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Our blood is slightly alkaline, with a normal pH level of between 7.35 and 7.45. The theory behind<br />
the alkaline diet is that our diet should reflect this pH level (as it did in the past) and be slightly<br />
alkaline. Proponents of alkaline diets believe that a diet high in acid-producing foods is disrupts<br />
this balance and promotes the loss of essential minerals such as potassium, magnesium, calcium,<br />
and sodium, as the body tries to restore equilibrium. This imbalance is thought to make people<br />
prone to illness<br />
According to most natural practitioners, the shift to an acid-producing diet is the cause of a number<br />
of chronic diseases. Some practitioners recommend the alkaline diet if a person has the following<br />
symptoms and other illnesses have been ruled out.<br />
• Lack of energy<br />
• Excessive mucous production<br />
• Nasal congestion<br />
• Frequent colds and flu<br />
• Anxiety, nervousness, irritability<br />
• Ovarian cysts, polycystic ovaries, benign breast cysts<br />
• Headache<br />
Although conventional doctors do believe that increasing consumption of fruit and vegetables and<br />
reducing one's intake of meat, salt, and refined grains is beneficial to health, most conventional<br />
doctors do not believe that an acid-producing diet is the foundation of chronic illness. In<br />
conventional medicine, there is evidence, however, that alkaline diets may help prevent the<br />
formation of calcium kidney stones, osteoporosis, and age-related muscle wasting.<br />
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