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Food is classified as acid-forming,
alkaline-forming or neutral based on its pH nature after the body metabolizes
it. A food’s own acid content or pH value does not determine whether it will
have an acidifying or alkalizing effect on the body. For example, eggs have an
alkaline pH but are acid-forming in the body. Likewise, various cakes and baked
goods have pH values above 7.0, meaning they’re alkaline. In the body, however,
sugary desserts are highly acid-forming. In contrast, the vast majority of
fruits and vegetables contain enough acid to give them acidic pH values, yet
have a highly alkalizing effect on the body.
Acid-containing Foods
Food is classified as having a high acid
content if it has a value of 4.6 or lower on the pH scale. Acid occurs naturally
to some degree in most fruits and vegetables in the form of tartaric, malic,
sulfuric, oxalic, benzoic or citrus acid. Some fruits and vegetables contain
more than one type of acid, but one is usually dominant. Other foods contain
varying degrees of acid, including the lactic acid in milk, the caffetannic
acid in coffee and the acetic acid in vinegar.
High-acid Fruits
Lemons, limes, grapefruit, oranges, Mandarin
oranges, tangerines and tangelos are high acid-containing citrus fruits that
are also highly to moderately alkaline-forming in the body. In particular,
lemons, limes and their freshly squeezed, unsweetened juices contain high
amounts of acid and are highly alkaline-forming. Regularly adding slices of
lemon or lime to a glass of water is a way to boost your body’s alkali
reserves. Other high acid-containing, alkaline-forming fruits include
pineapples, strawberries, cherries and kiwi fruit.
Other Fruits
Many of the other fruits that are considered
“high-acid” have a lower acid content than citrus fruits but contain more acid
than “low-acid” fruits. Alkaline-forming fruits containing a moderate to high
amount of acid include peaches, apricots, apples, pears, figs, blueberries,
blackberries, raspberries and grapes. Fresh and dried figs rank as one of the
most highly alkalizing foods. Bananas, all melon varieties, persimmons and
papaya are alkaline-forming fruits with a low acid content. Of these,
watermelon, cantaloupe, honeydew melon, persimmons and papaya are highly
alkaline-forming.
Vegetables
Nearly all vegetables contain a low amount of
acid, with the average pH value falling somewhere between 5.5 and 6.9 on the acid-base
scale. Many vegetables, including zucchini, asparagus, celery, endives, kale,
lettuce, all varieties of squash, sweet potatoes and yams have only slightly
acidic pH values but are highly alkaline-forming. Some of the most alkalizing
acid-containing vegetables include yams, pumpkins, butternut squash, mustard
greens, artichokes, beets, cabbage, asparagus and rutabagas.
Considerations
Most fruits and almost all vegetables are
alkaline-forming in the body. Exceptions include cranberries, pomegranates, dates,
plums, prunes and tomatoes, all of which have a slightly acid-forming effect
when eaten. Although many other foods, including dairy, meat, seafood, pickled
food, jams and various types of sugar contain low amounts of acid, they're
moderately to highly acid-forming in the body. Apple cider vinegar and umeboshi
vinegar are exceptions — according to “The Acid Alkaline Food Guide,” these
high-acid vinegars are alkaline-forming in the body.
References
“The Encyclopedia of Healing Foods”; Michael
Murray, N.D., et al.; 2005
“The Acid Alkaline Food Guide”; Dr. Susan E.
Brown, et al.; 2006
“The pH Balance Diet”; Bharti Vyas, et al.;
2007
“Alkalize or Die”; Dr. Theodore A. Baroody;
1991
Oklahoma State University; The Importance of
Food pH in Commercial Canning Operations; William McGlynn
Original Article Here
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