Understanding Acid, Alkalizing and Acidifying Foods

The body’s source of acidity and alkalinity originates outside the body. The source includes the foods we eat and the beverages we consume. Do you realize that each food has an impact on your body’s internal pH level? Did you realize that a food that affects someone in a particular way can affect another person in an entirely different way? Well both are true and they’re the reasons why it is so important to keep track of your food intake and the different ways your body reacts to the different foods.

There are some things to know about food. First, every type can be put into one of three categories: acid food, alkalizing food or acidifying food. Alkalinity and acidity get their names by the way each affects the body. An acid food is different. To be considered an acid food, taste is the criterion. If it tastes acid, it must be acid. In the case of acid foods, how the food impacts the body is not considered.

Many people consider only the nutritional value of a food rather than the way the food affects the body after it’s consumed. This isn’t the best approach, especially if your goal is to be in good shape physically. There are foods that should create alkaline effects but instead they affect the body as an acid would. To better understand the difference think about the way sugar is used to help neutralize the "taste" of rhubarbs and currants. The sugar lessens (neutralizes) the acid taste, but once inside the body, metabolism of the white sugar creates an abundance of acids.

Unfortunately, too many nutritionists and other specialists continue to focus on a food’s chemical make-up rather than its effects on the body. Especially where therapeutic treatment is being considered, it’s important to understand this difference.

There are plenty of people who feel that a food’s importance should never be determined by the tongue. They believe what counts most is what the body does with a food once it enters the digestive tract. Have you ever wondered why a cow can eat grass but humans can’t? Have you ever wondered why sick individuals who eat raw fish can develop severe health problems, while those who are in good health can eat all the raw fish they want? And of course, we all know the importance of drinking milk, but what happens to those who are lactose intolerant?

These are examples of what is meant by the term, acid foods. Alkalinity foods and acidifying foods are classified strictly based on the effect each has on the human body. But when it comes to acid foods, there is no clear classification because acid foods affect different people differently.

Fruits, whey and vinegar – acid foods – are classified by their taste rather than the affect on the body. If a person cannot properly metabolize acids, these types of foods will have an acidifying effect on the body. If a person has no trouble metabolizing weak acids, these foods will have an alkalizing effect.

Acid foods for the most part will create an acidifying effect for most individuals. The key here is the word, most, because as mentioned previously, acid foods affect some people differently. That is the reality and that is why individuals with a weakened metabolism capability towards acids, mainly people monitoring their alkalinity/acidity levels, need to know about this third food group called acid foods.

Once you understand the differences between the three food groups, you’ll be able to make informed decisions about the foods you choose to help bring your acid/alkaline levels back into balance. Just to be safe, here are two more tips on choosing food:

Tip #1: No trouble metabolizing acids? Eat more acidifying/alkalizing foods than acid foods.

Tip #2: Trouble metabolizing acids? Eat fewer acid/acidifying foods and a larger quantity of alkalizing foods.

In fact, people who have trouble metabolizing acids and those with symptoms of acidification should eat 60 to 80% alkalizing foods and only 20% of the others. People without these types of troubles can eat from the groups equally: 50% from alkaline foods and 50% from acidifying.

Never make the mistake of thinking you are doing your body a favor by not eating acidifying foods. Many proteins come from acidifying foods so it’s important to continue eating meat, fish, eggs and dairy. Proteins are what helps tissues hold on to the minerals derived from alkalines. The proteins build the framework to hold on to those minerals. It’s important to hold on to and not to lose any alkaline unnecessarily. The body will need them to neutralize the next onslaught of excess acid.

Consuming alkalines is so important when you suffer from acidity or an inability to metabolize acids. Make every meal count. Your body will immediately use the alkalines it takes in to balance the acids that have already entered into the digestive track. Now that’s efficient.

Without the intake of alkalines, acids will end up in the body’s internal environment. The body will then have to tap into its alkaline reserves stored inside the tissues in order to neutralize the acids. This is how easily alkaline reserves—which actually are important minerals – get used up so quickly. When mineral levels are depleted, the body begins exhibiting symptoms of acidification.

If you’re lucky enough to be able to metabolize acids properly, you don’t have to care so much about sending in extra alkalines. Your body can get enough from the foods you eat, even if they’re acidifying foods, and still be able to neutralize them because it generally has an ample supply stored in its reserves.

Your Diet Definitely Impacts pH Balance