Food items and its Indexes associated with PRAL negative & positive values

Just like the ecosystem which we humans are a part of, needs ecological balance, human body also follows the same survival technique.

However the balance in the human body system is very vast and much more complicated. One of those complicated balance is the acidity and alkalinity of our human body system. The human body requires several nutrients through other source especially our food like milk, eggs, vegetables, fruits etc.

What is PRAL and why is it necessary?

• The human body maintains the slightly imbalanced pH balance with the help of lungs and kidneys. On excess acid or alkaline deposition even these organs might stop functioning leading to several other diseases. On calculating the PRAL value it would determine the amount of acid our body would require to excrete out in order to keep a balance.

• Now in order to have a balanced PRAL value normally a human should consume 80 percent of PRAL negative food and 20 % of PRAL positive food.

Here some of the PRAL negative Indian food items which we should try and include in our diet:

• Beet root greens: The beet roots leaves are very uncommon food option in the food sector but the fact is the leaves of the beet root plant have the most negative PRAL score of -16 in the entire world. It is also is known for reducing stubborn fats. One can easily substitute their normal greens in salads and smoothies with the beet root greens.

• Spinach: The spinach also known as ‘Palag’ is the most favorite leafy vegetable eaten across India. The spinach is also the 2^nd most alkaline food option with a PRAL score of -11. Well Indians know several dishes which include spinach like ‘Palag paneer’, ‘Chicken Palag’ etc. There is healthier option too like the famous Spinach smoothie.

• Brinjal: The perennial crop which brought India the 1^st place in the world for its production has a PRAL value of -3.4. It contains phytonutrients like the chlorogenic acid. It helps in digestion and metabolism of the body. Several recipes which include brinjal are known in Indian cuisine like “Began ka bharta” served mostly during the cold winters of the nations.

• Carrots: The carrots are not only high in fibers but they also have very low or negative PRAL value of around -4.9. Carrots have the potential to provide the body with enough antioxidants preventing cancer like diseases. Well carrots are consumed by Indian’s in both sweet and savory dishes like the famous “Gajar ka Halwa” ‘carrot soup’ etc.

• Cauliflower: Well cauliflower is being neglected nowadays with the increasing popularity of Broccoli. Interesting fact is that both broccoli and cauliflower have almost same nutrient properties. Cauliflower has a PRAL score of -4. Cauliflower has hormones which help to balance out the excess estrogen levels in our body. India has huge fan following for a special recipe which is made up of cauliflower known as “Gobi Paratha”, “Gobi Allu” etc.

Here some of the PRAL positive Indian food items which we should try and include in our diet:

• Nuts: Nuts like almonds, walnuts, ground nuts etc have a PRAL positive score 4.3 to 8.3 depending upon each nut. Almonds and other nuts are essential for a good heart functioning. All these nuts contain unsaturated fat and are high in calories & source of several other nutrients. In India these are generally used in several delicacies both for sweet and savories.

• Butter: The taste of Indian butter has made its way even to international markets. The PRAL positive score of the butter is 0.6 which is slightly less acidic and therefore it is safe to be consumed by all age group of people.

• Milk: It has a PRAL score of+1. One might ask that milk contains calcium and that is an alkaline compound then how cone milk is considered to be acidic. The answer is milk contains a lot more percentage of phosphorus than calcium which makes it acidic. Food recipes like Milkshakes and the Milk tea is all what Indian craves for.

• Chicken Meat: Meats are also essential for our balance diet as most of the proteins we get are from meats like chicken. The chicken has a PRAL score of +13.2 which is high in acid. Well with chicken there are whole lot of recipes most famous is the ‘Biryani’ and a healthier version is the famous ‘Tandoori chicken’.

• Strawberries: Yes fruits too can be acidic; one of the examples for the same is strawberries. The PRAL score is +6.8. Now strawberries too have huge mineral contents and therefore are given to younger infants for both taste and their nutrient values. Strawberries are generally eaten in fruit salads and shakes here in the nation.

As now we are better informed about both the acidic and alkaline food options, we humans should make better choices of food in order to live a healthy lifestyle. Both the acidic and alkaline food are important for a proper balanced human body functioning.  The only thing we should consider is the quantity of these food items. Excess low body pH and high body pH leads to several diseases. Therefore, it is necessary to balance out our food options.