One of the side effects of being overweight is that excess fat tissue packed onto the body releases substances that cause inflammation.
And inflammation can lead to a host of problems, including metabolic syndrome, a group of cardiometabolic factors that can raise the risk of type 2 diabetes and lead to plaque buildup inside arteries, increasing the risk of heart attack and stroke.
What’s more, inflammation makes it more challenging to lose weight — and that creates a viscous cycle most of us know all too well.
One contributing factor to inflammation is an excessive amount of acid in the body. So you might wonder if there’s anything we can do to counteract this acidity. According to one team of researchers, there’s a specific diet that can help…
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The role of acid load
Researchers led by the Physicians Committee for Responsible Medicine conducted an analysis of a study involving 62 overweight adults who were assigned to either a Mediterranean diet or a low-fat vegan diet for 16 weeks. They then had a four-week wash-out period, followed by an additional 16 weeks on the alternate diet.
The researchers used the participants’ dietary records to calculate their dietary acid load. This is commonly estimated by Potential Renal Acid Load (PRAL) and Net Endogenous Acid Production (NEAP) scores, with a higher score indicating a higher dietary acid load.
Animal products such as meat, fish, eggs and cheese — plentiful in the standard American diet — cause the body to produce more acid, which increases dietary acid load.
This increase in acid is linked to chronic inflammation that disrupts metabolism and can lead to weight gain. Plant-based diets, by contrast, are more alkaline and are associated with weight loss, improved insulin sensitivity, and lower blood pressure.
In the new analysis, both acid load and acid production scores declined significantly in the vegan group, but there were no significant change in the group on the Mediterranean diet.
The reduction in dietary acid load in the vegan group was associated with weight loss, and this association remained significant even after adjusting for changes in energy consumption.
That wasn’t the most dramatic part. The body weight in the vegan group decreased by about 13.2 pounds!
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Switching to a more alkalizing diet
The authors of the study say the alkalizing effect of a vegan diet increases the body’s pH level to make it less acidic and may help promote weight loss.
“Eating acid-producing foods like meat, eggs and dairy can increase the dietary acid load, or the amount of acid consumed, causing inflammation linked to weight gain,” says Dr. Hana Kahleova, director of clinical research at the Physicians Committee for Responsible Medicine and lead author of the study. “But replacing animal products with alkaline plant-based foods like leafy greens, berries and legumes can help promote weight loss and create a healthy gut microbiome.”
The original study fothat und a vegan diet also reduced insulin needs, improved insulin sensitivity and glycemic control and led to improved cholesterol levels and kidney function.
Some of the top alkalizing foinclude are vegetables, fruits, leg,umes and certain grains, all of which abundantance in a vegan diet. Examples of particularly alkalizing foods include:
- Asparagus
- Beets
- Broccoli
- Cabbage
- Carrots
- Garlic
- Leafy greens
- Apples
- Apricots
- Berries
- Cantaloupe
- Cherries
- Beans
- Chickpeas
- Lentils
- Peas
- Soy
- Millet
- Quinoa
If a complete switch to a vegan diet seems daunting, at least cut down on acidic foods. You could start by enjoying a plant-based breakfast rich in alkalizing foods. For instance, substitute millet with berries or a green smoothie with soy protein for your usual eggs or yogurt,.
Or if you really need that yogurt on occasion, go low-fat and incorporate lots of berries and flaxseed. Flax seeds contain fiber, which can further promote alkalinity by absorbing excess acid in the digestive tract.
You may also be interested in incorporating sparkling water into your routine. It helps reduce acid in the bloodstream, which may improve metabolism.
As you become accustomed to this routine, you can try incorporating more plant-based alkalizing foods into your lunches and dinners. Before you know it, you’ll see the benefits around your waist!
Sources:
Acid-busting diet triggers 13-pound weight loss in just 16 weeks — ScienceDaily
Dietary acid load on the Mediterranean and a vegan diet: a secondary analysis of a randomized, cross-over trial — Frontiers in Nutrition
Obesity and inflammation: the linking mechanism and the complications — Archives of Medical Science
Metabolic syndrome is an inflammatory disorder: A conspiracy between adipose tissue and phagocytes — Clinica Chimica Acta
Associations between dietary acid load and obesity among Iranian women — Journal of Cardiovascular and Thoracic Research
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