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The alkaline diet theory has formed the basis of various alternative health philosophies for decades: some foods are acid-causing (bad!), others are alkalising (good!) and the right balance is needed for optimum health. The approach was popularised by Robert O Young in the US, whose best-selling book The pH Miracle: Balance Your Diet, Reclaim Your Health was first published in 2002 and has since been translated into several languages. At this point I should note that, in 2016, Young was convicted of practising medicine without a licence and later sentenced to three years and eight months in prison.
One claim that currently appears on a pro-alkaline diet website states: “Virtually all degenerative diseases including cancer, heart disease, arthritis, osteoporosis, kidney and gallstones and tooth decay are associated with excess acidity in the body.” According to its proponents, consuming alkalising foods will restore the body’s pH – the scale of acidity and alkalinity (see far right)– to a healthy balance. This involves reducing or cutting out acidproducing foods (proteins including meat, grains and dairy, as well as sugar and alcohol) in favour of alkalising fruit and vegetables. According to many alkaline diet websites, an 80:20 ratio of alkalising to acid-forming foods is ideal for maintaining ‘pristine health’. Because the regime involves restricting your intake of some nutritious foods, many also sell meal plans and supplements alongside the dietary advice. The approach is extremely popular and reportedly has been favoured by celebrities including Victoria Beckham and Hollywood actress Kate Hudson. Dozens of alkaline diet books pepper the bestseller lists, health food shops are filled with ‘alkalising’ boosters and powders, and global sales of alkaline water have reached $700 million annually and are rising fast. And yet there’s little scientific evidence to support the sweeping health claims.