The alkaline diet emerges as an alternative for longevity and to avoid diseases. This aims to achieve the body’s pH balance, through the consumption of highly alkaline foods. This helps protect healthy cells and balance essential mineral levels. Would you like to know more about this diet? Keep reading! We will tell you below everything you need to know about the alkaline diet.

Alkaline diet
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How do alkaline diets work? Research shows that diets consisting of food (fresh vegetables, fruits, and unprocessed plant-based protein sources, for example) result in a more alkaline urine pH level, which helps protect healthy cells and balance essential mineral levels. This can be especially important for women on intermittent fasts and/or on the ketogenic diet, as hormone levels can be altered.

Alkaline diets have been shown to help prevent the formation of plaque in blood vessels, prevent calcium from accumulating in urine, prevent kidney stones, strengthen bones, reduce muscle wasting or spasms, and much more.

What is an alkaline diet?

An alkaline diet is one that is intended to help balance the pH level of fluids in the body, including blood and urine.

Your pH is partially determined by the mineral density of the foods you eat. All living organisms and life forms on earth depend on maintaining proper pH levels, and it is often said that disease and disorder cannot take hold in a body that is pH balanced.

If you have electrolyte imbalances and eat too many acidic foods frequently, your body’s pH level can cause an increase in “acidosis”.

The alkaline diet aims to prevent this from happening by carefully considering the pH levels of foods in an attempt to limit dietary acid intake.

What is pH?

It is a measure of the acidity or alkalinity of the fluids and tissues in our body. It is measured on a scale from 0 to 14. The more acidic a solution is, the lower its pH. The more alkaline, the higher the number.

A pH of around 7 is considered neutral, but since the optimal human body tends to be around 7.4, we consider the healthiest pH to be one that is slightly alkaline.

Benefits of the alkaline diet

The main advantage of alkaline foods is that they provide important nutrients that help stop the accelerated signs of aging and the gradual loss of organic and cellular functions. Let’s see other of its benefits.

Protects bone density and muscle mass

Your mineral intake plays an important role in the development and maintenance of bone structures. Research suggests that the more alkalizing fruits and vegetables a person eats, the better protection they will have against decreased bone strength and muscle wasting as they age, known as sarcopenia.

Reduces the risk of hypertension and stroke

One of the anti-aging effects of an alkaline diet is that it decreases inflammation and causes an increase in growth hormone production.

This has been shown to improve cardiovascular health and offers protection against common problems such as high cholesterol, hypertension (high blood pressure), kidney stones, stroke, and even memory loss.

Reduces chronic pain and inflammation

Studies have found a connection between an alkaline diet and reduced levels of chronic pain. Chronic acidosis has been found to contribute to chronic back pain, headaches, muscle spasms, menstrual symptoms, inflammation, and joint pain.

Increases vitamin absorption and prevents magnesium deficiency

An increase in magnesium is required for the functioning of hundreds of enzyme systems and body processes. Many people are deficient in magnesium and, as a result, they experience heart complications, muscle aches, headaches, sleep problems and anxiety.

Available magnesium is also necessary to activate vitamin D and prevent vitamin D deficiency, which is important for overall immune and endocrine function.

Helps maintain a healthy weight

Although the diet does not focus solely on fat loss, following an alkaline diet meal plan for weight loss can certainly help protect against obesity.

Limiting your consumption of acid-forming foods and eating more alkaline-forming foods can facilitate weight loss due to the diet’s ability to lower leptin levels and inflammation. This affects both your hunger and your ability to burn fat.

Since alkaline-forming foods are anti-inflammatory foods, eating an alkaline diet gives your body a chance to reach normal levels of leptin and feel satisfied by eating the amount of calories you really need.

Key tips for following an alkaline diet

Drink alkaline water

Alkaline water has a pH of 9 to 11. Distilled water is fine for drinking. Water filtered with a reverse osmosis filter is slightly acidic, but it is still a much better option than tap water or purified bottled water. Adding pH drops, lemon or lime, or baking soda to water can also increase its alkalinity.

Eat more alkaline and much less acidic foods

Although you do not have to be a strict vegetarian to have a high alkaline diet, the diet is primarily plant-based. Here is a list of foods to emphasize more:

Fresh fruits and vegetables: These are the most alkaline-promoting. Some of the best options are: mushrooms, citrus, dates, raisins, spinach, grapefruit, tomatoes, avocado, black summer radish, alfalfa grass, barley grass, cucumber, kale, jicama, wheatgrass, broccoli, oregano, garlic, ginger, green beans, endive, cabbage, celery, red beets, watermelon, figs and ripe bananas.

All raw foods: It is ideal to try to consume a good part of your products raw. Raw fruits and vegetables are said to be biogenic or “life-giving”. Cooking food depletes alkaline minerals. Increase your intake of raw foods and try juicing or lightly steaming your fruits and vegetables.

Vegetable proteins: almonds, white beans, lima beans, and most beans are good choices.

This article is informative and is not intended to diagnose, prescribe or treat any type of medical condition. This information is not a substitute for consulting a doctor, specialist or health professional.

Explicit or implicit recommendations on drugs, techniques, products, etc., are cited for informational purposes only. The use of this information is carried out under the sole responsibility of the users.

ALFA