An alkaline diet can prevent the risk of stroke, but is it safe?

There is nothing wrong with starting a diet for the sake of having an ideal body weight. Maybe right now you are thinking about joining an alkaline diet, which has been hotly discussed in the public for a while. He said, this diet has many benefits for the health of the body. But it's a good idea to first read the complete information about alkaline diets in this article - starting from the guidelines to considering the benefits and risks. Is everyone allowed to follow this diet?

What is an alkaline diet?

An alkaline diet is a diet that is carried out by consuming alkaline foods. Examples of alkaline foods are watermelon, cantaloupe, mango, pear, passion fruit, apples, grapes, avocado, bananas, dates, spinach, broccoli, garlic, ginger, tomatoes, beans, cabbage, celery, cucumbers, and lemon. Apart from being alkaline, these foods are also enriched with vitamins, minerals, fiber and antioxidants.

What are the benefits of an alkaline diet?

The human body is generally alkaline because it has a pH between 7.35 and 7.45. However, health problems, such as diarrhea, kidney problems, and other disorders, can turn the body's pH into acid. Unbalanced pH levels can have a negative impact on health, one of which is an increased risk of heart disease and various bone-joint-muscle diseases.

An alkaline diet aims to restore the body's pH balance. A balanced pH level plays an important role in increasing growth hormone production. In postmenopausal women, increased growth hormone can help maintain heart function and increase the brain's cognitive ability to think and remember. Besides being good for neutralizing the body's pH, alkaline foods are good for preventing hypertension and the risk of stroke.

In addition, the body's pH level that returns to alkaline can help better absorption of vitamin D and magnesium. Optimal intake of vitamin D can help reduce pain in the spine.

Especially for people who are undergoing chemotherapy, an alkaline diet can help the body more effectively absorb the drug. The reason is, the effectiveness of some chemo drugs such as epirubicin and adriamycin will be more effective at working in an alkaline pH environment. In addition, the effects of chemotherapy can also cause cell death. The risk of these side effects can increase if the body's pH is acidic. Therefore, an alkaline diet can help prevent or reduce the risk.

This alkaline diet is also considered effective as a detox way to get rid of all kinds of foreign substances that are toxic to the body. That way, the body will feel healthier and fitter.

Guide to undergoing an alkaline diet

There is really no step by step guide for following this diet. All you need to do is eat more alkaline foods in a 4: 1 ratio with other foods. You can use brown rice to replace white rice for every large meal.

Twenty minutes before lunch and dinner as usual, you can eat fresh fruits, such as bananas and apples. However, avoid acidic foods while on an alkaline diet. Examples of foods that are acidic are cheese, chicken, canned meat, milk, alcoholic beverages, and soft drinks. On average, these foods contain a pH of 2-3 which can further disrupt the pH balance of the body.

Are there any risks from an alkaline diet?

Even though it has a myriad of benefits for the health of the body, an alkaline diet does not take into account the intake of protein which is indeed a lot contained in alkaline foods (meat, milk, and dairy products).

In fact, the body still needs protein intake in order to function normally. Lack of protein in the long run can actually be detrimental to the health of the body. To work around this, you can choose other animal protein sources, such as fish or skinless chicken combined with various vegetables when it's time to eat. As much as possible eat meat only 2-3 times a week.