All food upon digestion and absorption leave either an acidic or alkaline ash in the body depending upon their mineral composition. The normal body chemistry is approximately 20% acid and 80% alkaline. This is the acid-alkaline balance which is responsible for the overall well being of the human body.

Even slight reduction in the alkalinity of the blood and the simultaneous accumulation of acid in the tissues and blood leads to a condition known as acidosis or hypo-alkalinity of the blood. The symptoms associated with such imbalance are hunger, indigestion, burning sensation and pain in the pharynx, increased palpitation, nausea, headache, vomiting, anxiety, and drowsiness.

Acidosis (or increased acidity as addressed by a common man) is the root cause of most diseases. Be it nephritis, rheumatism, skin disorders like acne, wrinkles, lower immunity, premature ageing, hypertension or arteriosclerosis, all erupt from the acid-alkaline imbalance.

Acid vs. Alkaline - The crazy sexy relationship between pH & your Health

The question now arises is what is the reason behind the ever increasing incidences of acidosis and its symptoms. The answer lies in the changing lifestyle with lack of sleep, increasing consumption of packaged, fattening food, can be precisely said to be acid forming foods, stressful lives becoming a part of everybody’s life.

Foods which leave the alkaline ash in the body increase the alkalinity of the blood and tissue fluids and are said to be alkaline forming foods. Under this category come all the vegetables and all fruits with some exceptions like prunes and plums. Likewise the acid forming foods include cereals of all kinds, followed by eggs and meats being the most acidic foods.

Here, the worth mentioning example is of citrus fruits like lemon, orange, grapes which are thought to be acid producing as opposed to the fact that these fruits produce an alkaline residue thus maintaining the alkalinity of the blood. So next time you face any of the symptoms of acidosis, look for lemon or orange or grapefruit juice to sooth your system. So, it is an error to presume that because a food tastes acidic, it is acid-forming.

Some of the examples of an Alkaline foods are:

Milk, apples, pineapples, banana(ripe), beets, cabbage, carrots, onions, oranges, melons, peaches, pear, potatoes, raisins, pumpkins, dates, coconuts, celery, cottage cheese, cucumbers, apricots, tomatoes, lemons, grapes, figs, soybeans, lettuce.

Examples of Acid foods are:

Beans, breads, cakes, chicken, corns, eggs, legumes, rice, sugar, tea, coffee, sea foods, chocolates, meats.

The bottom line is not to completely avoid acid forming foods but to ensure that one’s diet is comprised of more of fruits and vegetables as compared to grains and meats. The acid-alkaline balance is a must to keep body in perfect health.