{"id":59839,"date":"2020-07-28T11:40:26","date_gmt":"2020-07-28T09:40:26","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.darmklachten.nl\/basic-or-alkaline-diet-acid-base-diet\/"},"modified":"2026-09-29T17:28:30","modified_gmt":"2026-09-29T15:28:30","slug":"basic-or-alkaline-diet-acid-base-diet","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.darmklachten.nl\/en\/basic-or-alkaline-diet-acid-base-diet\/","title":{"rendered":"Basic or alkaline diet (acid-base diet)"},"content":{"rendered":"<div class=\"wpb-content-wrapper\" id=\"wpb-content-root\">[vc_row][vc_column][vc_tta_accordion color=&#8221;white&#8221; active_section=&#8221;-1&#8243; collapsible_all=&#8221;true&#8221;][vc_tta_section title=&#8221;Disclaimer &#8211; Darmklachten.nl articles&#8221; tab_id=&#8221;1620803744571-6020485c-23e9&#8243;][vc_column_text]\n<ul>\n<li>The articles published on the Darmklachten.nl website were written by Saskia van As. She is a BIG-registered physician and a member of the physicians&#8217; association AVIG.<\/li>\n<li>The purpose of the articles is to provide insight and background information about the various stool tests offered on the Darmklachten.nl website.<\/li>\n<li>The analyses are carried out in the MGlab@Advies laboratory.<\/li>\n<li>The staff of Darmklachten.nl advise you to always discuss the results with your own healthcare provider.<\/li>\n<li>If intestinal parasites or the bacterium Helicobacter pylori have been detected, it is essential that the results are passed on to the treating (general) practitioner so that treatment can be started. These analyses can also be requested by a GP or specialist.<\/li>\n<li>The result of a gut flora analysis or a histamine intolerance test is best discussed with a healthcare provider who has a naturopathic practice.<\/li>\n<li>No treatments or therapeutic advice are provided.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n[\/vc_column_text][\/vc_tta_section][\/vc_tta_accordion][\/vc_column][\/vc_row][vc_row][vc_column][vc_column_text]\n<h2>The right food choices for the right pH values<\/h2>\n<p>The alkaline diet is aimed at eating and drinking only or mainly products that have an alkaline effect on the body. An alkaline effect is the opposite of an acidifying effect. It helps keep your pH level in balance, which makes you much healthier. The alkaline diet is especially good for your kidneys. It may also have a beneficial effect on the bones, muscles and intestines. Food can have an acid-forming or alkaline effect on the acidity of the blood. Acidity is expressed as pH; a pH above 7 is alkaline. The alkaline diet contains, for example, plenty of vegetables and a number of specific foods shown in the table below. On an alkaline diet, you do not consume bread, milk, chocolate, processed meats, peanuts or beer because they are acid-forming.[\/vc_column_text][\/vc_column][\/vc_row][vc_row][vc_column width=&#8221;3\/4&#8243;][vc_column_text]\n<h2>What does acidity, or pH value, mean?<\/h2>\n<p>The pH value is indicated on a scale from 0 to 14. The neutral pH value is 7. A pH lower than 7 is called acidic. The neutral acidity is therefore 7. A value above pH 7 is thus basic or alkaline. pH is shown on a logarithmic scale, which means that the step from pH 6 to 7 is a factor of 10: a pH of 6.0 is therefore ten times more acidic than a pH of 7.0.[\/vc_column_text][\/vc_column][vc_column width=&#8221;1\/4&#8243; css=&#8221;.vc_custom_1620804324027{border-top-width: 20px !important;}&#8221;][vc_column_text css=&#8221;.vc_custom_1620804373158{margin-top: 40px !important;}&#8221;]<img decoding=\"async\" class=\"alignnone size-full wp-image-19095\" src=\"\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/03\/Vertering-doorlaatbaarheid.jpg\" alt=\"basic diet alkaline diet acid-base diet\" width=\"100%\" height=\"auto\" title=\"\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.darmklachten.nl\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/03\/Vertering-doorlaatbaarheid.jpg 373w, https:\/\/www.darmklachten.nl\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/03\/Vertering-doorlaatbaarheid-300x298.jpg 300w, https:\/\/www.darmklachten.nl\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/03\/Vertering-doorlaatbaarheid-150x150.jpg 150w, https:\/\/www.darmklachten.nl\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/03\/Vertering-doorlaatbaarheid-100x100.jpg 100w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 373px) 100vw, 373px\" \/>[\/vc_column_text][\/vc_column][\/vc_row][vc_row][vc_column][vc_column_text]\n<h2>Blood and urine<\/h2>\n<p>The acidity of human blood is alkaline. The normal pH of blood lies between 7.35 and 7.45. For various bodily functions to work properly, the acidity of the blood must remain very constant. The blood is therefore slightly alkaline. The intestinal contents are slightly acidic and have a pH of 6.8. pH is measured using special tests. Strips are also available to measure the pH of urine. Urine is neutral, or slightly alkaline at a value of 7. A urine pH between 6.0 and 6.5 is slightly acidic. The acidity of urine is used to determine the degree of health of the body. At lower urine pH values, there is said to be greater acidification (see the table below).<\/p>\n<p><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"alignnone size-full wp-image-26276\" src=\"\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/07\/zuur-base-dieet.png\" alt=\"acid-base diet alkaline diet basic diet\" width=\"1017\" height=\"197\" title=\"\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.darmklachten.nl\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/07\/zuur-base-dieet.png 1017w, https:\/\/www.darmklachten.nl\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/07\/zuur-base-dieet-300x58.png 300w, https:\/\/www.darmklachten.nl\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/07\/zuur-base-dieet-768x149.png 768w, https:\/\/www.darmklachten.nl\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/07\/zuur-base-dieet-600x116.png 600w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1017px) 100vw, 1017px\" \/><\/p>\n<h2>Food in an alkaline diet<\/h2>\n<p>The alkaline diet assumes that good pH values can be achieved by making the right food choices. Our diet consists of 70% water, but specific components of food determine how they affect acidity. The alkaline diet promotes health. Most vegetables \u2013 leafy greens, vegetable juice, parsley, raw spinach, broccoli, garlic, okra, green beans, beetroot, onions, celery, courgette and sweet potato \u2013 as well as fruit, honey, soybeans and legumes promote an alkaline, basic reaction.[\/vc_column_text][\/vc_column][\/vc_row][vc_row][vc_column][vc_column_text]\n<h2>Acidification through food<\/h2>\n<p>Acidification is regarded as unfavourable. Acid-forming foods should be avoided as much as possible because they create acidic waste products. Foods such as dairy products, eggs, protein-rich foods (especially meat), grains (such as wheat), refined sugar, chocolate and nuts produce acid in the body. It is also better to avoid alcohol and caffeine. Spinach, for example, is more acid-forming than watermelon, and grains form more acid than fish.<\/p>\n<h2>Measuring acidity<\/h2>\n<p>The acidity of a product itself does not determine whether it will have an alkaline or acidifying effect. Soft drinks taste sweet but are acid-forming for the body. A sour lemon, on the other hand, makes the body slightly alkaline. Using lemon juice is therefore beneficial. To determine whether you consume many acid-producing foods, you can measure the pH of your urine. This can be done using strips intended for urine pH measurements. By measuring the effect of food on your pH, you can obtain an accurate impression of the degree of acidification. Morning urine is often acidic. You should therefore measure your urine several times a day.[\/vc_column_text][\/vc_column][\/vc_row][vc_row][vc_column][vc_column_text]\n<h2>Other factors that cause acidification<\/h2>\n<p>Besides diet, there are other factors that can cause acidification. In people with diabetes, poor control can lead to acidosis of the blood. This can also occur when not enough oxygen is taken in. This is called hypoventilation. Metabolic acidosis is a common complication of chronic kidney disease and is associated with abnormalities of the parathyroid glands, resulting in less calcium being absorbed. This can be prevented by a diet rich in vegetables. Metabolic alkalosis can occur with prolonged vomiting. Alkalosis can also occur with hyperventilation.<\/p>\n<h2>Fewer diseases with an alkaline diet<\/h2>\n<p>The theory is that a low blood pH could lead to a loss of essential minerals (such as calcium), which could increase susceptibility to disease. The alkaline diet prevents this. Because calcium is absorbed better, osteoporosis can be prevented and arthritis symptoms can decrease. The alkaline diet can certainly slow the ageing process and protect you against diabetes and cardiovascular disease. There is also less risk of colds and headaches. It is even claimed that the alkaline diet reduces the risk of developing cancer.[\/vc_column_text][\/vc_column][\/vc_row][vc_row][vc_column][vc_column_text]\n<h2>Comparison with the ketogenic diet<\/h2>\n<p>Guidelines indicate that our diet should ideally be 80% alkaline and 20% acid-forming. This ratio cannot be achieved with a typical Western diet containing large amounts of starch and protein. This therefore means that grains have to be omitted. A ketogenic diet contains almost no starch. However, this diet does contain plenty of fats, nuts, nut oils, chocolate and cheese: products that are acid-forming. Nuts and seed oils contain more omega-6 fatty acids and are better avoided. Coconut oil and olive oil used for preparing food are alkaline. Their use is therefore recommended.<\/p>\n<h2>Advantages of an alkaline diet<\/h2>\n<p>It is therefore beneficial to eat plenty of vegetables and as few grains and meat as possible. The alkaline diet largely resembles a low-starch, grain-free diet. People can lose weight with the alkaline diet while continuing to feel fit and maintaining muscle mass. The risk of disease is lower. It is very plausible that a diet low in grains and high in vegetables counteracts ageing and helps prevent diabetes and cardiovascular disease. These benefits are probably not related to the acidity of the blood, but to low insulin levels, better gut flora and the use of anti-inflammatory foods. Vegetables contain a great deal of calcium and magnesium. Leafy greens are rich in folic acid, which may play a role in inhibiting inflammation and heart disease.[\/vc_column_text][\/vc_column][\/vc_row][vc_row][vc_column][vc_column_text]\n<h2>Disadvantages of an alkaline diet<\/h2>\n<p>To follow an alkaline diet, you have to make major changes to your eating pattern. You are not allowed to eat grains, nuts, seeds, chicken legs or meat. Some people see it as a restriction that they cannot drink alcohol or coffee. A number of scientific studies show that the claimed health benefits of this diet have not been proven, such as the claim that it would inhibit the development of cancer. These studies have often been carried out in laboratory animals, especially mice. It is therefore difficult to assess the extent to which these results apply to human health.<\/p>\n<h2>Conclusion<\/h2>\n<p>A low-starch diet, without grains and with more vegetables, has a beneficial influence on the acid-base balance. In itself, a grain-free diet plays an important role in preventing cardiovascular disease. A ketogenic diet also uses almost no starch. A ketogenic diet is beneficial. But we cannot state directly that pH is a determining factor for health. This is because the ketogenic dietary pattern is rich in fats, nuts, nut oil, chocolate and cheese. These are all acid-forming products.[\/vc_column_text][\/vc_column][\/vc_row][vc_row][vc_column][vc_column_text]\n<h2>Guidelines for an alkaline diet<\/h2>\n<p>The table below shows the guidelines for a basic, or alkaline, diet.<\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<table>\n<thead>\n<tr>\n<th>Very Alkaline<\/th>\n<th>Alkaline<\/th>\n<th>Least Alkaline<\/th>\n<th>Food<br \/>\ntype<\/th>\n<th>Least Acidic<\/th>\n<th>Acidic<\/th>\n<th>Very acidic<\/th>\n<\/tr>\n<\/thead>\n<tbody>\n<tr>\n<td>Stevia<\/td>\n<td>Maple syrup<\/td>\n<td>Raw Honey Raw Sugar<\/td>\n<td>Sweets<\/td>\n<td>Honey<br \/>\nMolasses<\/td>\n<td>All sugar:<br \/>\nWhite. Brown<\/td>\n<td>NutraSweet, Aspartame<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<td>Lemon, Watermelon, Grapefruit, Mangoes, Papayas<\/td>\n<td>Grapes,<br \/>\nKiwi, Berries, Apple, pear, Raisins<\/td>\n<td>Orange, Pineapple<br \/>\nBanana<br \/>\nCherry<br \/>\nPeach<br \/>\nAvocado<\/td>\n<td>Fruit<\/td>\n<td>Plums<br \/>\nCanned, jarred or dried fruit<br \/>\nFruit juice<\/td>\n<td>Rhubarb<\/td>\n<td>Cranberries, Prunes<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<td>Leafy greens<br \/>\nVegetable juice Parsley,<br \/>\nRaw Spinach, Broccoli, Garlic<\/td>\n<td>Okra,<br \/>\nGreen beans<br \/>\nBeetroot, Onions<br \/>\nCelery<br \/>\nCourgette<br \/>\nSweet potato<br \/>\nCarob<\/td>\n<td>Carrot<br \/>\nTomato<br \/>\nMaize, fresh<br \/>\nCabbage, Peas<br \/>\nPotato<br \/>\nwith skin<br \/>\nSoybeans Tofu<br \/>\nOlives<\/td>\n<td>Vegetables<\/td>\n<td>Cooked spinach<br \/>\nKidney Bean<\/td>\n<td>Potato, without skin<br \/>\nMost beans<\/td>\n<td>Chocolate<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<td><\/td>\n<td>Flaxseed<\/td>\n<td>Pumpkin<br \/>\nSeed<br \/>\nChestnut<\/td>\n<td>Nuts<br \/>\nSeeds<\/td>\n<td>Sunflower seed<br \/>\nAlmond<\/td>\n<td>Pecan nut, Cashew<\/td>\n<td>Peanut Walnut<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<td><\/td>\n<td>Flaxseed oil<\/td>\n<td>Olive Oil<\/td>\n<td>Oil<\/td>\n<td>Maize oil<br \/>\nSunflower oil<\/td>\n<td>Nut oil<\/td>\n<td><\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<td><\/td>\n<td><\/td>\n<td>Amaranth, Millet<br \/>\nWild Rice, Quinoa<\/td>\n<td>Grains<\/td>\n<td>Sprouted grains<\/td>\n<td>Rice, Maize<br \/>\nBuckwheat<br \/>\nOats, Rye<\/td>\n<td>Wheat<br \/>\nWheat flour<br \/>\nPasta<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<td><\/td>\n<td><\/td>\n<td>Chicken breast<\/td>\n<td>Meat, Fish<\/td>\n<td>Game meat<br \/>\nCold-water fish<\/td>\n<td>Turkey, chicken Lamb<\/td>\n<td>Beef<br \/>\nPork<br \/>\nShellfish<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<td><\/td>\n<td>Breast milk<br \/>\nRaw milk<\/td>\n<td>Soy cheese, Soy milk<br \/>\nGoat&#8217;s cheese<br \/>\nWhey, Yoghurt<br \/>\nEgg (white)<\/td>\n<td>Egg<br \/>\nDairy<\/td>\n<td>Egg, Butter,<br \/>\nCottage cheese<\/td>\n<td><\/td>\n<td>Cheese<br \/>\nMilk<br \/>\nIce cream<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<td>Herbal tea<br \/>\nLemon Water<\/td>\n<td>Green tea<\/td>\n<td>Ginger tea<\/td>\n<td>Drinks<\/td>\n<td>Black tea<\/td>\n<td>Coffee<\/td>\n<td>Beer,<br \/>\nSoft drinks<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<\/tbody>\n<\/table>\n[\/vc_column_text][\/vc_column][\/vc_row][vc_row][vc_column width=&#8221;3\/4&#8243;][vc_column_text]\n<h2 class=\"kop\">About Darmklachten.nl<\/h2>\n<p>Darmklachten.nl is an initiative of MGlab&amp;Advies B.V., a laboratory specialising in stool testing. &#8230;<a href=\"https:\/\/www.darmklachten.nl\/en\/about-us\/\">read more<\/a>[\/vc_column_text][\/vc_column][vc_column width=&#8221;1\/4&#8243;][vc_column_text]<img decoding=\"async\" class=\"alignright size-full wp-image-27318\" src=\"https:\/\/www.darmklachten.nl\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/03\/onderzoek.jpg\" alt=\"Darmklachten.nl tests and research\" width=\"100%\" height=\"auto\" title=\"\">[\/vc_column_text][\/vc_column][\/vc_row][vc_row][vc_column][\/vc_column][\/vc_row]\n<\/div>","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>[vc_row][vc_column][vc_tta_accordion color=&#8221;white&#8221; active_section=&#8221;-1&#8243; collapsible_all=&#8221;true&#8221;][vc_tta_section title=&#8221;Disclaimer &#8211; Darmklachten.nl articles&#8221; tab_id=&#8221;1620803744571-6020485c-23e9&#8243;][vc_column_text] The articles published on the Darmklachten.nl website were written by Saskia van As. She is a BIG-registered physician and a member of the physicians&#8217; association AVIG. The purpose of the articles&hellip;<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":59840,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[213],"tags":[],"post_series":[],"class_list":["post-59839","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-diets","entry","has-media"],"acf":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.darmklachten.nl\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/59839","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.darmklachten.nl\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.darmklachten.nl\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.darmklachten.nl\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.darmklachten.nl\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=59839"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/www.darmklachten.nl\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/59839\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":59845,"href":"https:\/\/www.darmklachten.nl\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/59839\/revisions\/59845"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.darmklachten.nl\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=59839"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.darmklachten.nl\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=59839"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.darmklachten.nl\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=59839"},{"taxonomy":"post_series","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.darmklachten.nl\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/post_series?post=59839"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}