Alkaline Diets

I’ve read about Alkaline Diets – are these a good idea?

No, there is no evidence to show that following an alkaline diet reduces cancer risk or protects against cancer. The theory behind this diet is that an acidic body environment promotes diseases like cancer and an alkaline environment contributes to good health.

This diet has become very popular in the media but any studies that reported these results were done in a laboratory setting, and do not directly translate to the human body⁵⁸. The acidity or alkalinity of your blood are measured using the pH scale and this is tightly regulated by your kidneys.

A pH of 0 is completely acidic, a pH of 14 is completely alkaline and a pH of 7 is neutral. Different parts of our bodies have different pHs in order to carry out their various roles effectively. Blood is naturally slightly alkaline (pH around 7.4), whereas your stomach is very acidic (pH around 3.5) so it can help break down food. It is not possible to alter blood pH through the food that you eat.

Following an alkaline diet (where meat and dairy is often avoided) will not change the pH of your blood or any other organ. Following this type of restrictive diet may contribute to weight loss and result in inadequate intakes of many nutrients including calcium, vitamin D, vitamin B12 and protein, and could have a negative impact on your condition and treatment. Even if diet could change blood pH, it is important to note that an alkaline environment may interfere with the efficacy of chemotherapy treatments⁵⁹.

It is not recommended to follow an alkaline diet or any restrictive diet if you have been diagnosed with cancer or while undergoing treatment.