Humans are slightly alkaline – your blood should be a pH between 7.35 to 7.45. Anything outside that range can be life-threatening.

So why are you being told to follow an alkaline diet? Proponents of the diet claim it can tackle everything from osteoporosis to cancer.

Norman and Tegan do a litmus test on the alkaline-acid balance and whether it’s a driver of chronic disease.

References:

• Physiology, Acid Base Balance
• The effect of acid ash and alkaline ash foodstuffs on the acid-base equilibrium of man
• Urine pH is an indicator of dietary acid–base load, fruit and vegetables and meat intakes: results from the European Prospective Investigation into Cancer and Nutrition (EPIC)-Norfolk population study
• Why is there so much on the internet about the alkaline diet and cancer? – MD Anderson 
• Low-grade metabolic acidosis as a driver of chronic disease: a 21st century public health crisis
• Diet-Induced Low-Grade Metabolic Acidosis and Clinical Outcomes: A Review

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