Alkaline Diet: Know the Healthy Benefits and How to Do It
An alkaline diet is claimed to aid weight loss, slow aging, and help control chronic diseases such as diabetes, arthritis, and even cancer. Is this claim true? Check out the following review.
An alkaline diet or an acid-base diet is a diet method by adjusting the diet to balance the pH in the body. This diet is done by consuming more alkaline (alkaline) foods every day. In addition, you should also avoid consuming beverages containing alcohol and caffeine.
The basic theory of an alkaline diet is that the body is susceptible to disease if you eat acidic foods. Meanwhile, alkaline or alkaline foods are considered to maintain a healthy body.
Foods that produce alkaline include fruits, vegetables, soybeans, tofu, nuts, seeds, and legumes. Meanwhile, acidic foods include milk, eggs, meat, wheat, refined sugar, and processed foods (canned or packaged).
Alkaline Diet and Its Relation to the Body’s pH Balance
Our blood needs an acid-base balance in order to function properly. This acid-base balance refers to the mechanism the body uses to keep fluids close to a neutral pH (not too acidic and not too alkaline).
Acid and alkaline levels are measured on a pH scale that ranges from 0 to 14. A pH of 0 is very acidic, while a pH of 14 is very alkaline. The neutral pH is on the pH 7 scale.
Alkaline diet and blood pH
The pH level in some parts of the human body varies greatly, for example blood is slightly alkaline with a normal pH between 7.35 and 7.45. An alkaline diet is claimed to help the body maintain the pH level of the blood. But in reality, an alkaline diet will not change the pH of the blood because the body naturally maintains the pH level of the blood.
Although it cannot change the pH of the blood, diet or food can change the pH value of urine. However, urine pH cannot be used as a benchmark to assess a person’s general health condition or body pH level.
Alkaline diet and cancer
Some studies have found that an alkaline or alkaline environment can make certain chemotherapy drugs more effective or less toxic. However, there is no evidence that an alkaline diet can help prevent cancer. So, for those of you who suffer from cancer, it is advisable to still consult with your doctor and nutritionist regarding nutritional needs before starting any diet.
Here are some other benefits of an alkaline diet for health:
- Lose weight by consuming more fruits, vegetables, drinking lots of fluids, and limiting the consumption of sugar, processed foods, drinks containing alcohol and caffeine
- Helps prevent kidney stones , keeps bones and muscles strong, improves heart health and brain function, reduces low back pain, and lowers the risk of developing type 2 diabetes.
- Helps lower blood pressure and cholesterol, which are major risk factors for heart disease
- Slows the rate of bone loss, thereby reducing the risk of osteoporosis as you age
Alkaline diet recommendations do have some health benefits for the body, but this diet will not change the pH levels in the body. In addition, the various benefits of an alkaline diet for the body also require more research and evidence.
Some people find it difficult to follow or practice an alkaline diet, because many of your favorite foods are restricted when doing this acid-base diet program. Protein intake is also limited to plant sources such as beans and tofu.
However, the best way to lose weight is to exercise regularly for 30 minutes per day. You can support it by eating healthy foods.
For those of you who have certain medical conditions, it is advisable to consult a doctor and nutritionist before starting an alkaline diet.
