Which are the best alkaline or base foods?

Acidification of our diet

The food we eat nowadays bears no resemblance to that eaten by our Paleolithic hunter-gatherer forebears.

The development of agriculture around 10,000 years ago, followed by industrialisation 200 years ago, have led to an unprecedented acidification of our diet (1-2).

While the ratio of potassium to sodium used to be around 10:1, it is now estimated to be 1:3. This is due to a decline in consumption of fruit, vegetables and fibre, and a rise in that of simple sugars, salt and unhealthy fats (trans and saturated), excess levels of which can quickly become toxic to the body.

Too many acidifying foods: what are the health risks?

According to the acid-balance theory espoused by Franz Xaver Mayr and Howard Hay, this major shift may have minor but long-lasting effects on our blood’s pH, gradually contributing to chronic low-level acidosis and overloading the buffering systems responsible for regulating the body’s pH.

This metabolic problem could be behind many symptoms such as fatigue and lack of energy, and promote the development of various chronic disorders (4) such as hypertension and osteoporosis.

To counter this acidosis, supporters of the theory recommend consuming alkalinising foods and reducing intake of acidifying foods (to a maximum of 30%). This is sometimes referred to as the ‘alkaline diet’.

Over-acidic foods to cut down on

There are several methods of classifying foods according to their acid or base nature (including the Potential Renal Acid Load or PRAL), but in general terms, the higher a food’s protein content, the more acidifying it is.

This should not be confused with a food’s taste: lemons have an acidic flavour but an alkalinising effect.

Here is a list of the most acid-forming foods according to nutritionist Sarah Brown in her bestselling book The Acid-Alkaline Food Guide:

• animal-source products: prawns, bacon, beefsteak, sausages, cheese (including camembert, cheddar…), yogurt…;
• processed foods: croissants, cakes, tarts, savoury crackers, pizzas, tacos, nuggets…;
• alcohol (especially beer), fizzy and caffeinated drinks, soya milk;
• white sugar and table salt;
• nuts and soya.

Top alkaline foods

Let’s now take a look at the best alkalinising foods which, according to advocates of the alkaline diet, help restore a better acid-base balance

The best alkalinising fruits

From the most to the least alkalinising: dried apricots, candied pineapple, raisins, dried figs, prunes, dried dates, candied pears, bananas, guavas, papayas, passion fruit, blackberries, strawberries, raspberries, melon.

Dried fruits clearly top the list as the nutrients become concentrated in the flesh as the fruit is dried. Eat them as snacks and add them to your desserts.

The best alkalinising vegetables

Again, in descending order: yams, chard, plantains, raw spinach, cooked potatoes, sweet potatoes, squash, beans, asparagus, green leafy vegetables, endive, curly kale, celery.

Those vegetables considered to be starches are best of all. Cook them with green vegetables like cabbage, or combine them with pulses when eating acidifying foods. Try to eat vegetables raw when you can as they contain more phytonutrients.

The best alkalinising herbs and spices

This is the most alkalinising of all the food groups, due to their exceptional mineral content. In descending order: parsley, chervil, basil, dill, spearmint, savory, oregano, turmeric, paprika, thyme, chilli, ginger.

The vast majority of seeds, grains and nuts are also alkalinising but only fennel seeds, celery seeds, dill seeds and cumin seeds make the list of top base foods.

To move more effectively towards an alkalinising diet, you can also take advantage of ‘alkalinising’ supplements (such as Alkaline Formula, which contains alkaline nutrients, minerals that help maintain a good acid-base balance and plant extracts studied in this context : liquorice root, camomile flower, parsley, papaya, ginger root…)