8. Tips for maintaining a correct acid-base balance

Acidifying foods

Consumption of acid-forming foods is essential for our nutrition. Our ability to metabolize these acids depends on the quantity and frequency of intake, time of ingestion, but especially the balance between acidifying and alkalizing foods.

Acidifying foods are foods that liberate acid metabolites during processing in the body (digestion, cellular use). They are acid producing. Most acidifying foods are, however, the basic nutrients of our nutrition, that so their consumption cannot be avoided. The idea is to limit the quantity consumed and combine them with other "alkalizing" foods so as to reduce the impact of their acidifying effect.

Refined foods produce acid through vitamin and trace element deficiency (ionization, pasteurization.) or by the difficulty to be completely processed by the body.

• Meat, game meat, meat extracts, poultry
• Fatty fish, crustaceans, mussels, shrimp
• Cheese (stronger and older cheeses are more acidic than soft ones), sterilized milk, “aged” whey
• Animal fats, cooked fats, refined vegetable oils, hardened oils (margarine)
• Cereals, whole or refined: wheat, oats, especially millet; bread, pasta, flakes and cereal-based foods….
• Legumes: peanut, soy (except milk), beans, chickpea, lentils …
• Refined sugar, sweets, syrup, pastries, candy, jam, candied fruit …
• Industrially produced drinks: lemonade, cola, soda, and sparkling water…
• Oilseeds: walnuts, hazelnuts, peanuts, pecans, pistachios, sunflower, pumpkin seed….
• Coffee, tea (especially black), cocoa, chocolate, wine, yeast, aspirin ….

NB. A daily intake of good quality proteins is essential for efficient metabolic syntheses

Alkalizing foods

The alkalizing foods are rich in bases and poor acidic substances. The transformation of these foods the body does not release acidic compounds. The alkalizing foods therefore have alkalizing properties beneficial to the field.

• Mealy type foods: potato, sweet potato, pumpkin, and chestnut ….
• Vegetables: raw or cooked and coloured vegetables (except tomatoes, sorrel, rhubarb)
• Vegetable juice, fruit compote (non industrial)
• Sprouted seeds and pulses, corn (seed or polenta)
• Banana, almonds, Brazil nuts, black olive (in olive oil, not brine)
• Ripe and sweet fruit: apple, pear…..
• Dried fruits: dates, raisins (except apricots), if dried naturally
• Alkaline mineral water (pH> 7)
• First cold pressed virgin olive oil
• Almond milk, soy milk, well drained cottage cheese, fresh butter, fresh cream
• Whole cane sugar, sesame, egg yolks, oysters, sea salt, seaweed or freshwater

Food Acids Acidic Food (acidifying for some)

Foods that are acidic to taste are acidifying for acid-sensitive individuals (or with metabolic deficiencies) and alkalizing for others.

Acidic foods are foods naturally rich in acidic compounds, such as lemon juice. In the body, these acidic foods will be metabolized. In a healthy person, the metabolism will lead to a neutralization of acids and a release of the mineral bases in fruit: the result will be an alkalizing effect.

However, in a person with metabolic deficiency acids will not be neutralized physiologically. Compounds remain in the body in acid form and will then be neutralized by bases taken from tissues, including bone. Acidic foods will thus have a strong demineralising effect. Thus, the alkalizing or acidifying effect of acidic foods depends on the metabolic capacity of the subject. Consumption must be monitored closely.

However, "acidifying" or "alkalizing" foods have the same alkalizing or acidifying effect for all.

• Whey: yoghurt, sour milk, kefir, cottage cheese
• Fruit: less the fruit is ripe more it is acid
• oRed berries: red currant, blackcurrant, raspberry, strawberry, blackberry, sea buckthorn, sloe
• oCitrus: lemon, grapefruit, orange, tangerine
• oApples, cherries (sour), plum, apricot, nectarine, greengage, pineapple, kiwi
• oSweet fruits: melon, watermelon, grape, plum, peach, fig, plum, mango, pomegranate, persimmon, fruit juice (pulp loss)
• Acidic vegetables: tomatoes (especially cooked), rhubarb, sorrel, watercress, spinach, chard (especially cooked)
• Lacto-fermented sauerkraut and vegetables, vinegar, condiments
• White wine, champagne, cider, honey, maple syrup

Comparisons per meal