Acid’s all about the stomach, right? Wrong. What you put into your mouth affects your digestion, your teeth, and your energy level. These effects can last for hours or even days. While you might focus on tracking macros and counting calories, do you stop to ask if you’re tipping the scales on a regular basis? This is a variable that influence your overall wellness far more then many others know.
Seven is the middle of the road, the neutral point of the pH scale (the scale itself go from zero up to fourteen). Below seven is acidic; above, leaning into alkalinity. Seven is pure water. Your blood stays tightly regulated to within a half a point either way (between 7.35 and 7.45). Life requires that stability. It’s not negotiable.
How Food Changes Your Body’s Balance
The chart above breaks out the pH of various foods and shows that some things are counter-intuitive: When you measure lemon juice in a bowl, it will register as high acid. But what happens after it travel through your digestive system? Its residue… Its mineral ash; is metabolically transformed into something that become alkaline inside the body. That’s where humans go astray. They see acid and think it is bad, forgetting that a metabolic change has already happened.
Near the bottom end of the scale are those strongly acidic foods such as vinegar and cola. Phosphoric acid from colas or acetic acid found in vinegar will erode your tooth enamel over time. This happen if these acids are left on your teeth for an extended period. It’s more of a mechanical problem different than a dietary one. Brushing immediately isn’t advisable because you’ll strip enamel by removing minerals. Instead, rinsing with plain water after drinking soda or citrus is fine to protect enamel. But this occur slowly; most people don’t notice it unless sensitivity has already developed.
Tomatoes, grapefruit, apple: these are all moderately acidic foods. But don’t let their lower pH levels scare you away from eating them, they’re nutrient-rich food that absolutely should of have a seat at your dinner table. Citrus fruits deliver lots of vitamin C. Tomatoes contain lycopene, the antioxidant associated with heart health benefits. The catch? The bioavailability of those nutrients is super-powerful, but it comes at the price of a bit of acidity. Don’t skimp; simply balance.
When we begin approaching the alkaline to neutral side of the scale, green leafy veggies and cruciferous vegetables steps into the spotlight. Broccoli, kale and spinach provide high levels of potassium, magnesium and calcium, which help neutralize acid levels in the blood after meals. Cucumbers and avocados fall around there as well. They are hydrating food sources that don’t spike acidity while providing healthy fat. Notice how it all visually clusters? That’s because plants naturaly trend towards more alkaline-forming residue in their breakdown. It’s basic biochemistry, not some fad diet.
When you eat meat, dairy and refined grains, they metabolize into by-products that is more acidic. Phosphoric and sulfuric acids are left over after your body spends a lot of metabolic energy breaking down beef and pork, for example. Not that there’s anything wrong with eating meat. The point is: variety counts. Excess acidity in the blood gets filtered out by kidneys and if you eat too many refined grains and processed meats, then those organs will have to work double time removing all that excess acid from your system. Replacing some of your animal protein with nuts or legumes will go a long way toward lightening their load.
Remember that the stomach is designed to operate in an acidic environment, sometimes as low as a pH of 2, which is necessary to break down protein and destroy pathogen. That’s not the same chemistry of your blood. Heartburn may be temporarily relieved by baking soda, which tries to neutralize stomach acid, but long-term, it messes up digestion. Let the body do its thing; it has a better idea than we do. It’s easier to support its own natural balance then fight against it.
“Your plate should be a balancing act,” she says. Pile it up mostly with fruits and vegetables that leave an alkaline trace. Include some grains and proteins in moderation. Wash down the acidic beverages, but do so quickly. It is not perfect. But directional.
Next time you add lemon to your water, know that the sour taste is merely the starting point. It’s what comes after you swallow that does all the real work.