Alkaline and Acidic food

Very interesting topic because many are talking about alkaline coffee or tea because of the controversy around the health hazard of of acidic food. Before we discuss this topic, we have to talk about acid and alkaline via the PH. The PH level which is used to measure the acidic or alkaline level of a substance, ranges from 0-14. Below 7 it is acidic but above 7 it's alkaline. Seven is the neutral level, the PH of distilled water. Just a quick reminder, the neutralization of acid and base (Alkaline) gives a salt and water, which water is exactly seven making it neutral.

Speaking of food, we had discussed ulcer and many would be thinking our topic is  tailored towards food that causes ulcer, far from it. The digestive tract is built to be acidic. The tongue has a PH of around 6.5-7.5, the upper stomach is slightly acid the stomach is very acidic because we have hydrochloric acid that kill bacteria and help with the digestion process and the small intestine where food is been absorbed to the blood is a little acid, around 6.5-7.5, while the large intestine where the garbage are separated to be eliminated by the anus is also a little acid. So we are not discussing ulcer, so don't loss interest immediately.

I like to bring the Ash view to discuss this topic. When digestion is taking place, we know from simple science that digestion is a chemical process of breaking down (catabolism) to produce glucose which is synthesis to energy through respiration. The chemical process is called anabolism. Sorry for being so technical today but the chemical process is a set of metabolic path way that could be view as burning substance into ashes. They are food after the metabolic process (in the ash frame of reference), remains acid as the ashes burnt, this acid goes into the blood stream and lowers the PH level of the blood making the blood acidic. While some leaves its ashes as base (Alkaline) or neutral. These are the food that are acidic, alkaline and neutral.

• Acidic food: Meat, Poultry, dairy, eggs, grains and alcohol.
• Neutral food: Natural fat, starches and sugar.
• Alkaline food: Fruit, nuts, legumes, and vegetables.

According to the acid ash hypothesis, if one eat food that makes the blood acidic, one is vulnerable to  illness and disease, while alkaline ash is considered protective.

It's no longer news that what one eat could affects ones well being. In my part of the world, we eat more of acidic food which could be the cause in the drop of our life expectancy. If ten persons are given the opportunity to choose between chicken or beans (legumes), I'll be sure, nine out of ten persons would choose chicken. Now we are welcoming alkaline coffee. I guess the logic behind it is exploiting the addictive nature of coffee, because coffee drinkers would not want to miss a day without taking coffee, so in that process they consume alkaline which protects the body. Guess it could work, one could try it out someday to keep your body fighting foreign bodies. This could sound difficult but one could consider a diet change. But the coffee is the bail out.