Digestion & GI health

pH balancing foods

Together with our article on pH balance and digestion, this chart of acid/alkaline-forming foods can help you gain a better understanding of the effect individual foods have in terms of digestive pH.

There are many such lists out there, some more definitive and reliable than others, and contradictions between them do show up, but the basics are fairly consistent. This list is just a sampling, by no means complete, to provide an overview of which foods fall on either side of the pH scale. From this basic understanding you can begin to assess how pH might be playing a part in your personal health and diet picture.

**Chart of alkalizing foods**
Alkalizing vegetables
Alfalfa Barley grass Beets and beet greens Broccoli Cabbage Carrot Cauliflower Celery Cucumber Fermented veggies (sauerkraut, kim chee) Garlic Green beans Green peas Kale	Kohlrabi Lettuce Mushrooms Nightshade veggies (tomatoes, peppers, eggplant, etc.) Onions Peas Pumpkin Radishes Sea veggies Spinach Sprouts Sweet potatoes Wild greens
Alkalizing fruits
Apple Apricot Avocado Banana Berries Cantaloupe Cherries, sour Coconut, fresh Currants Dates, dried Figs, dried Grapes Grapefruit Honeydew melon	Lemon Lime Muskmelons Nectarine Orange Peach Pear Pineapple Raisins Raspberries Rhubarb Strawberries Tangerine Tropical fruits Watermelon
Alkalizing protein
Almonds Chestnuts Millet	Tempeh (fermented) Tofu (fermented) Whey protein powder
Other alkalizing foods
Apple cider vinegar Bee pollen Green juices Lecithin granules	Mineral water Molasses, blackstrap Probiotic cultures Soured (cultured) dairy products

**Chart of acidifying foods**
Acidifying vegetables
Corn Olives	Winter squash
Acidifying fruits
Blueberries Canned or glazed fruits Cranberries	Currants Plums Prunes
Acidifying grains
Amaranth Barley Bread Corn Oatmeal	Quinoa Rice Rye Spelt Wheat
Acidifying beans and legumes
Black beans Chick peas Green peas Kidney beans	Lentils Pinto beans Red beans Soy beans White beans
Acidifying dairy
Butter Cheese	Ice cream Milk
Acidifying nuts
Cashews Legumes Peanuts	Pecans Tahini Walnuts
Acidifying animal protein
Bacon Beef Carp Clams Cod Corned beef Fish Haddock Lamb Lobster Mussels Organ meats Oyster	Pike Pork Rabbit Salmon Sardines Sausage Scallops Shellfish Shrimp Tuna Turkey Veal Venison
Acidifying fats and oils
Avocado oil Butter Canola oil Corn oil Flax oil	Hemp seed oil Lard Olive oil Safflower oil Sesame oil Sunflower oil
Acidifying sweeteners
Carob Corn syrup	Sugar
Acidifying alcohol
Beer Hard liquor	Spirits Wine

Return to our full article on pH balance.

Our Personal Program is a great place to start

The Personal Program promotes natural hormonal balance with nutritional supplements, our exclusive endocrine support formula, dietary and lifestyle guidance, and optional phone consultations with our Nurse–Educators. It is a convenient, at-home version of what we recommend to all our patients at the clinic.

To learn more about the Program, go to How the Personal Program works.
To select the Program that's right for your symptoms, go to Choose the plan that works for you.
To assess your symptoms, take our on-line Hormonal Health Profile.
If you're ready to get started, learn about our risk-free trial.

If you have questions, don't hesitate to call us toll-free at 1-800-798-7902. We're here to listen and help.

We’re always happy to welcome new patients to our medical clinic in Yarmouth, Maine, for those who can make the trip. Click here for information about making an appointment.

Original Publication Date: 11/06/2006
Last Modified: 08/17/2009
Principal Author: Marcelle Pick, OB/GYN NP