Human blood pH should be slightly alkaline ( 7.35 - 7.45 ). Below or above this range means symptoms and disease.

A pH of 7.0 is
neutral. A pH below 7.0 is acidic. A pH above 7.0 is alkaline.

An acidic pH can occur from, an acid forming diet, emotional stress, toxic overload, and/or immune reactions or any process that
deprives the cells of oxygen and other nutrients. The body will try to compensate for acidic pH by using alkaline minerals. If the diet
does not contain enough minerals to compensate, a build up of acids in the cells will occur.

An acidic balance will: decrease the body's ability to absorb minerals and other nutrients, decrease the energy production in the cells,
decrease it's ability to repair damaged cells, decrease it's ability to detoxify heavy metals, make tumor cells thrive, and make it more
susceptible to fatigue and illness. A blood pH of 6.9, which is only slightly acidic, can induce coma and death.

The reason acidosis is more common in our society is mostly due to the typical American diet, which is far too high in acid producing
animal products like meat, eggs and dairy, and far too low in alkaline producing foods like fresh vegetables. Additionally, we eat acid
producing processed foods like white flour and sugar and drink acid producing beverages like coffee and soft drinks. We use too
many drugs, which are acid forming; and we use artificial chemical sweetners like NutraSweet, Spoonful, Sweet 'N Low, Equal, or
Aspartame, which are poison and extremely acid forming. One of the best things we can do to correct an overly acid body is to clean
up the diet and lifestyle.

To maintain health, the diet should consist of 60% alkaline forming foods and 40% acid forming foods. To restore health, the diet
should consist of 80% alkaline forming foods and 20% acid forming foods.

Generally, alkaline forming foods include: most fruits, green vegetables, peas, beans, lentils, spices, herbs and seasonings, and seeds
and nuts.

Generally, acid forming foods include: meat, fish, poultry, eggs, grains, and legumes.

Shifting Your pH Toward Alkaline...

This chart is for those trying to "adjust" their body pH. The pH scale is from 0 to 14, with numbers below 7 acidic ( low on oxygen )
and numbers above 7 alkaline. An acidic body is a sickness magnet. What you eat and drink will impact where your body's pH level
falls. Balance is Key !!!

This chart is intended only as a general guide to alkalizing and acidifying foods.
 ...ALKALINE FOODS... ...ACIDIC FOODS...

ALKALIZING VEGETABLES ACIDIFYING VEGETABLES

Alfalfa Corn
Barley Grass Lentils
Beet Greens Olives
Beets Winter Squash
Broccoli
Cabbage ACIDIFYING FRUITS
Carrot Blueberries
Cauliflower Canned or Glazed Fruits
Celery Cranberries
Chard Greens Currants
Chlorella Plums**
Collard Greens Prunes**
Cucumber
Dandelions ACIDIFYING GRAINS, GRAIN PRODUCTS
Dulce Amaranth
Edible Flowers Barley
Eggplant Bran, oat
Fermented Veggies Bran, wheat
Garlic Bread
Green Beans Corn
Green Peas Cornstarch
Kale Crackers, soda
Kohlrabi Flour, wheat
Lettuce Flour, white
Mushrooms Hemp Seed Flour
Mustard Greens Kamut
Nightshade Veggies Macaroni
Onions Noodles
Parsnips (high glycemic) Oatmeal
Peas Oats (rolled)
Peppers Quinoa
Pumpkin Rice (all)
Radishes Rice Cakes
Rutabaga Rye
Sea Veggies Spaghetti
Spinach, green Spelt
Spirulina Wheat Germ
Sprouts Wheat
Sweet Potatoes
Tomatoes ACIDIFYING BEANS & LEGUMES
Watercress Almond Milk
Wheat Grass Black Beans
Wild Greens Chick Peas
Green Peas
ALKALIZING ORIENTAL VEGETABLES Kidney Beans
Daikon Lentils
Dandelion Root Pinto Beans
Kombu Red Beans
Maitake Rice Milk
Nori Soy Beans
Reishi Soy Milk
Shitake White Beans
Umeboshi
Wakame ACIDIFYING DAIRY
Butter
ALKALIZING FRUITS Cheese
Apple Cheese, Processed
Apricot Ice Cream
Avocado Ice Milk
UNKNOWN:
There are several versions of the Acidic and Alkaline Food chart to be found in different books and on the Internet. The following
foods are sometimes attributed to the Acidic side of the chart and sometimes to the Alkaline side. Remember, you don't need to adhere
strictly to the Alkaline side of the chart, just make sure a good percentage of the foods you eat come from that side.

Brazil Nuts Maple Syrup

Brussel Sprouts Milk
Buckwheat Nuts
Cashews Organic Milk (unpasteurized)
Chicken Potatoes, white
Corn Pumpkin Seeds
Cottage Cheese Quinoa
Eggs Sauerkraut
Flax Seeds Soy Products
Green Tea Sprouted Seeds
Herbal Tea Squashes
Honey Sunflower Seeds
Kombucha Tomatoes
Lima Beans Yogurt

* These statements have not been evaluated by the Food and Drug Administration and are not intended to diagnose, treat, cure, or
prevent any disease; research is ongoing.

Here's a chart that ranks foods from most alkaline to most acidic.

Ranked Foods: Alkaline to Acidic

Extremely Alkaline

Lemons, watermelon.

Alkaline Forming

Cantaloupe, cayenne celery, dates, figs, kelp, limes, mango, melons, papaya, parsley, seaweeds, seedless grapes (sweet), watercress.

Asparagus, fruit juices, grapes (sweet), kiwifruit, passionfruit, pears (sweet), pineapple, raisins, umeboshi plums, and vegetable juices.

Moderately Alkaline

Apples (sweet), alfalfa sprouts, apricots, avocados, bananas (ripe), currants, dates, figs (fresh), garlic, grapefruit, grapes (less sweet),
guavas, herbs (leafy green), lettuce (leafy green), nectarine, peaches (sweet), pears (less sweet), peas (fresh, sweet), pumpkin (sweet),
sea salt (vegetable).

Apples (sour), beans (fresh, green), beets, bell peppers, broccoli, cabbage, carob, cauliflower, ginger (fresh), grapes (sour), lettuce (pale
green), oranges, peaches (less sweet), peas (less sweet), potatoes (with skin), pumpkin (less sweet), raspberries, strawberries, squash,
sweet Corn (fresh), turnip, vinegar (apple cider).

Slightly Alkaline

Almonds, artichokes (jerusalem), brussel sprouts, cherries, coconut (fresh), cucumbers, eggplant, honey (raw), leeks, mushrooms, okra,
olives (ripe), onions, pickles (homemade), radishes, sea salt, spices, tomatoes (sweet), vinegar (sweet brown rice).

Chestnuts (dry, roasted), egg yolks (soft cooked), essene bread, goat's milk and whey (raw), mayonnaise (homemade), olive oil, sesame
seeds (whole), soy beans (dry), soy cheese, soy milk, sprouted grains, tofu, tomatoes (less sweet), and yeast (nutritional flakes).

Neutral
Butter (fresh, unsalted), cream (fresh, raw), cow's milk and whey (raw), margine, oils (except olive), and yogurt (plain).

Moderately Acidic

Bananas (green), barley (rye), blueberries, bran, butter, cereals (unrefined), cheeses, crackers (unrefined rye, rice and wheat),
cranberries, dried beans (mung, adzuki, pinto, kidney, garbanzo), dry coconut, egg whites, eggs whole (cooked hard), fructose, goat's
milk (homogenized), honey (pasteurized), ketchup, maple syrup (unprocessed), milk (homogenized).

Molasses (unsulferd and organic), most nuts, mustard, oats (rye, organic), olives (pickled), pasta (whole grain), pastry (whole grain and
honey), plums, popcorn (with salt and/or butter), potatoes, prunes, rice (basmati and brown), seeds (pumpkin, sunflower), soy sauce,
and wheat bread (sprouted organic).

Extremely Acidic

Artificial sweeteners, beef, beer, breads, brown sugar, carbonated soft drinks, cereals (refined), chocolate, cigarettes and tobacco,
coffee, cream of wheat (unrefined), custard (with white sugar), deer, drugs, fish, flour (white, wheat), fruit juices with sugar, jams,
jellies, lamb.

Liquor, maple syrup (processed), molasses (sulphured), pasta (white), pastries and cakes from white flour, pickles (commercial), pork,
poultry, seafood, sugar (white), table salt (refined and iodized), tea (black), white bread, white vinegar (processed), whole wheat foods,
wine, and yogurt (sweetened).

More Ranked Foods: Alkaline to Acidic

Highly Alkaline Forming Foods

Baking soda, sea salt, mineral water, pumpkin seed, lentils, seaweed, onion, taro root, sea vegetables, lotus root, sweet potato, lime,
lemons, nectarine, persimmon, raspberry, watermelon, tangerine, and pineapple.

Moderately Alkaline Forming Foods

Apricots, spices, kambucha, unsulfured molasses, soy sauce, cashews, chestnuts, pepper, kohlrabi, parsnip, garlic, asparagus, kale,
parsley, endive, arugula, mustard green, ginger root, broccoli, grapefruit, cantaloupe, honeydew, citrus, olive, dewberry, carrots,
loganberry, and mango.

Low Alkaline Forming Foods

Most herbs, green tea, mu tea, rice syrup, apple cider vinegar, sake, quail eggs, primrose oil, sesame seed, cod liver oil, almonds,
sprouts, potato, bell pepper, mushrooms, cauliflower, cabbage, rutabaga, ginseng, eggplant, pumpkin, collard green, pear, avocado,
apples (sour), blackberry, cherry, peach, and papaya.

Very Low Alkaline Forming Foods

Ginger tea, umeboshi vinegar, ghee, duck eggs, oats, grain coffee, quinoa, japonica rice, wild rice, avocado oil, most seeds, coconut oil,
olive oil, flax oil, brussel sprout, beet, chive, cilantro, celery, okra, cucumber, turnip greens, squashes, lettuces, orange, banana,
blueberry, raisin, currant, grape, and strawberry.

Very Low Acid Forming Foods

Curry, koma coffee, honey, maple syrup, vinegar, cream, butter, goat/sheep cheese, chicken, gelatin, organs, venison, fish, wild duck,
triticale, millet, kasha, amaranth, brown rice, pumpkin seed oil, grape seed oil, sunflower oil, pine nuts, canola oil, spinach, fava beans,
black-eyed peas, string beans, wax beans, zucchini, chutney, rhubarb, coconut, guava, dry fruit, figs, and dates.

Low Acid Forming Foods

Vanilla, alcohol, black tea, balsamic vinegar, cow milk, aged cheese, soy cheese, goat milk, game meat, lamb, mutton, boar, elk, shell
fish, mollusks, goose, turkey, buckwheat, wheat, spelt, teff, kamut, farina, semolina, white rice, almond oil, sesame oil, safflower oil,
tapioca, seitan, tofu, pinto beans, white beans, navy beans, red beans, aduki beans, lima beans, chard, plum, prune and tomatoes.

Moderately Acid Forming Foods

Nutmeg, coffee, casein, milk protein, cottage cheese, soy milk, pork, veal, bear, mussels, squid, chicken, maize, barley groats, corn, rye,
oat bran, pistachio seeds, chestnut oil, lard, pecans, palm kernel oil, green peas, peanuts, snow peas, other legumes, garbanzo beans,
cranberry, and pomegranate.

Highly Acid Forming Foods

Tabletop sweeteners like (NutraSweet, Spoonful, Sweet 'N Low, Equal or Aspartame), pudding, jam, jelly, table salt (NaCl), beer, yeast,
hops, malt, sugar, cocoa, white (acetic acid) vinegar, processed cheese, ice cream, beef, lobster, pheasant, barley, cottonseed oil,
hazelnuts, walnuts, brazil nuts, fried foods, soybean, and soft drinks, especially the cola type. To neutralize a glass of cola with a pH of
2.5, it would take 32 glasses of alkaline water with a pH of 10.

Alkaline Forming Foods Acid Forming Foods

VEGETABLES FRUITS OTHER FATS & OILS NUTS & BUTTERS DRUGS & CHEMICALS
Garlic Apple Apple Cider Vinegar Avocado Oil Cashews Aspartame
Asparagus Apricot Bee Pollen Canola Oil Brazil Nuts Chemicals
Fermented Veggies Avocado Lecithin Granules Corn Oil Peanuts Drugs, Medicinal
Watercress Banana (high glycemic) Probiotic Cultures Hemp Seed Oil Peanut Butter Drugs, Psychedelic
Beets Cantaloupe Green Juices Flax Oil Pecans Pesticides
Broccoli Cherries Veggies Juices Lard Tahini Herbicides
Brussel sprouts Currants Fresh Fruit Juice Olive Oil Walnuts
Cabbage Dates/Figs Organic Milk Safflower Oil ALCOHOL
Carrot Grapes (unpasteurized) Sesame Oil ANIMAL PROTEIN Beer
Cauliflower Grapefruit Mineral Water Sunflower Oil Beef Spirits
Celery Lime Alkaline Antioxidant Water Carp Hard Liquor
Chard Honeydew Melon Green Tea FRUITS Clams Wine
Chlorella Nectarine Herbal Tea Cranberries Fish
Collard Greens Orange Dandelion Tea Lamb BEANS & LEGUMES
Cucumber Lemon Ginseng Tea GRAINS Lobster Black Beans
Eggplant Peach Banchi Tea Rice Cakes Mussels Chick Peas
Kale Pear Kombucha Wheat Cakes Oyster Green Peas
Kohlrabi Pineapple Amaranth Pork Kidney Beans
Lettuce All Berries SWEETENERS Barley Rabbit Lentils
Mushrooms Tangerine Stevia Buckwheat Salmon Lima Beans
Mustard Greens Tomato Ki Sweet Corn Shrimp Pinto Beans
Dulce Tropical Fruits Oats (rolled) Scallops Red Beans
Dandelions Watermelon SPICES/SEASONINGS Quinoa Tuna Soy Beans
Edible Flowers Cinnamon Rice (all) Turkey Soy Milk
Onions PROTEIN Curry Rye Venison White Beans
Parsnips (high glycemic) Eggs (poached) Ginger Spelt Rice Milk
Peas Whey Protein Powder Mustard Kamut PASTA (WHITE) Almond Milk
Peppers Cottage Cheese Chili Pepper Wheat Noodles
Pumpkin Chicken Breast Sea Salt Hemp Seed Flour Macaroni
Rutabaga Yogurt Miso Spaghetti
Sea Veggies Almonds Tamari DAIRY
Spirulina Chestnuts All Herbs Cheese, Cow OTHER
Sprouts Tofu (fermented) Cheese, Goat Distilled Vinegar
Squashes Flax Seeds ORIENTAL VEGETABLES Cheese, Processed Wheat Germ
Alfalfa Pumpkin Seeds Maitake Cheese, Sheep Potatoes
Barley Grass Tempeh (fermented) Daikon Milk
Wheat Grass Squash Seeds Dandelion Root Butter
Wild Greens Sunflower Seeds Shitake
Nightshade Veggies Millet Kombu
Sprouted Seeds Reishi
Nuts Nori
Umeboshi
Wakame
Sea Veggies

Acid / Alkaline Food Chart

Balanced body chemistry is of utmost importance for the maintenance of health and correction of disease. Acidosis, or over-
acidity in the body tissues, is one of the basic causes of many diseases, especially the arthritic and rheumatic diseases.
 All foods are "burned" in the body--more commonly called "digested"-- leaving an ash as the result of the "burning", or the
digestion. This food ash can be neutral, acid or alkaline, depending largely on the mineral composition of the foods. Some foods leave
an acid residue or ash, some alkaline. The acid ash (acidosis) results when there is a depletion of the alkali reserve or the diminution
in the reserve supply of fixed bases in the blood and the tissues of the body.

It is, therefore, vitally important that there is a proper ratio between acid and alkaline foods in the diet. The natural ratio in a
normal healthy body is approximately 4 to 1 -- four parts alkaline to one part acid, or 80% to 20%. When such an ideal ratio is
maintained, the body has a strong resistance against disease. In the healing of disease, when the patient usually has acidosis, the
higher the ratio of alkaline elements in the diet, the faster will be the recovery. Alkalis neutralize the acids. Therefore in the treatment
of most diseases it is important that the patient's diet includes plenty of alkaline-ash foods to offset the effects of acid-forming foods
and leave a safe margin of alkalinity.

A healthy body usually keeps large alkaline reserves which are used to meet the emergency demands if too many acid-producing
foods are consumed. But these normal reserves can be depleted. When the alkaline-acid ratio drops to 3 to 1, health can be seriously
menaced. Your body can function normally and sustain health only in the presence of adequate alkaline reserves and the proper acid-
alkaline ratio in all the body tissues and the blood.

For optimum health and maximum resistance to disease, it is imperative that your diet is slightly over-alkaline. The
ideal ratio, according to the world's foremost authority on the relationship between the acid-alkaline ratio in the diet in health and
disease, Dr. Ragnar Berg, is about 80% alkali-producing foods and 20% acid-producing foods.

Below are tables of common foods with an approximate potential acidity or alkalinity, as present in one ounce of food.

Alkali-Forming Foods
Figs 30.0 Potatoes 2.0
Soy Beans 12.0 Pineapple 2.0
Lima Beans 12.0 Cabbage 1.8
Apricots 9.5 Grapefruit 1.7
Spinach 8.0 Tomatoes 1.7
Turnip/Beettops 8.0 Peaches 1.5
Raisins 7.0 Apples 1.0
Almonds 3.6 Grapes 1.0
Carrots 3.5 Bananas 1.0
Dates 3.0 Watermelon 1.0
Celery 2.5 Millet 0.5
Cucumber 2.5 Brazil nuts 0.5
Cantaloupe 2.5 Coconuts 0.5
Lettuce 2.2 Buckwheat 0.5
Watercress 2.0

Neutral (near/neutral) Ash Foods

milk Vegetable oils
Butter White sugar

Acid-Forming Foods
Oysters 5.0 Rice 2.5
Veal 3.5 W.Wheat/Rye bread 2.5
Most Fish 3.5 Most nuts (X-almond/brazil nut) 2.0
Organ meats 3.0 Natural Cheese 1.5
 Liver 3.0 Lentils 1.5
Chicken 3.0 Peanuts 1.0
Fowl 3.0 Eggs 3.0
Most Grains 3.0
Most grains are acid-forming, except millet and buckwheat, which are considered to be alkaline. Sprouted seeds and grains become
more alkaline in the process of sprouting.

All vegetable and fruit juices are highly alkaline. The most alkali-forming juices are: fig juice, green juices of all green vegetables and
tops, carrots, beet, celery, pineapple and citrus juices. Vegetable broth ( HERE ) is an extremely alkalizing drink.

copyright © 2001-2006 Life Research Universal

Acidic Foods

Read my disclaimer and terms of use.

Overview

The chart below categorizes a food as either acidic or alkaline based on the effect consumption of the food has on urine
pH. For example, if a food tends to increase the acidity of urine after it is ingested, it is classified as an acid forming food.
Conversely, if a food increases the alkalinity of urine after it has been ingested, it was classified it as an alkaline forming
food. The effect foods have on urine pH may be quite different than the pH of the foods themselves. For example, orange
juice is a highly acidic food due to its high citrus acid content, but after being metabolized it will cause urine to become
alkaline.

Most of the information below is based on information from my collection of nutrition books, including a chart I have from a
Mayo Clinic diet manual, and also some from personal observations. The books I have all vary significantly in how they
categorize the pH of different foods, so it is hard to tell which ones are correct. With this in mind, take the chart below
as a general guide that most likely will contain some errors.

It is interesting to note that nutrient status can be impacted by the acid-base balance in the body. Researchers in
Germany found that "acid-base status affects renal magnesium losses, irrespectively of magnesium intake." This means
that besides not eating enough foods high in magnesium, an acid load in the body could be another factor that contributes
to a magnesium deficiency condition.

Acidic Foods

• Corn
• Meat
• Beans
• Fish
• Fowl
• Most grains
• Coffee
• Plums
• Prunes
• Cranberries
• Distilled water

*I get a lot of email from people saying distilled water is not acidic or that it is very healthy for you to drink. According to
the Environmental Protection web site, "Pure distilled water would have tested neutral, but pure distilled water is not easily
obtained because carbon dioxide in the air around us mixes, or dissolves, in the water, making it somewhat acidic. The pH
of distilled water is between 5.6 and 7". The pH of distilled water I have bought from stores and tested myself at home has
always tested out to be acidic.
Very Acidic Foods and Supplements Include

• Eggs
• Liver and other organ meats
• Gravy
• Broth made from bones or other animal parts
• Wine
• Yogurt with active cultures
• Buttermilk, including buttermilk pancakes and biscuits
• Sour cream
• Most fermented foods and aged cheeses
• Some B vitamin supplements (or foods supplemented with B vitamins) can make your stomach more acid
• Hydrochloric acid supplements
• Digestive enzymes

Please note that fermented foods like yogurt, buttermilk and sour cream seem to become more acidic in the body if they
contain some types of active cultures of helpful bacteria.

Non Food Substances That Can Make Urine Acidic

• Probiotics - These are supplements that contain "helpful bacteria". At least some types of beneficial bacteria help
to create an acidic environment in the digestive tract. Probiotics are often used after taking antibiotics and may
help some cases of bladder infections, irritable bowel syndrome and diarrhea. My friends and family have noticed
that if we take excess amounts of probiotics it may cause heart burn and/or high blood pressure. (See my related
section on IBS Treatment.)

• Soft water - Soft water is water that is low in minerals. This type of water tends to be more acidic.

Alkaline Foods

• Most fruits, except as noted above

• Most vegetables, except as noted above

Very Alkaline Foods Include

• Bananas
• Chocolate
• Figs
• Mineral water
• Orange juice
• Potatoes
• Spinach
• Watermelon
• Dandelion Greens

Please note that some foods, such as citrus fruits, have an acid pH before they are consumed and but they usually leave
an alkaline residue in the body after they have been metabolized. Sorry to spell this out twice, but I get a lot of emails on
this topic.

Non Food Substances That Can Make Urine Alkaline

• Antibiotics - antibiotics destroy both the bad and the helpful bacteria in the intestinal tract. Some of the helpful
bacteria work to create an acidic environment in the human body. When these bacteria are eliminated by
antibiotics, urine may become more alkaline. I think this is one reason why women will frequently get bladder
infections after taking antibiotics.
 I have some old nutrition text books, and in the era before wide spread antibiotic use, health care professionals
often advised people suffering from urinary tract infections to eat a lot of meat and other acid forming foods. Many
allopathic doctors of today think acid-base balance is a lot of malarkey, but thirty years ago you could actually find
this type of knowledge in some college nutrition text books.

• Many mineral supplements - especially calcium, potassium, iron and magnesium. Calcium and magnesium are
common ingredients in antacids as they neutralize stomach acid. Some people get upset stomachs (gas, bloating,
diarrhea, malabsorption) from these types of mineral supplements, especially if they suffer from hypochloridia (low
stomach acid).

• Antacids - Antacids, which often contain magnesium or calcium supplements, may cause an increase in the
alkalinity of the urine, which can lead to bladder infections as bacteria tend to thrive in alkaline environments.

• Hard Water - Hard water is just the opposite of soft water. It is water that has a high mineral content, and as a
result tends to be more alkaline. Some studies have shown that people have less heart attacks where the water is
hard, presumably because the disolved minerals that make the water hard are important for nutrition.

Neutral Foods

The Mayo Clinic Diet Manual, Seventh Edition categorizes the following foods as neutral foods:

• Butter
• Margarine
• Cooking fats
• Oils
• Plain candies
• Sugar
• Syrup
• Honey
• Arrowroot
• Corn
• Tapioca
• Coffee
• Tea

Many other books on pH balance have conflicting information to the neutral foods listed above. Most alternative health
books I own state that coffee, tea, sugar (and anything with sugar), and corn make the urine more acid.