Premise
The calculator shown on this page represents an important aid in evaluating the acid/base balance of the various meals or of the diet as a whole. It is based on the values of the PRAL ( Potential Renal Acid Load ) of individual foods and food products , disseminated on the website www.acidosi.it.
We remind the reader that negative values are an indication of an alkalizing potential of the food , while a positive PRAL is a sign of an acidifying effect .
- Acidifying foods : include cheeses , meats , eggs, cured meats , chlorine , coffee , tea, simple sugars , refined starchy foods , and cola-based beverages
- Alkalizing foods : fresh fruit and vegetables . Calcium , potassium , sodium , magnesium .
- Neutral/slightly acidifying foods: whole grains , legumes , milk and dried fruit
A diet too rich in acidifying waste and low in alkalizing foods is associated with an increase in urinary calcium excretion, which represents a potential risk factor for the onset of osteoporosis. Furthermore, a diet of this type could be associated with a reduced metabolic efficiency of the organism, causing recurrent infections, nervousness, exhaustion , insomnia .
However, it should be noted that official medical science considers many of the positive effects attributed to alkalizing diets to be without scientific foundation.
- In therapy, alkalizing diets are used to prevent the appearance of some types of urinary stones, such as those of uric acid and cystine. However, they are contraindicated in subjects exposed to the risk of phosphocalcic kidney stones (therefore in the presence of kidney stones , an alkaline or acidifying diet may be useful depending on the composition of the stones, consult your doctor!)
- They could have a positive effect in the prevention of osteoporosis by reducing the renal excretion of calcium (even if high-protein , therefore acidifying, diets do not seem to increase the risk of osteoporosis by compensating for hypercalciuria with an increase in calcium absorption in the intestine and of bone trophic hormones )
- They are contraindicated in alkalosis and acidosis related to respiratory diseases
- The medical-sports rationale for the use of supplements based on Alkalizing Agents (e.g. sodium bicarbonate , potassium bicarbonate , citric acid , potassium citrate …) is based on the process of partial neutralization of blood lactic acid , which it accumulates during very intense effortsforcing the athlete to reduce his performance level.
Calculate the pH of your diet
INSTRUCTIONS: select the foods that make up the diet from the drop-down menus and specify the relative quantities consumed (expressed in grams) in the column to the side. To speed up the food search, once you have selected the drop-down menu, type the initials of the food you are looking for using the keyboard (for example, type pasta if you are looking for this food).
