The Acid-Alkaline Diet

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The body uses many substances for building and functioning. For example, there are several dozen sugars and fatty acids, approximately forty vitamins, a hundred or so minerals and trace elements, and approximately twenty amino acids. Each one of these substances plays specific roles in the body.

Although these substances are extremely diverse, they can be classified into two major groups: basic (alkaline) substances and acid substances. These two groups have opposing yet complementary characteristics. Both are needed for a healthy body and the quantities of both groups of substances should be equal. When alkaline and acid substances are in equal quantities in the body, acid-alkaline balance is achieved.

In order to achieve good health, many organic balances must be realized. For example, there must be a balance between activity and rest, energy intake and expenditure, inhalation, and exhalation, venous and arterial blood flow, and the production and elimination of toxins. Disturbing any of these balances can be detrimental; just as disturbing the acid alkaline balance by having an excess of either acid or alkaline substances can be very damaging to health.

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One of the most obvious characteristics of something acidic is its taste. Acidic foods stimulate salivation to dilute the acids because they are very harsh, and even corrosive.

Acids are substances that when dissolved in water, release hydrogen ions. Some acids give off more hydrogen ions than others. For example, lemons and rhubarb are much more acidic than other acidic foods such as tomatoes or strawberries.

Acidity cannot be determined by taste alone because acids can become partially neutralized and their taste masked by other substances. An example of this is meat which is very acidifying but does not have an acidic taste.

A substances degree of acidity is measured by determining its pH. Also, analyzing a foods mineral content can help identify it as acidic. Minerals can also be divided into the acidic or alkaline groups. The principal acidic minerals are sulfur, chlorine, phosphorus, fluoride, iodine, and silicon.

A substance is considered to be acidic when it contains more acidic than alkaline minerals. However, mineral waters, which contain both acidic and alkaline minerals, are considered to be alkaline because alkaline minerals like calcium and magnesium outweigh the acidic minerals. Water will be acidic when chlorine, sulfur, or carbon dioxide predominates. Foods that contain more phosphorus (hazelnuts) are more acidic than foods that contain less phosphorus (almonds).

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Alkaline substances in solution with water give up few or no hydrogen ions, unlike acidic substances. The fewer hydrogen ions they release, the more alkaline they are.

Alkaline elements do not have any corrosive properties, again, unlike acids. Furthermore, alkaline subst

Alkaline foods do not have much of an acidic taste if at all; highly alkaline foods do not have even the slightest acidic taste at all.

Some alkaline minerals are calcium, magnesium, potassium, manganese, iron, and copper. Calcium is by far the most abundant mineral in the body. More than two pounds of calcium can be found in the body, most of it concentrated in the skeleton. If you are looking for an alkalizing supplement containing alkaline minerals, try Alkalive Blue.

As with acids, taste or flavor does help determine whether a food is alkaline. Foods such as bread or white sugar do not taste acidic but they are definitely not alkaline. These foods contain acids that are freed during digestion.