14 Alkaline Foods and Drinks for Optimal Health

Staying in good health has a lot to do with balance. Eating just enough, but not too much; getting enough exercise, but not overdoing it; managing your blood pressure, blood sugar, and weight—they’re all about balance. Being healthy also has a lot to do with pH balance. The pH scale is one that measures the acidity or alkalinity of something. In the case of alkaline foods, we are concerned with the pH of your body.

Keeping pH levels in check is something a healthy body does naturally. All life has a pH level that keeps the body healthy and balanced. When we eat foods that are highly acidic, for example, our body works to correct it, bringing it into alignment with our own pH balance. Ph levels are measured on a scale of 0 to 14. 7.0 is considered neutral;  0 is completely acidic, and 14 is completely alkaline. Your blood needs to be slightly alkaline, with a pH somewhere between 7.35 and 7.45.

Human blood needs to be slightly alkaline when looking at the pH spectrum, somewhere between 7.35 and 7.45. Some evidence exists that suggests today’s modern diet, high in processed foods, is both acid-forming and thusly leading to disease and ill health around the globe.

Acid-forming foods could lead to kidney and liver damage, potentially even increasing your risk of diabetes.

Read: Top 5 Alkaline Foods and Why You Should Care

One study from the Arizona Respiratory Center at the University of Arizona found that foods high in acid content (often those with an abundance of animal proteins and salt and low in fruits and vegetables) can lead to “a sub-clinical or low-grade state of metabolic acidosis,” potentially leading to an increase in the risk of cancer.

In an effort to keep that balance within, eating foods that are alkaline-forming can offset the acidity of modern food sources.

Some of the top alkaline foods include:

• 1. Watermelon
• 2. Cayenne pepper
• 3. Lemon water
• 4. Apples
• 5. Leafy greens
• 6. Honey
• 7. Asparagus
• 8. Tomatoes
• 9. Raisins
• 10. Grapes
• 11. Bananas
• 12. Radishes
• 13. Carrots
• 14. Broccoli

These foods aren’t only alkaline-producing, they are loaded with nutrients, antioxidants, and health benefits. These are foods that can help fight disease and encourage wellness in a variety of ways, with pH balancing being only one.