chemical reaction to break down food. 

Let’s put all the scientific theory aside and talk more casually to understand better! 

Think of the chemical reaction as your gas stove. When you put the food item directly on the gas stove the chances of the food burning increase. 

When the food burns, the end product observed will be total ashes. 

These ashes, similarly, are known as the “metabolic waste” when produced by the body at the end of the chemical breakdown.

This ash plays a chief role in your body. If more acidic foods are consumed, acidic ash will be formed.

Whereas, if alkaline foods are consumed, alkaline ash will be the end product.

The ash has the potential to directly affect the properties of the blood.

In other words, the alkalinity and acidity levels of the blood depend completely on the choice of food you make! 

Since alkaline ash is the protective one; check on below for the most alkaline foods list. (based on the typical diet)  [1]

Foods with alkaline components comprise calcium, potassium, and magnesium[2] [3].

ALKALINE FOODS LIST PDF

ALKALINE FOODS LIST : VEGETABLES

Highly alkaline Mostly alkaline Low alkaline
Cucumber  Avocado  Asparagus 
Kale  Peppers  Cauliflower , Carrot, Zucchini
Spinach  Cabbage , Okra, Celery Peas 
Broccoli  Onion, Tomato, Radish, Garlic, Ginger, Lemon Buckwheat, Spelt, Lentils
Sprouts  Green beans, Lettuce, Beetroot Tofu , Almonds
Green drinks Chia seeds Olive oil, Coconut oil, Flaxseed oil

A famous scientific proverb goes as: “the greener the vegetable,the more alkaline it is said to be”. 

In order to live a happier and healthier life, you must include more organic vegetables in your diet.

Try simple recipes if you are a thermophobe! Boiling or steaming too may taste wonders while eating! [4]

ALKALINE FOODS LIST : FRUITS AND JUICES

Apple  Apple juice 
Apricot  Banana shake
Banana  Cherry juice
Avocado  Watermelon juice
Dates  Fresh fruit juices

Another important fruit to add here will be lemon. Yes, lemon is a fruit since it has seeds!

Lemon is one of the best alkaline foods in order to avoid acid formation. 

Consuming all of these in moderate amounts or under the prescription of a Dietitian is advised as fruits are high in sugar content [4].

ALKALINE FOOD LIST : GRAINS AND FLOUR

GRAINS TO USE FLOUR TO USE
Quinoa  Quinoa flour
Wild rice Spelt flour
Amaranth  Rye flour
Kamut   

Quinoa, amaranth and millet are the only grains that are naturally alkalizing. The rest of the grains are mostly acidic.

 Flour made from rye, quinoa and spelt (a type of whole wheat flour) are some commonly available alkaline food items. 

The list above is for the most common food items consumed in the Indian diet regularly. 

Now let’s move forward in discussing more about the effects of consuming an alkaline diet and what harm is caused by an acidic diet [5] [6].

What is an Alkaline diet and an Alkaline diet foods list?

An Alkaline diet is also famously known as an alkaline-ash diet. The diet aims to nourish the body with nutrients. 

Vegetables, fruits, nuts and seeds like almonds, walnuts, chickpeas, etc.  are alkaline in nature and consist of vitamins, minerals, antioxidants, phytonutrients and fibre [1].

Whereas empty calorie foods like sugary drinks, 

  • Cola
  • Fried foods 

have the tendency to form acid which can lead to digestive issues.

Hence, now you will understand where we are heading to! If you look deep into nature, you will understand things better. 

The food items that are beneficial for you are all alkaline in nature.

 If you ask me why? The answer will be their natural composition. 

As explained earlier, the body breaks down the food through a chemical reaction and obtains the waste product as acidic or basic “ash”; similarly, the body also maintains alkaline buffers (a special solution that hinders massive pH changes) [1].

Alkaline buffers are very important to maintain the alkalinity in the body. 

But because of the choice of unhealthy pleasurable foods; the buffer tends to deplete due to greater acid density  [1].

In simple words, unhealthy foods will kill the alkaline buffer due to their high acidic properties. 

The most acidic foods are: trans-fats, yeasts, simple carbs, alcohol, refined foods etc. 

These acids manifest in our diets as colas & fizzy drinks, pizza, chips, cakes, biscuits, microwave meals, crisps, breads, caffeine, cheese, fatty meats, ice cream, smoking, beers, wines, condiments, milky drinks, cream etc.

Once the alkaline buffer in your body starts depleting and vanishing, it calls for help! 

That’s the time when calcium, potassium and magnesium come in the picture. The body starts using the three minerals in order to neutralize the acids. 

Hence overuse of these minerals lead to a despoiliation of overall health  [1].

As we are well aware of the famous saying “old is gold”, we have now started valuing the advice of our elders.

 With modernization, our lifestyles too took a modern turn and we paved a path leading to our own loss healthwise. 

Extreme stress, inadequate lifestyle and no physical exercise contribute to the acid formation. 

This dramatic change can be subsidized if we start consuming alkaline food items.  

Categorizing between what’s good and bad for your body will help you stay healthier and increase your lifespan. 

It all makes sense in the end! If you keep on ignoring the negative impacts of junk food, you will be paving your way through life negatively and vice versa.

Mild to moderate exercises, detoxifying and hydrating the body, grabbing a good night’s sleep and also focusing on anti stress activities will help in changing your lifestyle for the good. 

Many diseases can be prevented if one shifts to alkaline food items. 

As there is an increase observed in the growth hormone with an alkaline diet, the diet naturally reduces the risk of heart diseases and bone deformations  [1].

Alkaline food lists are charts that have categorized food items into acidic and basic based on moderations.

CONS OF ACIDIC DIET :

Although it’d seem that citrus fruits would have an acidifying effect on

the body, the acid they contain actually has an alkalinizing effect within the system.

Note that a food’s acid or alkaline forming tendency within the body has nothing to do with the actual pH of the food itself. 

For example, lemons are very acidic; however,

The end products they produce after digestion and assimilation are very alkaline [3].

Therefore, lemons are considered as alkaline forming. 

Likewise, meat will

test alkaline before digestion, but it leaves high acidic residue within the body.

Therefore, like nearly all animal products, meat is categorized as highly

acidic forming food product.

The following foods are sometimes accredited to the Acidic side of the list and sometimes to the Alkaline side. 

Note, you don’t need to cling strictly to the alkaline part of the chart, just make sure a good percentage of the foods you eat hail from that alkaline part.

FOODS WITH BOTH PROPERTIES:

  • CORN
  • KOMBUCHA
  • UNPASTEURIZED MILK
  • WHITE POTATOES
  • SAUERKRAUT
  • SOY PRODUCTS
  • YOGHURT

Soy sauce, miso, tamari and all different fermented ingredients are acid-forming. 

This does now no longer observe the unfermented variations however, and soy sauce & tofu are considered alright to devour as a part of your 20% mildly acidic food products [7].

An acidic diet plan will affect the pH levels of your urine.

Consuming more of animal proteins and carbonated drinks by overshadowing the healthy nutrients may result in producing uric acid stones [3].

Acid reflux takes place whilst belly acid backs up into the esophagus.

This uncomfortable or even painful occasion can arise at the side of numerous different gastrointestinal signs which include bloating and nausea.

 Avoiding meals that would cause acid reflux disease can decrease painful instances of heartburn  [1].

COMMON MYTHS ABOUT ALKALINE DIET :

Let’s talk about some wrongly attributed misconceptions about the alkaline diet.

  • Myth: Acid in the urine stipulates acidic blood

Just because your urine is acidic, it does not make your blood acidic! The pH of our blood is always slightly alkaline to keep our body functioning properly . 

The food we consume impacts the acidity of our urine—think about the example of how poop can change it’s smell, color and consistency, depending on what the food consumed [3].

  • Myth: Restrict from consuming protein

The alkaline food regimen warns cautious dieters to abstain from maximum protein, even plant-primarily based total protein, inclusive of beans, legumes and grains, and lean animal-primarily based total protein due to their “acidic-load.”

Though excessive quantities may come up with a case of awful breath, protein is useful for muscle increase and weight loss. 

It additionally facilitates your senses after a meal. In suitable quantities, protein genuinely facilitates excretion of acid  [8].

The everyday advocated quantity of protein relies upon certain factors, such as a person’s gender, lean frame mass and pastime level.

Consult together with your number one care issuer or registered dietitian for extra information [8].

SCIENTIFIC PROOF ON ALKALINE DIET:

As I’ve already discussed, the alkaline diet is an approach to health that simply is logical. 

If you go through the most alkaline foods list , you will understand and be able to categorize foods easily.

 The foods that steal your energy are mostly acidic. 

A list of all alkaline foods is easily accessible through various alkaline foods list pdf  over the web. 

  • Alkalinity Reduces Arthritis Pain   [8]

This study suggests that an “Alkaline Supplement” may benefit in improving function and easing pain in atrophic arthritis and should represent a simple and safe treatment to the standard treatment of RA patients.

  • Alkaline Diet Helps with Kidney Issues: [1]

Because urine pH is a component of risk factor in maximum forms of urinary stone disease, a dietetic manipulation of renal hydrogen ion excretion might be effective for some of the individuals at threat.

 Also sufferers with poorly functioning kidneys – in whom acidosis is a common manifestation of an impaired renal capability to excrete the every day acid produced – can also additionally gain from a particular dietetic approach to lessen every day acid load.

Wrapping up:

An alkaline diet boosts health is still a fact to be proven. There is no evidence by human studies.

The Alkaline Diet is considered healthy because of the whole foods and unprocessed food products.

FAQs:

Q: What are the benefits of alkalizing the body?

A: Alkalizing helps in reducing mental stress and improves alertness. It supports a healthier heart and reduces muscle degeneration.

Q: How to alkalize the body fast?

A: I would suggest down a few tips:

  1. Improve your nutrient intake
  2. Plan a nutritious diet throughout the day
  3. Intermittent fasting can help by fighting the harmful toxins
  4. Reducing sugar intake
  5. Hydrating the body

Q: Do lemons alkalize the body?

A: Lemons are acidic in nature but once they metabolize, they turn alkaline in nature. After digestion, it turns completely basic. Also for people with uric acid stones, lemonade therapy is suggested which results in detoxification and neutralizing acid production.

Q: Can I eat meat on an alkaline diet?

A: The Alkaline Diet Chart distinguishes foods into acidic, basic and neutral categories. Since meat falls under acidic category, little amount may do no harm if consumed with veggies. 

A: What are the top 10 alkaline foods?

  • Avocado
  • Almonds 
  • Apricot 
  • Beetroot 
  • Cucumber
  • Dandelion greens (kaanphool)
  • Figs
  • Kale 
  • Lemon
  • Spinac

Q: Can coffee be consumed on an Alkaline-Ash diet plan?

A: Caffeine is strictly restricted on this diet plan. Coffee is mostly acidic with a pH of 4.85. If you are someone diagnosed with IBS or Acid Reflux, avoid coffee while on this diet plan.

Q: What drinks are alkaline and can be consumed in the diet?

  • Firstly water, the safest drink
  • Almond milk
  • Coconut water
  • Buttermilk
  • Green juices (spinach, cucumber)
  • Apple juice
  • Soy milk
  • Lemon water

These are a few of the drinks that you can consume without any harm  

References:

  1. Schwalfenberg, Gerry K. “The alkaline diet: is there evidence that an alkaline pH diet benefits health?.” Journal of environmental and public health vol. 2012 (2012): 727630.
  2. Tobey, J A. “The Question of Acid and Alkaline Forming Foods.” American journal of public health and the nation’s health vol. 26,11 (1936): 1113-6.
  3. Remer, T, and F Manz. “Potential renal acid load of foods and its influence on urine pH.” Journal of the American Dietetic Association vol. 95,7 (1995): 791-7. doi:10.1016/S0002-8223(95)00219-7
  4. “List of acid-alkaline forming foods.” Courts (2021)
  5. “Potassium foods.” Medline Plus (2021)
  6. Abugoch James, Lilian E. “Quinoa (Chenopodium quinoa Willd.): composition, chemistry, nutritional, and functional properties.” Advances in food and nutrition research vol. 58 (2009): 1-31
  7. Carlsen, Monica H et al. “The total antioxidant content of more than 3100 foods, beverages, spices, herbs and supplements used worldwide.” Nutrition journal vol. 9 3. (2010)
  8. Fenton, Tanis R et al. “Phosphate decreases urine calcium and increases calcium balance: a meta-analysis of the osteoporosis acid-ash diet hypothesis.” Nutrition journal vol. 8 41.(2009)
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