Foods to Eat to Maintain pH Balance

Maintaining the proper pH balance in your body may sound technical and difficult, but in reality, it is quite simple. First, understand that your body needs to maintain a slightly alkaline environment to survive and thrive. Then adjust your diet to eat more foods that have an alkaline effect on your body. This does not mean you should totally avoid acid producing foods, just limit them. Your diet should not cause your body to become too alkaline or too acidic. For pH, it’s all about balance.

Foods to eat to maintain pH balance include a certain amount of alkaline forming foods and a certain amount of acid forming foods. In general, you should aim for 75-80 percent alkaline forming foods and 20-25 percent acid forming foods. Pure, distilled water is typically neither acid forming nor alkaline forming.

Alkaline forming foods are mostly vegetables like asparagus, artichokes, lettuce, onion, peas, spinach, carrots, green beans, and broccoli, to name a few. Fruits include lemon, tomato, avocado, and grapefruit. Other alkaline forming foods are sprouts, legumes, nuts, seeds, herbal tea, and vegetable juice.

To maintain pH balance, you should eat a minimal amount of acid forming foods. Examples of acid forming foods are meats, poultry, most seafood, sweets, white bread, white pasta, chocolate, coffee, soda, fruit juice, and most oils. You don’t have to totally avoid eating these foods to maintain pH balance, but keep these foods within the 20-25 percent proportion of your diet.

The main way that our bodies get what we need to balance pH is through diet. Certain minerals, called alkaline minerals, are naturally found in many foods and aid in the regulation of body pH by helping to neutralize acidity and maintain our body's normal, slightly alkaline pH. These minerals include calcium, magnesium, sodium, and potassium. Furthermore, maintaining a balanced diet is not only vital for maintaining proper pH, but also for a healthy life. Some alkaline-producing foods that should be part of your diet include: Most fruits Watermelon Lemon Mango Papaya Kiwi Pears Pineapple Bananas Much more Vegetables Celery Asparagus Alfalfa sprouts Peas Lettuce Broccoli Cauliflower Much more Vegetable juice Garlic Seaweed Most herbs Much more These are just some alkaline foods that should be incorporated into a balanced diet in order to help your body maintain normal pH levels. There are also some foods that should be eaten in moderation. These acid-producing foods include white sugar, most meats, soda, breads, antibiotics, coffee, tobacco, and alcohol. However, many people find it difficult to get all the nutrients they need through diet alone. This is why there are a variety of daily multivitamins and supplements available in order to ensure that you get what you need to live a healthy life.