Denis Jones, Dietary effects on acid-base balance

Dietary effects on acid-base balance

I tested the pH of my saliva and to my surprise, it was acidic, pH 6. This may indicate a cause for my knee arthritis. I always look first to nutrition, for a cause and remedy and found this very interesting data of the pH contributions of various foods. It is not complete enough for me, because I eat very little meat and get most protien from grains. I'll be looking for more grain specific data.

Obviously, the acidic foods are way more acidic than the alkaline foods are alkaline. We should be eating four times more fruits and veggies than meats and grains.

The table allows the assessment of dietary effects on acid-base balance. Foodstuffs with a negative value (in milliequivalents per 100 g) exert an alkaline effect, foodstuffs with a positive value an acid effect. Source: Calculation according to Remer and Manz (1995).

Drinks	Meat & Sausages	Nuts
Bread	Fish & Seafruits	Herbs & Vinegar
Cereals & Flours	Vegetables	Fat & Oil
Pastries	Peas & Beans	Sweets
Milk, Dairy products & Eggs	Fruits

	Beverages		mEq
	Apple juice, unsweetened		-2,2
	Beer, draft		-0,2
	Beer, pale		0,9
	Beer, stout		-0,1
	Beetroot juice		-3,9
	Carrot juice		-4,8
	Coca-Cola		0,4
	Cocoa, made with semi-skimmed milk		-0,4
	Coffee, infusion, 5 minutes		-1,4
	Espresso		-2,3
	Fruit tea, infusion		-0,3
	Grape juice		-1,0
	Grape juice, unsweetened		-1,0
	Green tea, infusion		-0,3
	Herbal tea		-0,2
	Lemon juice		-2,5
	Mineral water (Apollinaris)		-1,8
	Mineral water (Volvic)		-0,1
	Orange juice, unsweetened		-2,9
	Red wine		-2,4
	Tea, Indian, infusion		-0,3
	Tomato juice		-2,8
	Vegetable juice (Tomato, beetroot, carrot)		-3,6
	White wine, dry		-1,2

	Bread		mEq
	Bread, rye flour		4,1
	Bread, rye flour, mixed		4,0
	Bread, wheat flour, mixed		3,8
	Bread, wheat flour, whole meal		1,8
	Bread, white wheat		3,7
	Coarse wholemeal bread		5,3
	Crispbread, rye		3,3
	Pumpernickel		4,2
	Rusk		5,9
	Wholemeal bread		7,2

	Cereals & Flour		mEq
	Amaranth		7,5
	Barley (wholemeal)		5,0
	Buckwheat (whole grain)		3,7
	Corn (whole grain)		3,8
	Cornflakes		6,0
	Dried unripe spelt grains (wholemeal)		8,8
	Dried unripe spelt grains (wholemeal)		8,8
	Millet (whole grain)		8,6
	Oat flakes		10,7
	Rice, brown		12,5
	Rice, white		4,6
	Rice, white, boiled		1,7
	Rye flour		4,4
	Rye flour, wholemeal		5,9
	Wheat flour, white		6,9
	Wheat flour, wholemeal		8,2

	Pastries		mEq
	Macaroni		6,1
	Noodles		6,4
	Spaetzle (German sort of pasta)		9,4
	Spaghetti, white		6,5
	Spaghetti, wholemeal		7,3

	Milk, Dairy products & Eggs		mEq
	Buttermilk		0,5
	Camembert		14,6
	Cheddar-type, reduced fat		26,4
	Cottage cheese, plain		8,7
	Cream, fresh, sour		1,2
	Curd cheese		0,9
	Edam Cheese full fat		19,4
	Egg, chicken, whole		8,2
	Egg, white		1,1
	Egg, yolk		23,4
	Emmental Cheese full fat		21,1
	Fresh cheese (Quark)		11,1
	Full-fat soft cheese		4,3
	Gouda		18,6
	Hard cheese		19,2
	Kefir Cheese full fat		0,0
	Milk, whole, evaporated		1,1
	Milk, whole, pasteurised and sterilized		0,7
	Parmesan		34,2
	Processed cheese, plain		28,7
	Rich creamy full fat cheese		13,2
	Skimmed Milk		0,7
	Whey		-1,6
	Yogurt, whole milk, fruit		1,2
	Yogurt, whole milk, plain		1,5

	Meat & Sausages		mEq
	Beef, lean only		7,8
	Cervelat sausage		8,9
	Chasseur sausage		7,2
	Chicken, meat only		8,7
	Corned beef, canned		13,2
	Duck		4,1
	Duck, lean only		8,4
	Frankfurters		6,7
	Goose, lean only		13,0
	Lamb, lean only		7,6
	Liver (veal)		14,2
	Liver sausage		10,6
	Luncheon meat, canned		10,2
	Ox liver		15,4
	Pig's Liver		15,7
	Pork sausage		7,0
	Pork sausage (Wiener)		7,7
	Pork, lean only		7,9
	Rabbit, lean only		19,0
	Rump steak, lean and fat		8,8
	Salami		11,6
	Slicing sausage containing ham		8,3
	Turkey, meat only		9,9
	Veal, fillet		9,0

	Fish & Seafood		mEq
	Carp		7,9
	Cod, fillets		7,1
	Eal, smoked		11,0
	Haddock		6,8
	Halibut		7,8
	Herring		7,0
	Mussels		15,3
	Prawn		15,5
	Rose-fish		10,0
	Salmon		9,4
	Salted matie (herring)		8,0
	Sardines in oil		13,5
	Shrimps		7,6
	Sole		7,4
	Tiger Prawn		18,2
	Trout, steamed		10,8
	Zander		7,1

	Vegetables		mEq
	Asparagus		-0,4
	Broccoli, green		-1,2
	Brussel sprouts		-4,5
	Carrots		-4,9
	Cauliflower		-4,0
	Celery		-5,2
	Chicory		-2,0
	Cucumber		-0,8
	Eggplant		-3,4
	Fennel		-7,9
	Garlic		-1,7
	Gherkin, pickeld		-1,6
	Kale		-7,8
	Kohlrabi		-5,5
	Lamb's lettuce		-5,0
	Leeks		-1,8
	Lettuce		-2,5
	Lettuce, iceberg		-1,6
	Mushrooms, common		-1,4
	Onions		-1,5
	Peppers, Capsicum, green		-1,4
	Potatoes		-4,0
	Radish, red		-3,7
	Ruccola		-7,5
	Sauerkraut		-3,0
	Soy beans		-3,4
	Soy milk		-0,8
	Spinach		-14,0
	Tofu		-0,8
	Tomato		-3,1
	Zucchini		-4,6

	Peas & Beans		mEq
	Beans, green / French beans		-3,1
	Lentils, green and brown, whole, dried		3,5
	Peas		1,2

	Fruits		mEq
	Apples		-2,2
	Apricots		-4,8
	Bananas		-5,5
	Black currants		-6,5
	Cherries		-3,6
	Figs, dried		-18,1
	Grapefruit		-3,5
	Grapes		-3,9
	Kiwi fruit		-4,1
	Lemon		-2,6
	Mango		-3,3
	Orange		-2,7
	Peache		-2,4
	Pear		-2,9
	Pineapple		-2,7
	Raisins		-21,0
	Strawberries		-2,2
	Watermelon		-1,9

	Nuts		mEq
	Hazelnuts		-2,8
	Peanuts, plain		-8,3
	Pistachio		8,5
	Sweet almonds		4,3
	Walnuts		6,8

	Herbs & Vinegar		mEq
	Apple vinegar		-2,3
	Basil		-7,3
	Chives		-5,3
	Parsley		-12,0
	Wine vinegar, balamico		-1,6

	Fats & Oil		mEq
	Butter		0,6
	Margarine		-0,5
	Olive oil		0,0
	Sunflower seed oil		0,0

	Sweets		mEq
	Chocolate, bitter		0,4
	Chocolate, milk		2,4
	Honey		-0,3
	Ice cream, dairy, vanilla		0,6
	Ice cream, fruit, mixed		-0,6
	Madeira cake		3,7
	Marmalade		-1,5
	Nougat hazelnut cream		-1,4
	Sugar, brown		-1,2
	Sugar, white		0,0

Any questions??