Everything to Know About a Low Acid Diet

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Low acid diet basically comprises leafy vegetables like cabbages and broccoli. Meat and poultry products have to be consumed in moderation if one is serious about following this diet.

Acidic foods pose a great problem for people with digestive disorders. Stomach ulcers and acid reflux are some issues that aggravate by eating high acidic foods. That's why doctors suggest to follow a low acid diet to manage these disorders effectively. Knowing the list of acidic foods will give a general idea about foods that can be included in this diet.

The pH scale is commonly used to determine the acidity of a substance. When the pH scale reading is under 7, the substance is said to be acidic. In case the pH value is over 7, it is alkaline. Whether a food item is acidic or alkaline, it is decided by measuring urine pH after ingesting that food product.

What is a Low Acid Diet?

Minimizing intake of acid forming foods is what forms the basis of this diet. To be more specific, one has to stay away from high acidic foods. This diet plan focuses more on eating alkaline foods. Milk products like yogurt and buttermilk are unfortunately highly acidic and hence eating them in excess would not serve the purpose.

Processed foods like ketchup, chocolate and beverages like tea, coffee and soft drinks are all acid forming and hence excluded from low acidic diet. Spices and condiments raise pH value of food. So make sure that spicy foods are not part of this diet. Most protein rich foods are highly acidic, so taking them in moderate amount is the key to follow this diet.

Fruits: Citric fruits like oranges and lemons are highly acidic and so have to be excluded in low acid diet.

The fruits that are categorized as low acidic foods are given here: ► Strawberries ► Apples ► Raisins ► Cantaloupe ► Pear ► Mango

► Bananas ► Peach ► Raspberries ► Watermelon ► Figs ► Black cherries

Vegetables: There are quite a few vegetables that have low acid levels. These vegetables are an integral part of acid reflux diet and help to alleviate digestive issues. As a general rule of thumb, green leafy vegetables come under the list of alkalizing vegetables.

This is because these vegetables are rich in potassium, which is strongly alkaline. Following are the vegetables that have high pH values: ► Spinach ► Potatoes ► Oriental greens ► Broccoli ► Dandelion Greens

► Cucumber ► Cauliflower ► Asparagus ► Celery ► Kale ► Sprouts ► Radishes ► Carrots

Can lentils, corn and winter squash be a part of low acid diet? As they come in the list of acidic foods to avoid, it won't be feasible to include them in this diet. Legumes, grains as well as fish and poultry products are highly acidic, hence their consumption has to be in moderation.

Beverages: When it comes to beverages that help to keep the blood alkaline, herbal tea is the best option. Honestly all herbs are alkaline and hence their addition into our diet can work wonders to maintain proper alkalinity of our body.

Taking chamomile or green tea provides the same benefits and are often referred to as anti-acidity tea. One can also have fresh vegetable juices as they can play a crucial role in keeping the blood pH in the proper range.

Cooking Oil: If you are serious about following this diet, you got to use healthy cooking oil. This means, you should refrain from using hydrogenated oil, corn oil, margarine and sunflower oil. Cooking in extra virgin olive oil is regarded as healthy but more importantly helps to maintain alkaline pH of blood.

Low Acid Diet for Bone Health

This diet can play a very important role to improve bone health. Bone problems such as osteoporosis are often the result of following a highly acidic diet. It is observed that a diet high in acidic foods is responsible for causing calcium loss.

As we all know, the body has a predetermined acid - alkaline balance but with too much intake of acidic foods, the normal pH of our body can alter. In order to avoid this unwanted change, the body uses calcium for processing the food. It is a known fact that calcium is mostly found in the bones and teeth.

As a result, the person may develop bone health issues in the long run. So to be on the safer side, a low acid diet is a better option. Keep in mind that nuts (almonds, cashew nuts) are high in alkali producing minerals and hence their inclusion in this diet is not an issue.

The Verdict

According to experts, a healthy diet always, has a higher percentage of alkaline forming foods. A diet will be considered healthy, if it is made up of around 60% alkaline foods and the rest constituting acid forming foods. This proportion of alkaline foods has to be maintained for overall well-being.

A person diagnosed with digestive disorders should concentrate more on eating alkaline forming foods. In order to put health right on track, doctors recommend to have a diet that contains approximately 80% of alkaline foods.

On the whole, low acid diet provides long-term health benefits. An acid forming diet is a potent source of health problems and so including more and more alkalizing foods in the diet is helpful to restore and maintain health.