Alkaline foods are known to moderate the body's pH, preventing it from getting too acidic or basic. According to Diets in Review, eating alkaline foods can help the body maintain a slightly basic pH, which can prevent inflammation and lower the risk of a number of health conditions.

However, it is not always easy to adhere to a diet of alkaline foods and alkaline water. During the autumn holidays, especially Halloween and Thanksgiving, it can be difficult to say no to sweets, heavy meals and acidic foods.

Fortunately, nutritional health supplements may be able to restore a proper pH balance to the blood stream. They may have unintended benefits, too, such as preventing poor dental health, according to the British Dental Health Foundation.

Most alternative health experts recommend eating fruits, vegetables and other foods containing potassium, magnesium and zinc, as well as taking herbal supplements that deliver these nutrients.

The team began by giving volunteers two grams of either ginger root or a placebo for a period of 28 days. After the test period, scientists measured blood samples for indicators of colon inflammation.

Participants who took ginger root extract experienced a 4 to 6 percent decrease in their levels of inflammation-related bloodborne molecules. Researchers concluded that when taken in appropriate doses, the root may be beneficial for colon health.

"On the basis of these results, it seems that ginger has the potential to decrease [inflammation]," the team wrote. "Ginger also seemed to be tolerable and safe."

Prior studies have shown that ginger root extract may also prevent nausea caused by motion sickness, pregnancy or certain pharmaceuticals, according to the National Center for Complementary and Alternative Medicine. Taking dietary supplements containing ginger may also contribute to better joint health, although research on this subject is ongoing, the source adds.

You need to reverse the acid overload and return to an alkaline state to optimally support the following areas of health:

• Circulation
• Joints and muscles
• Regular heartbeats
• Flexible veins and arteries
• Energy
• Aging

Here’s a simple way to determine your acid/alkaline status. Take special test strips that measure pH and dip them in your saliva or urine. Using the color of the strip once exposed to your bodily fluid, you can determine your levels with a special acid/alkaline chart. The scale ranges from zero to 14, with the lowest being the most acidic and the highest being the most alkaline. For optimum health, you should aim for a 7.5 measurement.

If you find you are more acidic, foods can help regulate your alkaline balance. Alkaline foods include vegetables, fruits, tofu, goat’s milk, soy products, nuts, seeds, whey protein powder, mineral water and green tea. Acid-forming foods to avoid include fatty meats, dairy products, artificial sweeteners and sugars, processed foods, starchy beans and vegetables, soda drinks, beer, wine and white breads.

By consuming a diet made of 80 percent alkaline foods and 20 percent acid-forming foods while drinking at least eight glasses of alkaline water daily, you should see an improvement in your health in no time.

Your body works at its best when you’re in alkaline and acid balance. The pH, or “potential of hydrogen”, is a measure of the relative acidity or alkalinity of a solution. A pH of 7 is a perfectly neutral pH; from 0 to 7 indicates acidity; and from 7 to 14 indicates alkalinity. You want to fall somewhere in the middle around 7 or 7.5.

If you suffer from a pH imbalance, it can:

• Thicken your blood and increase your risk of heart problems.
• Block vitamin absorption and starve your body of essential nutrients.
• Create toxic buildup in clogged cells.
• Slow down organ function and make you feel sluggish and weak.
• Prevent proper digestion and create excess gas and bloating.
• Cause unhealthy weight gain.
• Speed the aging process and make you look and feel older.

In order to reduce your acidity, you need to avoid acid-forming foods like animal meats, processed foods, fried foods, refined sugars, pasteurized dairy products and white flour products. Instead try to add more nutritious alkaline foods like fruits, veggies, whole grains, beans and other foods high in fiber. If you follow the 80/20 rule, where you consume 80 percent alkaline foods and only 20 percent acid-forming foods, you should see a difference in your pH balance.

So don’t worry—your pH level is not permanent. You can make smarter choices with food and learn to balance acidic foods with alkaline ones to get your whole body in tip-top shape.

The critical balance between acidity and alkalinity is measured on a scale of 0 to 14 known as the pH—or “potential of hydrogen.” On this scale, 0 to 7 is acid, 7 is neutral and 7 to 14 is alkaline. If you’re a healthy person with perfectly balanced pH, you would have a reading of about 7.4 in your blood and about 7.25 in your tissues. However, most people fall in the acidic range of 6.2 to 6.4.

If you suffer from pH imbalance, it can:

• Thicken your blood and increase your risk of heart problems.
• Block vitamin absorption and starve your body of essential nutrients.
• Create toxic buildup in clogged cells.
• Slow down organ function and make you feel sluggish and weak.
• Prevent proper digestion and create excess gas and bloating.
• Cause unhealthy weight gain.
• Speed the aging process and make you look and feel older.

To help prevent acidity, you should avoid acid-forming foods like high-fat meats, processed foods, fried foods, refined sugars, pasteurized dairy products and white flour products.

Why not try to add more nutritious alkaline foods like fruits, veggies, whole grains, beans and other foods high in fiber. If you follow the 80/20 rule, where you consume 80 percent alkaline foods and only 20 percent acid-forming foods, you should see a difference in your pH balance.

Your body works at its best when you’re in alkaline and acid balance. The pH, or “potential of hydrogen”, is a measure of the relative acidity or alkalinity of a solution. A pH of 7 is a perfectly neutral pH; from 0 to 7 indicates acidity; and from 7 to 14 indicates alkalinity. You want to fall somewhere in the middle around 7 or 7.5.

If you suffer from a pH imbalance, it can:

• Thicken your blood and increase your risk of heart problems.
• Block vitamin absorption and starve your body of essential nutrients.
• Create toxic buildup in clogged cells.
• Slow down organ function and make you feel sluggish and weak.
• Prevent proper digestion and create excess gas and bloating.
• Cause unhealthy weight gain.
• Speed the aging process and make you look and feel older.

In order to reduce your acidity, you need to avoid acid-forming foods like animal meats, processed foods, fried foods, refined sugars, pasteurized dairy products and white flour products.

Instead try to add more nutritious alkaline foods like fruits, veggies, whole grains, beans and other foods high in fiber. If you follow the 80/20 rule, where you consume 80 percent alkaline foods and only 20 percent acid-forming foods, you should see a difference in your pH balance.

So don’t worry—your pH level is not permanent. You can make smarter choices with food and learn to balance acidic foods with alkaline ones to get your whole body in tip-top shape.

The critical balance between acidity and alkalinity is measured on a scale of 0 to 14 known as the pH—or “potential of hydrogen.” On this scale, 0 to 7 is acid, 7 is neutral and 7 to 14 is alkaline. If you’re a healthy person with perfectly balanced pH, you would have a reading of about 7.4 in your blood and about 7.25 in your tissues. However, most people fall in the acidic range of 6.2 to 6.4.

Why? Because we Americans are overrun with stressful lifestyles that lead to dehydration and poor diet.

Just as acid can ruin your car battery, increased acidity in your cells and tissues can eat away at the linings of your arteries and increase your chances of both brain and cardiovascular problems… erode cartilage and cause inflamed joints… and damage skin cells which contributes to premature wrinkling and other aging issues.

But that’s not the only damage you face. Excess acid can cause blood sugar problems, high blood pressure, calcium-deprived bones, low energy, poor circulation, sexual problems, sleep problems, leg cramps and a host of other issues.

However, by understanding the importance of the acid/alkaline balance in your body—and taking steps to reverse acid overload—you can decrease your chances of poor health and improve your mental and physical well-being for years to come.

Your body works at its best when you’re in alkaline and acid balance. The pH, or “potential of hydrogen”, is a measure of the relative acidity or alkalinity of a solution. A pH of 7 is a perfectly neutral pH; from 0 to 7 indicates acidity; and from 7 to 14 indicates alkalinity. You want to fall somewhere in the middle around 7 or 7.5.

When discussing foods, you must understand that there is a huge difference between acid foods and acid-forming foods. A good example is citrus fruits, which are truly acid foods because they contain citric acid. However, during the process of digestion, foods change their chemistry. Therefore, do not assume that ALL acid foods are acid-forming. 

A good rule to follow is the 80/20 rule, where you eat 80 percent alkaline and 20 percent acid-forming foods. These two lists show various acid-forming and alkaline foods. 

Alkaline Foods (80 percent)

• Vegetables like artichokes, asparagus, beets, broccoli, cabbage, carrots, celery, cucumbers, eggplants, garlic, leafy greens, lettuce, mushrooms, okra, onions, peppers, pumpkins, radishes, spinach, squash, turnip greens, zucchini and many others.
• Fruits like apples, avocados, bananas, berries, cherries, coconuts, grapes, lemons, limes, grapefruits, oranges, peaches, pears, pineapples, tomatoes and watermelons.
• Products like tofu, goat milk and goat cheese.
• Breads and flours like soy flour, sprouted bread and spelt bread.
• Nuts and seeds like almonds, chestnuts, cumin seeds, fennel seeds, sesame seeds, soy nuts and sunflower seeds.
• Spices and seasonings like chili pepper, cinnamon, curry, ginger, miso, mustard seed or powder, sea salt and tamari.
• Natural sweeteners like stevia, agave nectar and grade B maple syrup.
• Protein like whey powder and fermented tempeh and tofu.
• Other items like apple cider vinegar, Banchi tea, bee pollen, dandelion tea, fresh fruit juices, green tea, mineral water, unpasteurized organic milk, probiotic cultures and fresh vegetable juices.

Acid-Forming Foods (20 percent)

• Meat, poultry and seafood like beef, chicken, lamb, duck, shellfish, veal and venison.
• Condiments like ketchup, mustard, dressings, mayonnaise and vinegar.
• Bread and flours like corn meal, cereals, white breads, pasta, rolls and buns.
• Fats and oils like margarine, vegetable oil, canola oil, lard, flaxseed oil and olive oil.
• Beverages like beer, black tea, coffee, processed juices, liquors, soda drinks, wine and sport drinks.
• Fruits and vegetables with added sugars like certain canned items, artificially sweetened items, glazed or jellied fruits and pickled, processed or preserved veggies.
• Grains and legumes like black beans, chickpeas, corn, lentils, lima beans, rolled oats, soybeans, green peas and rices.
• Dairy products like milk, butter, cheeses and eggs and egg products.
• Nuts and seeds like cashews, peanuts, peanut butter, pecans and walnuts.
• Sweets like artificial sweeteners, cakes, chocolate, cookies, doughnuts, pies and white and raw sugars.
• Drugs and chemicals like pesticides, herbicides and prescription and over-the-counter meds.

Acid reflux is a condition in which some of the esophageal muscles don’t work properly, which allows stomach acids to rise up in the esophagus. Individuals with the disease experience heartburn and could be at risk of developing more severe health complications.

In an effort to better detect the cause of acid reflux, a team of researchers performed upright and horizontal screenings of 49 patients who have been diagnosed or have shown symptoms of the condition. They examined how esophageal muscles were able to perform and how the condition was affected in both positions.

The investigators discovered that seven patients who experienced a mild case of acid reflux also suffered from esophageal motility, a lack of muscle strength in the esophagus. A total of 19 patients with a moderate case were diagnosed with the complication while lying down, and 10 individuals with a severe case of acid reflux all suffered esophageal motility while lying down.

Researchers concluded that discovering that these symptoms become worse while lying down may prove beneficial to developing medicines, which could improve long-term relief in acid reflux patients.

Approximately one in 14 people who reside in the United States suffer from acid reflux on a daily basis, according to AcidRefluxTreatment.org.

In fact, as many as 60 million Americans suffer from heartburn at least once a month, and 25 million suffer from it on a daily basis. The vast majority of these people can find relief with natural supplements and by making adjustments to when and what they eat. But for some, the burning pain is actually a symptom pointing to a more serious problem.  

Heartburn is a burning sensation that’s usually located in the chest. A lot of patients will say they feel it behind the breastbone. Some people call it a discomfort and don’t even call it a pain, but rather a sensation or an uncomfortable feeling.

Heartburn pain usually has a distinction from angina. A person having a heart attack would say that he “feels a squeezing sensation,” and will often clench his fist over his chest. Another good clue that a person is suffering from heartburn and not a heart attack is if it occurs after meals. People sometimes get heartburn if they eat a fatty or spicy meal, for example.

If you have heartburn and you’ve also thrown up blood, or if you notice that your stools have become black, that’s a sign of bleeding in the stomach where acid mixes with blood to turn it black. If it hurts when you swallow or if you have a fever in association with any of these symptoms, you should be evaluated by a physician. If you’re suffering from frequent heartburn, get yourself evaluated.

Other helpful suggestions include dietary changes, exercise, weight loss and maintaining pH balance. Supplements containing alkalinizing minerals can help keep your pH levels in balance for improved overall health.