The alkaline diet, also called the alkaline-ash diet or alkaline-acid diet, was made popular by its celebrity followers. Well-known people like Victoria Beckham, Kate Hudson, and Tom Brady have said they’ve tried the diet and liked it.
In a tweet, Beckham said that her favorite book was Honestly Healthy: Eat With Your Body in Mind, the Alkaline Way, which was written by vegetarian chef Natasha Corrett and nutritionist Vicki Edgson. Since then, the alkaline diet has become much more common.
But celebrity diets don’t necessarily work for everyone or yield long-term results. Not only that, but the main ideas behind the alkaline diet haven’t been proven in studies, and the method may be bad for some people’s health.
That being said, is the alkaline diet good for you? This guide will help you decide if you should try it.
The alkaline diet has become increasingly popular in recent years, with proponents claiming that eating “alkaline” foods can help balance pH levels and improve overall health. But there is some confusion around whether fish – a staple food for many – is considered alkaline or acidic. In this comprehensive guide, we’ll dig into the evidence and explain in simple terms how different types of fish affect the body’s pH.
Understanding pH Levels and the Alkaline Diet
To understand whether fish is alkaline or not we first need to cover some basic chemistry. The pH scale ranges from 0 to 14 with 0 being highly acidic, 14 highly alkaline, and 7 neutral. The human body needs to maintain a very narrow pH range of around 7.35 to 7.45 to function correctly.
The alkaline diet is based on the theory that eating too many “acidic” foods can tip your body’s pH balance into the unhealthy acidic range, increasing the risk of issues like osteoporosis and kidney stones. To counter this, the alkaline diet encourages eating more alkaline foods like fruit, vegetables, nuts and legumes.
But it’s crucial to understand that this theory of “diet-induced acidosis” is not supported by solid scientific evidence. Your kidneys and lungs tightly regulate pH levels, making it very difficult to alter your body’s pH through diet alone.
Still, the alkaline diet promotes healthy eating by focusing on nutritious wholefoods. So understanding the effect of different foods on pH levels can still be useful.
The Effect of Fish on pH Levels
Most types of fish are considered alkaline-promoting foods. This is because fish contains minerals like magnesium and potassium that create alkaline by-products when digested. Specifically fish has an estimated PRAL (potential renal acid load) score of around -0.4 to -3.0. Negative PRAL scores indicate alkaline-promoting foods.
For example, a 3.5 ounce (100 gram) serving of salmon fillet has an estimated PRAL score of -1.1, making it alkaline-promoting. Tuna has a similar score of -1.0.
On the other hand, some types of fish like sardines are more neutral, with a PRAL score of around 0.
So while the exact PRAL scores may vary slightly between fish species, overall fish is considered alkaline-promoting rather than acidic.
Does Cooking Method Affect Alkalinity?
Cooking method can impact the alkalinity levels in fish. Raw fish would be the most alkaline, providing the highest dose of those alkalizing minerals like potassium and magnesium.
Baking, grilling, poaching or steaming fish are good cooking methods for retaining alkalinity. Avoid adding acidic ingredients like lemon juice, vinegar or tomatoes when cooking, as these can turn the fish acidic.
Deep frying fish is the worst cooking method for alkalinity, as the high heat damages nutrients and the oil adds acidity.
Fresh vs Canned Fish
Fresh fish is more alkaline than canned, as the canning process reduces some of the alkalizing mineral levels. However, canned fish still retains some alkalinity so can be included on an alkaline diet.
Choose canned fish like salmon or tuna packed in springwater rather than oil or brine, as the water helps keeps the PRAL score alkaline.
The Alkaline Benefits of Fish
While the acid/alkaline theory behind the alkaline diet is flawed, the dietary pattern does promote eating more fruit, vegetables, legumes, nuts and fish. This is in line with overall healthy eating guidelines.
Replacing red meat with fish provides benefits like:
- Lower saturated fat intake
- Higher omega-3 fatty acids
- More magnesium and potassium
Higher intakes of magnesium and potassium have been linked with lower blood pressure and reduced stroke risk in some studies.
So including fish in your diet a few times a week as part of a balanced plate can certainly contribute to overall good health. But the benefits are more likely due to the nutrients in fish, rather than any pH altering effects.
Seafood Acidity Varies
While most fish are alkaline, some other types of seafood are more neutral or acidic in their effects on pH levels.
For example, 3 ounces of shrimp has an estimated PRAL score of 7.1, making it acidic. Lobster is also acidic with a score of 6.8.
On the other hand, crab and mussels are more neutral. So seafood acidity varies significantly. Fish tends to be the most alkaline seafood.
Should You Eat Fish Daily for Alkalinity?
It’s not necessary to eat fish every day to see alkalizing benefits. Including 3 to 4 servings over the week is sufficient for most people.
Consuming fish daily could lead to excess mercury or other pollutants, so moderation is key. For vegetarians, plant-based foods like spinach, sweet potatoes and almonds also support alkalinity.
The Bottom Line: Is Fish Alkaline?
While the principles behind the alkaline diet are flawed, fish can be considered an alkaline-promoting food due to its high mineral content. Along with more proven health benefits like omega-3s, including fish as part of a balanced diet is a smart choice. Just be mindful of mercury exposure by varying your fish choices and avoiding daily
What Are the Potential Health Benefits of an Alkaline Diet?
People who follow the alkaline diet and write books with recipes and food lists say it can help treat diseases and long-term conditions like cancer and kidney disease.
Adrienne Youdim, MD, an associate professor of medicine at the UCLA David Geffen School of Medicine in Los Angeles, says that these claims are not based on science. But, she says, the foods on the alkaline food lists tend to be healthy, and if you look at eating plans like the well-known and healthy Mediterranean diet, you can say that focusing on these foods is a healthy way to eat.
Even though the alkaline diet has been studied a lot, there aren’t any solid studies that show it can help fight cancer, which is one of the main benefits of the diet. If you want to treat cancer, Fitzgibbon says the idea comes from the idea that cancer cells do best in an acidic environment. She says that while that is true in the lab, it is almost impossible to change cells in a way that makes the body less acidic. Here is what research has found about the alkaline diet and several chronic health conditions:
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The premise of the alkaline diet is that the foods we eat affect our blood’s pH balance. You may recall from chemistry class that pH is a measure of how acidic or alkaline something is. It ranges from 0 to 14.
- 0 is extremely acidic
- 7 is neutral
- 14 is very alkaline
People who follow the alkaline diet think that eating a lot of some foods, like grains and meat, and not enough of others, like fruits and vegetables that are high in potassium, can throw off your blood pH, which can cause a number of health issues. It’s called the acid-ash hypothesis, which is also the name of another diet that someone might follow. It is important to note, however, that this premise is simply a hypothesis, which means it is unproven. There is no research to support these claims, as one review published in 2022 noted. The people who wrote that review also said that an alkaline diet might even be “harmful” because it doesn’t have enough protein and calcium. Even though the pH of food probably doesn’t matter, the alkaline diet does promote pretty healthy eating habits, such as focusing on whole, unprocessed foods and limiting red meat and refined grains. One study found that eating an alkaline diet would raise the levels of several micronutrients, like magnesium and potassium, which may help lower the risk of
The Best Alkaline Foods and their Health Benefits
What is the alkaline diet?
The alkaline diet, also known as the acid-alkaline diet or alkaline ash diet, revolves around the idea of optimizing the body’s pH level. Proponents claim that by replacing acid-forming foods with alkaline foods, you can improve your health and prevent various diseases.
What foods are acidic vs alkaline?
We will provide a list of alkaline foods at the end of this acid ash diet guide, but as a general overview, some trends are seen in acidic vs alkaline food lists. Acidic foods 3 tend to be those that are high in protein, phosphate, and sulfur, such as meat, poultry, dairy, fish, grains, alcohol, and eggs.
Can eating alkaline foods improve your health?
Proponents claim that by replacing acid-forming foods with alkaline foods, you can improve your health and prevent various diseases. The general guideline when following this diet is to consume approximately 70-80% alkaline-forming foods and 20-30% acid-forming foods to maintain a balanced pH level within the body.
Does the alkaline diet help fight disease?
The alkaline diet may support health by limiting processed foods and promoting more whole foods. However, it doesn’t help fight disease by affecting your body’s pH levels. This video file cannot be played. (Error Code: 102630) The alkaline diet is based on the idea that replacing acid-forming foods with alkaline foods can improve your health.