Our body’s chemistry needs to be balanced to ensure good health. And that includes having the right acid-base balance, or blood pH. The body maintains a slightly alkaline pH of 7.4.
Maintenance of acid-base homeostasis (the body’s ability to regulate its inner environment to ensure its stability in response to changes in the external environment) is a vital function. The blood’s acid-base balance is precisely controlled, and even a minor deviation from the normal range can predispose one to disease and when severely off the mark, can threaten life.

Nutrition has long been known to influence acid-base balance. All foods are digested or “burned” in the body, leaving a “food ash” that can be neutral, acidic or alkaline, depending on the mineral composition of the foods.
Foods that create acidic residues after they have been broken down by the body are known as acid-forming foods. These include protein-rich foods such as eggs, meat, poultry, legumes, pulses and nuts. Alkali-forming foods include fruits and vegetables that leave an alkaline or basic ash. They contain magnesium, calcium and potassium salts of organic acids, which yield an alkaline residue when oxidised.

Excessive intake of acid-forming foods can lead to metabolic acidosis, that occurs when blood pH falls below 7.35. Its symptoms include nausea, weakness and depression of central nervous system through decreased nerve transmission. Eventually, it may lead to disorientation, loss of consciousness, coma and even death.
An optimum ratio between acid and alkaline foods in diet is thus important. When an ideal ratio is maintained, the body has a strong resistance against diseases. Excessively acidic diets can increase risk of osteoporosis and autoimmune conditions such as rheumatoid arthritis and chronic inflammation.

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