People know that Hollywood actresses and other famous people follow the alkaline diet because it helps them lose weight and protects them from cancer and arthritis. Supporters of this diet plan contend that some foods, including meat, wheat, refined sugar, and processed foods, hurt people by causing the body to produce acid. These people say that you should eat certain foods to make your body more alkaline and lessen the bad effects of losing weight quickly. Since Victoria Beckham posted about this diet on Twitter in 2013, it has gained notoriety. This article will discuss the negative impacts of this diet.
What exactly is the alkaline diet, and what does it accomplish?
Many people assume that because Hollywood celebrities have taken this diet, it must be healthy. However, you shouldn’t let a few examples mislead you because this diet might have a lot of negative long-term effects.
Even though this diet plan has not been studied enough to show that it is safe, nutritionists say that the best way to lose weight is to stick to simple, low-calorie diets.
In this diet, alkaline foods like most fruits and vegetables, soybeans, certain seeds, and legumes are encouraged. The proponents of the alkaline diet also forbid alcohol and caffeine.
This diet has a lot of rules and doesn’t let people eat a lot of common foods. This method also encourages the use of fresh food, which has made shopping for and preparing food take a lot more time.
This diet forbids the consumption of dairy, eggs, meat, most cereals, processed foods, canned food, packaged food, and meals that have already been cooked.
This diet tries to improve people’s health by changing what they eat, but it doesn’t suggest a certain way to work out. You can also try the Burnafit modified ketogenic diet, which is similar to the alkaline diet and makes use of ingredients that are easier to prepare.
Which foods are acidic and alkaline?
Knowing the foods that are acidic and alkaline in this diet is crucial because it tries to alter the body’s pH level. To turn food into energy, the body burns calories through metabolism. Metabolic waste remains after everything has been burned.
These metabolic byproducts might be neutral, acidic, or alkaline. The acidity of the body can be directly impacted, according to proponents of the alkaline diet. Simply put, you can increase the alkalinity of your blood by eating foods that produce alkaline waste.
A body that is more alkaline is less likely to get sick, while a body that is more acidic is more likely to get sick. You may boost your health and immunity by eating more alkaline foods.
Foods rich in calcium, magnesium, and potassium are alkaline, while those rich in protein, phosphate, and sulfur are acidic.(1 , 2) Foods that are acidic, alkaline, or neutral include the following:
Acidic
- Meat
- chicken, fish
- dairy
- egg
- cereal
- alcohol
Neutral
- Natural fats
- Starches
- sugars
Alkaline
- the brains
- beans
- the vegetables
- Fruits
What distinguishes an alkaline body from an acidic body?
The alkaline diet says that acidosis in the body makes it easier for diseases like cancer and osteoporosis to grow.(5 , 6) All body organs, like the heart, brain, kidneys, liver, skin, and even the intestines, are affected by the pH level of the blood. For this reason, alkalizing the body aims to increase the body’s degree of health.
Proponents of the alkaline diet say that eating too many processed foods and acidic meals makes it harder for the body to control how acidic it is on its own.
This diet advises people to drink more purified water each day to help their bodies become more alkaline. Along with a normal diet, this diet tries to get more alkaline foods into the body and less acid into the body.
This diet also stresses how important it is to stay calm through yoga and meditation, since stress and mental pressure can make the body much more acidic.
This diet says that an acidic body will make you sick, make you fat, and mess with your mind. An alkaline body, on the other hand, will keep your body healthy, slow down aging, and make your mind clearer.
It seems that changing the foods on an alkaline diet helps people lose weight, but it has never been proven that it can help prevent or treat diseases.
However, contemporary study has not been done to support these assertions. To avoid potential complications and issues, it is advised that you visit a qualified doctor and nutritionist if you are interested in adopting this diet.
What are the drawbacks of an alkaline diet, and why is it not advised?
If you stop eating acidic foods, your stomach’s natural acidity will go down. This makes it harder for pathogens to get into the bloodstream and kill healthy microorganisms in the body.
Additionally, a generalized over-alkalization of the body might result in gastrointestinal issues and skin irritations. Additionally, consuming too much acidic food raises the body’s pH and causes metabolic alkalosis, which can cause the symptoms listed below.
- nausea
- Vomit
- hand tremors
- Muscle contraction
- Tingling in the limbs or face
- confusion
Alkalosis can also lead to a drop in the body’s supply of free calcium, which has an impact on bone health.
What does “pH” in an alkaline diet mean?
The pH scale shows how acidic or alkaline food is for the body. Water, a neutral solution, is created when the ions +H and -OH interact. The solution will fall out of balance and become either acidic or alkaline if any of these ions are present in greater amounts.
A test is carried out to identify the acidity or alkalinity of any solution. An integer between 0 and 14 is used to represent its range. The test indicates alkaline conditions if the result is more than 7.
The number 7 represents a substance’s neutrality, and numbers below that indicate its acidity.
The kidneys and lungs do the majority of the work to maintain the body’s pH balance.(4) Research shows that what you eat can change the pH of your urine, but it doesn’t change the way your blood is made.
In order to do this, an alkaline diet changes the foods you eat to try to control how acidic your body is. A change in urine’s pH level can signal a shift in the body’s general health; other times, it can signal an infection or the presence of kidney stones.
Additionally, diarrhea, hunger, or diabetic ketoacidosis can all be signs of low urine pH. The pH of the human body fluctuates widely; for instance, although the blood is mildly alkaline,(3) the stomach’s environment is quite acidic.
If the body’s cells are out of the ordinary, they will soon be killed. One of the most frequent ways the body balances the pH level in the body is by excreting acids through the urine.
A few hours after consuming a huge steak, a person’s urine will become more acidic as the body eliminates metabolic waste products from the entire system.
As a result, urine pH is a poor predictor of both general health and body pH. Other than diet, there are other things that can affect it.
What symptoms of acidity in the body are there, according to the alkaline diet?
The majority of bodily tissues, with the exception of the stomach, are alkaline, say those who follow this diet. They say that if the number of acidic substances in the organs of the body goes up, it will lead to many health problems.
Unknown and persistent cough, neurological conditions and diseases like Alzheimer’s and Parkinson’s, excessive phlegm in the throat of those who did not have a cold, kidney and urine infections, chest pain, eczema and acne, heart and vascular issues, confusion and poor concentration, osteoporosis, chronic stomach issues like constant bloating and pain, weight gain, joint pain, and many other
People who like this diet say that people with allergies or diabetes are not likely to be able to lower the acidity of their bodies. Too much acid in the body impairs the body’s ability to fight off illnesses and the invasion of germs or viruses, which is a big contributor to the body’s immune system deficit.
Sciatica and sinus pain, which are both brought on by too much acid in the body, have an impact on many people’s quality of life. The truth is that each of these illnesses has its own cause, and they can’t all be blamed on the acidity of the body.
Who should follow an alkaline diet, and who should steer clear of it?
Everyone should avoid rigid alkaline diets, although modified and non-strict versions might be helpful as a program to change how they eat. All people, particularly those who are coping with diabetes, cancer, or heart disease, should eat more healthful, plant-based foods, according to research that suggests doing so.
These folks may benefit from an alkaline diet that is balanced and adapted, as long as a nutritionist is in charge. People who have kidney stones or renal illnesses will also benefit from a plant-based, non-alkaline diet.
Never start an alkaline diet if you have a long-term illness or don’t know how your body is doing. Protein-dependent people won’t likely appreciate this diet and will likely feel quite hungry while on it.
Diets that don’t let you eat eggs or walnuts can make you obsessed with food and keep you from eating things that are good for you. Despite not being designed for weight loss and focusing on nutritious plant foods, this diet promotes weight loss as a result of cutting out a number of high-calorie items.
Nutritionists say you shouldn’t follow this diet because they don’t know if it will give you enough protein from plants. You should be aware that good health comes before any diet before starting an alkaline diet.
Because this diet plan is strict, you need to make sure you are getting all the nutrients your body needs and that you won’t hurt your body by accident.