What are alkaline foods? Effects on health

The pH is used in Chemistry as a measure of degree of acidity or alkalinity of an element, which is normally evaluated in its liquid state. In the case of the skin (find out more about the pH of the skin) is often useful to know what hygiene products tend to be or not the most appropriate and which could ultimately harm us.

In the case of feeding almost the same thing would happen, although it is true that pH of food they tend to be less well known than the skin. In this sense we refer directly to the indicator of the acid content that exists in a certain food or drink, which varies between 0 and 14. This means that a food or drink has a pH value lower than 7 is considered acidic.

What is an alkaline food and what does it consist of?

We can also talk about alkaline, neutral and acidic foods. However, before knowing what is an alkalizing or alkalizing food, we must bear in mind that this condition is mainly due to its mineral content, and how these micronutrients alter the pH of our body.

As we saw in the article in which we talked about the pH of blood, the human body has a neutral, slightly alkaline pH that ranges between 7.35 and 7.45. So an alkaline food would increase the body's average pH, while other foods rich in acidifying minerals would reduce it.

Effects of alkaline foods on the body

Fundamentally alkaline foods manage to reduce the not so positive effects of alkaline foods. In fact, not only eat certain foods, but do it in excess, as well as physical and mental activity tend to produce acidifying substances, so we must include alkalizing foods in our daily diet.

Of course, we must always bear in mind that there are no good or bad foods. The important thing is that there is a balance in our diet between alkalizing and acidifying foods, since both groups are very important for the proper functioning of our body. As many nutritionists say, acidic foods are as beneficial as alkalizing foods, however, what actually harms our health is the imbalance in the diet; For example, do not balance it with the abundant consumption of vegetables, fruits, vegetables, legumes and cereals.

Our body has a reserve of alkalizing minerals, which we mainly find in the bones. However, an unbalanced acidifying diet would cause metabolic acidosis, which would influence premature aging and a loss of bone mass, which leads to the appearance of osteoporosis.

Image | Tark Siala This article is published for informational purposes only. You can not and should not replace the consultation with a Nutritionist. We advise you to consult your trusted Nutritionist.

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