https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S1279770724003257
Results
Super-agers demonstrate a preference for alkaline diets, shown by their lower DAL indices. After inverse probability of treatment weighting (IPTW), multivariate-adjusted logistic regression reveals that each unit reduction in NAEes and PRAL increases the chances of being a super-ager by 3.9% and 3.0%, respectively. The DALβs impact on cognitive function becomes more pronounced with age. Lower PRAL and NAEes scores are significantly linked to higher situational memory and overall cognitive performance scores in those over 70, with these effects being even more pronounced in participants over 80.
Conclusion
This research pioneers in demonstrating that super-agers prefer an alkaline diet, highlighting the potential role of alkaline diet in countering cognitive decline associated with aging.
What Is the Alkaline Diet?
The alkaline diet encourages you to eat foods that are alkaline (or basic, meaning they have a pH greater than 7), instead of those that are acidic. The theory is that foods that make your body produce acid are harmful.
Celebrities like Victoria Beckman and Tom Brady helped make the diet popular. But the supposed science of the alkaline diet dates back many years
Alkaline vs. acidic foods
Alkaline foods have a high pH level, while acidic foods have a lower pH. Some examples of alkaline foods are non-starchy veggies, fruits, nuts such as chestnuts or pumpkin seeds, and legumes like kidney beans or white beans. Acidic foods include meat, cheese, eggs, and grains. Milk and natural fats are considered neutral.
Why not dose with sodium bicarbonate or potassium bicarbonate to shift alkalinity?
The use of oral NaHCO3 appears to have anti-inflammatory properties:
It also appears to affect physical performance:
Sodium bicarbonate supplementation improves hypertrophy-type resistance exercise performance
Effects of sodium bicarbonate ingestion on prolonged intermittent exercise
Seems easy and cheap.
Needs some thought/analysis on dosing and contraindications.
Thoughts?
Surprising that lemon is included in this category. Itβs ph is between 2-3. Lemon juice though is considered a healthy drink with supposed alkalizing effects on urine (not blood) and potential disease-fighting properties.