Acidity - Alkalinity of Food
The delicate acidity - alkalinity balance in our body mainly depends up on the food we eat. It is the correct balance between the acidity and alkalinity which leads to good health. When our body is in good health, our Blood is slightly alkaline and Urine slightly acidic. A change in the balance leads to various diseases. One must eat right food in right proportion to keep the blood purified and to maintain the correct acidity-alkalinity balance. Carbohydrates and fats form about nine-tenths of the normal fuel of the body. In normal health, this great mass of material is converted into carbon dioxide gas and water. Half of the remaining one-tenth fuel is also converted into the same gas and water. This huge amount of acid is transported by the blood to the various points of discharge, mainly the lungs. By virtue of alkalinity, the blood is able to transport the acid from the tissues to the discharge points. Whenever the alkalinity of the blood is reduced, even slightly, its ability to transport the carbon dioxide gets reduced. This results in the accumulation of acid in the tissues. The normal body chemistry is approximately 20 per cent acid and 80 per cent alkaline. This is the acid-alkaline balance. In normal health, the reaction of the blood is alkaline and that is essential for our physical and mental well-being.
Hence our daily diet should consist of four-fifth of alkaline-forming foods such and one fifth of acid-forming foods containing concentrated proteins and starches. Eating sensibly in this manner will ensure the necessary alkalinity of the food which will keep the body in perfect health. All foods, after digestion and absorption leave either an acid or alkaline ash in the body depending on their mineral composition. Phosphorous, Sulphur, Chlorine, Iodine, carbon dioxide, Lactic acid, Uric acid present in the food contribute to the acidic effect. Foods leaving an acid ash are (One-Fifth Class)Boiled Milk, Jiggery, Refined Oils, Refined Cereals, Barley Eggs, Bananas (unripe) Grain Foods, Beans Lentils, Bread, Meats, Cereals, nuts except almonds, Cakes Oatmeal, Chicken Peas, Confections Rice, Corn Sugar, Chocolate, Biscuits, Pickles, Sea foods & Coffee Tea. Sodium and its salts, Potassium, Calcium, Iron, Copper, Magnesium, and manganese present in the food contribute to the alkaline effect. Foods Leaving an alkaline ash are ( Four-fifth class ) Almonds Melons, Apples Milk, Apricots Onions, Banana (ripe), Oranges, Beets Parsley, Cabbage Peaches, Carrots Pears, Cauliflower Pineapple, Celery Potatoes, Coconuts, Pumpkins, Cottage, Cheese, Radishes, Cucumbers, Raisins, Dates Spinach, Figs (Fresh and Dry), Soya beans, Grapes, Tomatoes, Lemons Turnips, Lettuce.
The most agreeable and convenient means of alkalizing the blood are citrus fruits and fruit juices. Unlike the general perception most of the people have the acid of the citrus fruits do not increase the acidity of the body, acid salts of organic acids lose their acidity when they are oxidized within the body and only their alkaline carbohydrates are left. The alkalizing value of citrus fruits is due to large percentage of alkaline salts, mainly potash, which they contain. Each pint of orange juice contains 12 grains of potassium, one of the most potent of alkalis. Lemon juice contains nine grains of the alkali to the pint and grape seven grains. In this way all citrus fruits have an alkaline effect.
In brief the acid forming types of food are chiefly all the animal proteins, such as meat, egg, fish and cheese, the starchy or sugary food such as cereals and sugar. The alkali-forming foods are vegetables and fruits.