17 alkaline foods that reduce acidity in the body

Your body is acidic by nature. Therefore, you need these alkaline foods that reduce acidity in the body. For instance, the stomach pH levels range from 2 to 3.5.¹ It’s a highly acidic environment.

This low pH is caused by acidic stomach contents of hydrochloric acid and digestive juices. The body’s acidity increases further by carbon dioxide and lactic acid from cells.²

Unfortunately, the body doesn’t synthesize alkaline substances. Therefore, an alkaline diet will help you reduce the acidity and frequent acid reflux in your system.

Why is it important to alkalize your body?

When you have a more alkaline environment in your body, your organs function at optimum levels. An alkaline diet works best among acid reflux treatment options.

A 2008 study suggests that an alkaline diet can increase muscle mass and lower the risk of bone fractures.

 Acid base balance determines disease entry in the body and the strength of your immune system. High body acidity is the reason for the surging cancer cases today. In addition, many chronic infections and bone diseases result from increased body acidity.

Another importance of an alkaline diet is to increase the production of growth hormone in children. Research shows body acidosis slows growth in children by lowering the secretion of growth hormones.

Studies pose that improving growth hormone levels requires lower acidity in the body.

What are the best alkaline diets for body acidity?

According to Healthline media, the modern western diet consists primarily of acidic foods: junk, burgers, toasts, pizza, potato chips, and the rest. You will have to avoid certain foods as you focus on a more alkaline diet.¹

Have you been subsisting much on animal and processed foods? Here are low acid foods that will improve your body’s acid base balance.

PINK HIMALAYAN ROCK SALT

Himalayan salt has a pH level of ≈7. Because it’s not mineralized and iodized, it’s best for alkalizing your body. Pink Himalayan rock salt has up to 84 alkaline minerals and nutrients.¹

This salt has more benefits to your body than reducing acidity. Unlike other salts, it doesn’t dehydrate the body. As a result, it helps maintain fluid balance in the body and control blood pressure levels. Other than raising the human body pH, it has the following health benefits:-

• It cures adrenal fatigue in your body and reduces body acidity.

• The salt is also linked to an increase in libido, reducing the chances of Erectile dysfunction.

• It helps reduce blood sugar levels¹

• Helps in the reduction of aging signs

• It helps Improves the quality of sleep.

Use it raw to get the best of Himalayan salt as an alkaline food.

CITRUS FRUITS

Citrus fruits are rich in fiber, vitamin C, folate, thiamin, vitamin B6 and other phytochemicals. Contrary to popular belief that citrus fruits are acidic, they are the best in balancing body acidity.

Sweet lime, lemon, and oranges have a pH level of 2, but after metabolism, their pH rises to above 8, making them alkaline and thus alkalizing the body.

Citruses have other benefits like detoxification, reducing high blood pressure, and lowering harmful LDL cholesterol.

 NUTS

Besides being a source of oils, fats, and proteins, nuts also produce an alkaline effect in the body. Nuts include almonds, cashews, chestnuts, hazelnuts, and walnuts.

Nuts contain omega-6 and omega-3 polyunsaturated fats, suitable for the body. However, they are high in calories and should be consumed in small quantities.

They are also rich in magnesium and vitamin E.

BROCCOLI

Broccoli is more than just an alkaline food. However, it contains water-soluble vitamins that leach out and evaporate if boiled. Therefore, use it more frequently in green juices or simmer for a few minutes if you want to serve it cooked. It also contains proteins that your body needs for cell growth.

It has high fiber content that helps your system to digest food.

SEASONAL FRUITS

Seasonal fruits are a good source of an alkaline diet. Apart from being packed with lots of nutrients and antioxidants, they have many vitamins required in the body.

Add more fruits like nectarine, watermelon, grapefruit, apples, and strawberries to a vegetable-free meal.

EGGPLANT

Aubergine, as it’s also called, has a pH of 9.0. It’s hence an excellent alkalizing diet to consider.

Eggplants have similar health benefits to tomatoes but have higher anthocyanin. It’s a flavonoid-rich plant that helps your body fight free radicals that can cause cancer. Flavonoids are also potent antioxidants.

Eggplant also has phytonutrients that improve blood pH, and circulation in the body and brain, boosting its functionality and memory.

 BANANA

Banana is an excellent source of potassium and dietary fiber. Moreover, it has pectin, which acts as a blood sugar stabilizer.

It’s moderate in sugar and is an alkaline fruit that will help control weight when used temperately.

The other benefit of bananas is compatibility with many smoothies. You can prepare a banana shake and blend it with more fruits. Here you can add some of your kitchen trials and creativity to get better results.

APRICOT

Apricots are high in alkalinity when served raw, but they have higher pH when dry. Therefore, for purposes of reducing body acidity, consider using dry apricots. Although, using dry fruits may lead to a higher consumption rate, which will increase calories in the body.

Apricots are rich in vitamin A and carotenoids that promote eye health and reduce the risk of cataracts. In addition, it contains vitamin E and nutrients that reduce the chances of macular degeneration.

AVOCADO

Avocado is full of vitamins E, K, and C. It is also a superfood with healthy fats that body cells require for optimum growth.

Its folate content helps reduce the risk of neural tube defects in pregnant women. Moreover, the folate has undergone research on its relation to reducing depression.

Avocado is packed with healthy fats that help you feel full between meals; this will help you reduce snacking.

Its nutritional component includes omega-3, lutein, niacin, riboflavin vitamin B6, and other minerals like magnesium and potassium.

ROOT VEGETABLES

These vegetables taste best when they are served cooked and seasoned. They include potatoes, carrots, beets, lotus roots, etc. Potatoes are alkaline foods having other vital nutrients for the body.

They are high in protein and antioxidants that help in:-

• Improvement of blood sugar levels

• Improve digestive tract health

• Reduce the risk of heart disease by checking the body’s cholesterol levels.

TOMATO

Tomato is a pure alkaline vegetable fruit. It has lots of vitamins and antioxidants that have health benefits to the body. Scientists say that tomato has lycopene more than any other fruit. Lycopene is very beneficial to skin tone and prevents many kinds of cancers.

Why is an alkaline diet important for your body?

What are the typical functions of alkaline foods?

• Countering the risk of body acidity

• Relieve symptoms of acid reflux

• Reduces the risk of chronic disease

• Naturally promoting healthy body weight

• Strengthens immune system

How do I make my body alkaline?

Drink a lot of water

Water is neutral and therefore suitable for neutralizing the acidity in the body. Water also helps with hydration and constitutes a more significant percentage of your body tissues

Choose a fresh organic diet whenever possible

Fresh organic products are free from chemicals like pesticides, fungi sides, and preservatives that increase the acidity in the body.

Eat alkaline diet

The body is already acidic by nature, and because of the stomach acid, you need a more alkaline diet to reduce your dietary acid load. These alkaline diets will help you curb body acidity and maintain the correct body acid-alkaline ratio.

If you have acidic foods in your meal, try to incorporate several alkaline foods

You can’t avoid problem foods because of their dietary components. However, you should add several alkaline foods to the diet as you take other foods.

Stay nearer to the natural state of food as possible eat most of your food raw

A large amount of cooking has filled the world with chronic invalids. The frying and the smoking of flesh and fast foods increase inflammation in the body.

The nearer you adopt the 80% raw diet, the healthier you will become, and your body alkalinity will increase spontaneously.

Ensure a salad at each meal

Salads made of raw vegetables or steamed will significantly increase your body’s alkalinity. An alkaline pH diet must compose of salad or fresh colored fruits.

For best serving, consider adding olive oil to the salad after steaming.

Reduce or eliminate animal products

Animal products increase the incidences of acid reflux symptoms. Processed meats and dairy products result in acidity in the body, increasing the stomach acid levels and causing acid reflux.

Make fresh fruit and vegetable smoothies or green juices

Fruits and vegetables are acidic outside the body, but after digestion, all go up the pH scale to 8.0 and above.

It’s rare to develop acid reflux on a diet rich in fruits and vegetables.

For more alkalinity, soak and sprout your nuts

When you soak your grains and nuts, you reduce the phytic acid in these foods. Soaking is recommended for whole grains like brown rice, nuts, beans, and other legumes.

Gas in the whole grains is emitted out, and the resultant food may improve symptoms of bloating and acid reflux.

Chew your food slowly

Proper chewing of food is generally considered beneficial for healthy digestion. Adequate chewing will also help you eat a small amount of food and derive all the required nutrients.

Healthline media further states that it helps regulate body weight and the risk of obesity. Furthermore, acid production in the food content remains in the stomach longer than the required digestion period.

Eat whole-grain products

Brown rice has higher pH levels than white and wild rice. Processed foods have several effects on the digestive tract, like constipation and acid reflux.

Other methods of achieving an alkaline body

Besides alkaline foods that reduce acidity in the body, there are some other positive lifestyle practices that may help you reduce your body acidity.

• Maintain breathing exercises

• Have a morning jog or evening walks

• Through away chemical products whenever you can

• Take smaller meals

• Lifestyle changes

• Increase your intake of herbal teas like chamomile and ginger tea

What foods are highly alkaline?

• Nuts and seeds like almonds, chia sesame

• Legumes and sprouts

• Most grains like Amaranth, millet, and Quinoa

• Soybeans and tofu

• Vegetables, especially the leafy greens

• Pumpkin, potatoes, and beets

• Spices like ginger, parsley, leeks, and onions

• Wheat and barley grass

• Fresh beans, green peas, soy, and Lima beans

Acidic foods to cut out from your diet

Meat, fish, and shellfish

A 2010 study shows that flesh-eating can increase the risk of cardiovascular diseases and colon cancer. There is a significant increase in chronic diseases due to meat-eating.

Meat is associated with several chronic diseases due to high cholesterol content. According to the national cancer institute, fried and dried mean increases cancer risk.³

 2019 peer-reviewed studies affirm that meat and flesh diet is high in acidity.

Milk, eggs, butter, and cheese

Medical evidence suggests that dairy products and flesh are likely to cause acidity in the body.¹ Dairy products contain a large amount of cholesterol and unsaturated fats.

Other than acidity in the body, these foods cause health conditions like constipation and increase the risk of obesity, and osteoporosis and affect bone health. A medically reviewed study proves that low dairy products diet lowers the risk of constipation.²

Coffee, soda, and alcohol

These are food with high acidic content that affects the optimum body condition. The acidic content in these carbonated beverages increases inflammation in the body and, therefore, is responsible for the prevalent chronic diseases today.

Substitute these drinks with fruit juices for healthier living.

Processed and refined foods

Fast foods and junk foods that you get from the shop have several detrimental health effects on your body. The chemicals used for seasoning are acidic, and after digestion, they readily affect your body’s pH and may trigger heartburn.

Sugars, artificial sweeteners, and refined grains

Refined sugars are sweet poison. The chemicals used to crystallize sugar into granules are highly toxic and acidic. Public health professionals affirm that sugar leads to a significant increase in stomach acid content.

It will be best if you substitute sugar with natural sweeteners like honey.

Tobacco and preservatives

In 2016 medical study found that tobacco usage led to lower salivary pH than the control group.

MSG and canned food

Monosodium glutamate in canned foods contains glutamic acid. The same content is in some foods like tomatoes, but the derived acid is harmful to health after prolonged exposure.

If you consume these foods, you increase the acidity of the stomach contents.

Which fruits are most alkaline?

BLUEBERRIES

Individuals who eat blueberries daily reduce the risk of cardiovascular diseases by up to 15. They can help reduce oxidative stress because of their high antioxidant properties. It’s linked to improving brain function and increasing neurocognitive in adults.

WATERMELON

Watermelon has a pH value of above 6. Its content consists significantly of water, therefore good alkalizing food for an acidic body.

CANTALOUPE

Cantaloupe has a pH of 7.13 and above. It’s loaded with nutrients, hence a good fruit for diabetic patients. It has high vitamin content and antioxidants to protect you from cell damage.

It also has vitamin A which helps in the eyes, immunity, and bone strength.

MANGO

Mango is a weak acid fruit with a pH value of 6. The good news is that mango is alkaline-forming during the process of digestion.

PAPAYA

The pH value of papaya is 5.42, which is a weak acid. The low acidity and high amount of vitamins in papaya make it ideal for your diet.

KIWI

Though acidic, Kiwi fruit is very alkaline-forming in the body. It’s a good fruit with high vitamin C and dietary fiber good for heart health and digestion.

GRAPES

Like citruses, they are sour but form alkaline conditions after digestion. Grapes are good for bone health and the immune system.

PEARS

Pears are a good source of vitamins and antioxidants. It has several anti-inflammatory nutrients which promote heart and gut health.

It also helps in reducing body acidity.

TANGERINES

While tangerines seem acidic outside the body, it becomes alkaline after digestion and metabolism to a pH of 9.0. According to several medical news, Tangerines are good sources of antioxidants, vitamin C, and anti-cancer properties.

What vegetables are high in alkaline?

Below are some vegetables which form part of the alkaline foods that reduce acidity in the body

SPINACH

Spinach belongs to the family of Kale, though preferred. It’s rich in alkaline content and rich in Vitamin A and K.

Research shows that an increase in spinach consumption can lower high blood pressure. Spinach can be added to varieties of foods without changing the flavor.

It forms part of the green juices that are good for cancer patients.

Spinach has a pH value of 5-5.9, which is near neutral. Its acid content is very mild, and when served right, it can alkalize the body.

KALE

Scientific studies pose that Kale has a pH of 6.48 and increases in pH levels after digestion. It’s, therefore, able to neutralize acidic foods in your servings.

Rich in vitamin A, E, K, and C, this green vegetable is suitable for your diet, raw or cooked. It is highly alkaline, and the Chlorophyll-a boosts the immune system.

Vitamin A in Kale is essential for bone health, strong immunity, and eyes.

Kale has some traces of Alpha-linolenic acid. This essential omega-3 fatty acid helps in reducing the risk of heart disease, average growth, and development. It also helps in maintaining regular heart rhythm. It’s also linked to lowering blood clots in the system.

Vitamin K in kales works together with vitamins to help in supporting healthy bone metabolism. Kale is a good source of Calcium. Therefore, best for vegans who don’t use milk.

BUT, why should you like Kale?

 It contains a B vitamin folate which is vital in brain development.

ARUGULA

The pH value of Arugula is 6.9. With high pH levels is an excellent alkalizing vegetable.

COLLARD GREENS

Collard green has a weak acidic pH of 6. It’s therefore evident that it may help reduce high stomach acid content due to digestive juices and other acidic foods.³

MUSTARD GREENS

The pH of mustered greens after digestion is 9.5. Although its alkalinity is weak, it contributes a lot to the system.⁴

BEET GREENS

Beet greens have a pH of 8.0, just like several other dark green leafy vegetables.

WATERCRESS

Besides constituting alkaline properties, watercress has antioxidants beta carotene, lutein, and zeaxanthin, which improve the heart’s health and lowers the risks of developing heart disease.

SEAWEED

Most people aren’t aware that seaweeds are human food. Sea vegetables have 10+ times more minerals than land-grown vegetables. Most of the seaweeds are neutral and slightly alkaline. Growing in a saline environment, it has traces of iodine which help in thyroid function.

Purple seaweed contains a decent amount of B12.⁵ This vitamin helps in keeping your body’s nerve cells healthy. Vitamin B12 in this seaweed also helps make DNA and prevents megaloblastic anemia.

Is lemon water alkalizing?

A 2009 study poses that citric acid in lemon juice is 1.44g/Oz. Despite its acidity, lemon juice has alkalizing properties.

An in vitro study in 2021 shows that lemon juice can lower the pH of a meal and reduce blood glucose concentration by 30%.

Take Away

These alkaline foods foods that reduce acidity in the body will help you balance your body pH if you use them correctly.

 You must know the right combination of food and the daily requirement of each food component in the body. Eating right is a crucial factor in increasing your body’s alkalinity.

The information here is obtained from trusted Healthline media sources and medically reviewed publications to guide you in choosing a healthy alkaline diet.

Consider the guidelines from environmental and public health publications on the best combination of these diets for optimum health.