One Health Tweak a Week
One Health Tweak a Week Podcast
The Alkaline Diet: Myth, Marketing, or Medicine?
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The Alkaline Diet: Myth, Marketing, or Medicine?

Why a flawed idea can still lead to smarter food choices (if you skip the pseudoscience)

Can your diet really change how acidic your body is? And if so… should you care?

This week, we’re diving into the alkaline diet - the wellness trend that claims eating “alkaline-forming” foods (like leafy greens and lemons) and avoiding “acid-forming” ones (like meat, cheese, and eggs) can lower your cancer risk, improve your bones, balance your hormones, and even cure reflux.

But how much of that is science… and how much is marketing theatre?

We’ll unpack what the alkaline diet actually is, what a PRAL score measures, and why your blood pH isn’t something you can tweak with lunch - unless you’ve ingested antifreeze.

You’ll hear why the apparent benefits of “alkaline” diets are more likely due to eating more plants and fewer animal products, not a change in internal chemistry.

We’ll also look at:

  • The one condition where acid load really matters (and why this doesn’t apply to most people)

  • Whether alkaline diets help with acid reflux (spoiler: not really)

  • How to eat more plant-based without falling for pseudoscience

Perfect for anyone who’s ever googled “alkaline foods” or wondered whether their urine pH means anything.

Listen in and get clarity - minus the pH strips.

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