Diet in Disease
In the diet during disease, breakfast may consist of fresh fruits, lunch may comprise raw vegetables with acid and sub-acid fruits, and for dinner raw and cooked vegetables, or light starchy vegetables like beet, carrot, cauliflower, egg-plant and squashes may be taken. Sweet fruits may be added to this diet after seven days.
Foods are classified as acid-producing or alkaline-producing depending on their reaction on the
urine. Calcium, magnesium, sodium and potassium present in foods contribute to the alkaline
effect, while sulphur, phosphorous and chlorine contribute to the acidic effect. Depending on the
pre-dominating constituents in a particular food, it is classified as acid-forming or
alkaline-forming.
The effect of food stuffs upon the alkalinity of the blood depends upon their residue which they
leave behind after undergoing oxidation in the body. It is an error to presume that because a
food tastes acid, it has an acidic reaction in the blood. For instance, fruits and vegetables have
organic acids in combination with soda and potash in the form of acid salts. When the acids are
burnt or utilised in the body, the alkaline soda or potash is left behind. Hence the effect of the
natural fruit acids is to increase the alkalinity of the blood rather than reduce it.
Based on the above observations, the following charts show the common foods with acid and
alkaline ash:
A – Foods Leaving An Acid Ash
(One-Fifth Class)
Barley Eggs
Bananas (unripe) Grain Foods
Beans Lentils
Bread Meats
Cereals Nuts except almonds
Cakes Oatmeal
Chicken Peas
Confections Rice
Corn Sugar
Chorolate Sea Foods
Coffee Tea
B – Foods Leaving An Alkaline Ash
( Four-fifths class )
Almonds Melons
Apples Milk
Apricots Onions
Banana (ripe) Oranges
Beets Parsley
Cabbage Peaches
Carrots Pears
Cauliflower Pineapple
Celery Potatoes
Coconuts Pumpkins
Cottage Cheese Radishes
Cucumbers Raisins
Dates Spinach
Figs ( Fresh and Dry) Soyabeans
Grapes Tomatoes
Lemons Turnips
Lettuce