Alkaline Diet 101: Is an orange alkaline?

Alkaline Diet 101: Is an orange alkaline?

I’m going through some serious re-evaluation. You see, I’m getting queries from people about what is in the alkaline diet, and what’s not – as usual. After all, I wrote a book on it.

But I’m beginning to see that there is so much more to the alkaline diet.

Take an orange.

Photographer: Xiaolong Wong | Source: Unsplash

By accepted alkaline theory, an orange is ‘alkaline’ meaning that after it has been metabolised or ‘burnt up’ by our bodies in conversion of food to energy, there are more alkaline minerals left than acid. So far so good.. and I’m sure most of you would agree.

But…

What if the eater of the orange is, like most of us, already insulin dependent through too much sugar too often? What if the fructose in the orange adds to this effect, and the ‘eater’ has ongoing effects from that fructose, like diabetes, inflammation, skin complaints.. the whole gamut of high carb/sugar consumption symptoms.

Surely it would have been better to consume something that gave the same effect with NO added fructose or any other form of carbs or sugar? Doesn’t that make sense?  I’m beginning to see that a sugar/carb/acid addict has to be weaned off the drug – not given more of the drug just because the drug has some alkaline minerals in it.

The villain: Fructose

I’m thinking that ALL fruit – because they all have fructose, (and fructose is now acknowledged as a major gout aggravator) are unsuitable for a person with an acid habit.

I know that sounds a trifle extreme, but the facts are the facts. Researchers at Harvard have found that one glass of orange juice a day raised the risk by 24 per cent. (Diabetes Care Journal)  Overall, a glass of fruit juice a day increased the odds of developing type 2 diabetes by 18 per cent.So how can I advocate oranges or orange juice? The same must apply to many other foods that, while certainly classified as ‘alkaline’ because they yield a net higher alkaline ash result in the body, also contribute to acidic conditions within the body.

Re-Alkalizing

So it seems to me that the best way to re-alkalize- or let’s say the ‘purest’ is to do it with something that carries nothing else. Alkaline salts, alkaline drops, alkaline water… all ‘clean’ methods and definitely not ‘drug mules’ like so many of the foods people are saying are good alkaline foods.

What do you think?

Ian