List of Alkaline Fruits & Vegetables

Improving your acid-alkaline balance may decrease your risk of headaches, bone loss and other health problems. These issues may occur when your body is too acidic. Some harmful bacteria, fungi and yeasts thrive on the acid in your body. Consuming more alkaline foods may help balance the body's pH. Talk with your physician if you are concerned about the pH balance in your body and discuss any changes you make in your diet.

Definition

The pH scale ranges from 1 to 14. Acidic foods, such as lemons, have a lower number while alkaline foods, such as bananas, have a number closer to 14. Neutral foods are around 7 on the pH scale. Your diet should consist of up to 80 percent alkalizing foods, suggests naturopath Dr. Christopher Vasey. Eating more alkaline foods may help reduce the production of acid in your body. Foods classified as heavy alkaline foods have a pH of 8.5 to 9.0. Food considered moderately alkaline have a pH of 7.5 to 8.4 and lightly alkaline foods have a pH of 7.0 to 7.4.

Fruits

Alkaline Indian Foods

Learn More

Fruits that are heavily alkaline include watermelon, cantaloupe, mangoes, pears, grapes and passion fruit. Dried fruits like dates, apricots, figs and raisins are also considered heavy alkaline foods. Apples, fresh apricots, bananas, berries and avocados all have a moderately alkaline pH of around 8.0. Light alkaline fruits include cherries and peaches. MyPyramid.gov recommends eating a total of 1 1/2 to 2 cups of fruit throughout your day, and selecting alkaline fruits can help balance your body's pH.

Vegetables

You should consume 2 to 3 cups of vegetables each day, MyPyramid.gov notes, and adding more alkaline vegetables can help balance out acid in the body. Vegetables that are high in alkaline include endives, asparagus and alfalfa sprouts. Moderately alkalinic veggies include celery, sweet potatoes, pumpkin, corn, carrots and turnips. Cucumbers, leeks, mushrooms, okra, onions and artichokes are considered lightly alkaline foods.

Considerations

How to Raise Body pH Level Quickly

Learn More

Additional high alkaline foods that may help your pH balance include parsley, 100 percent vegetable juice, garlic and ginger. If you are trying to balance your body's pH, you need to make changes to your diet as a whole. Consuming a few alkaline fruits and vegetables once in awhile may not create the changes you desire. Including alkaline fruits and vegetables as part of an overall balanced diet may be more effective than sporadically including them in the diet.