Alkaline diet

The Alkaline diet, also known as the acid-alkaline diet or alkaline ash diet, is a dietary philosophy which posits that certain foods can affect the acidity or alkalinity (the pH value) of the body and that such changes can be used to treat or prevent diseases.

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Principle and Theory

The alkaline diet is based on the hypothesis that the foods we eat can have an impact on the pH balance of our bodies. This diet encourages consumption of more alkaline-producing foods (such as fruits, vegetables, and plant-based protein sources) while reducing the intake of acid-producing foods (like meat, dairy, and processed foods).

Proposed Health Benefits

• Advocates for the alkaline diet propose that it may enhance health in several ways:
• Bone Health: Some proponents argue that an acidic diet may leach calcium from bones, contributing to osteoporosis. An alkaline diet is believed to reduce this risk.
• Cancer Prevention: There are claims that cancer cells thrive in an acidic environment and that maintaining alkalinity can inhibit cancer growth.
• It's important to note that while these benefits are widely promoted by supporters of the diet, they are not universally accepted by the medical community due to a lack of comprehensive scientific evidence.

Criticisms and Controversies

Many healthcare professionals and scientists argue that the body's pH is tightly regulated by various physiological mechanisms and cannot be significantly altered by diet. Critics also point out that while the alkaline diet encourages healthy behaviors like eating more fruits and vegetables and reducing processed food intake, these benefits are not necessarily linked to pH balance.

Potential Risks

Like any restrictive diet, the alkaline diet may pose potential risks such as nutrient deficiencies, particularly in protein, calcium, and vitamin B12, due to the limiting of certain food groups like meat and dairy.

Conclusion

While the alkaline diet promotes healthy eating habits such as increased fruit and vegetable intake and reduced consumption of processed foods, its theoretical foundation related to body pH is not well supported by scientific evidence. As always, a balanced and varied diet that incorporates a wide range of nutrients is typically the best approach to maintaining health.

References

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• Schwalfenberg GK. The alkaline diet: is there evidence that an alkaline pH diet benefits health?. J Environ Public Health. 2012;2012:727630. doi:10.1155/2012/727630
• Fenton TR, Huang T. Systematic review of the association between dietary acid load, alkaline water and cancer. BMJ Open. 2016;6(6):e010438. Published 2016 Jun 13. doi:10.1136/bmjopen-2015-010438

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