When it comes to nutrition, the advice pushed out online can be very confusing. Jim Stewart has worked in the NHS for more than 25 years and as a consultant specialising in clinical nutrition and intestinal failure for 18 years. Here, he debunks some of the most common myths. These are currently very popular, the idea being that if you eat certain foods it will make your body more ‘alkaline’. People promoting these diets claim this is better for you. This is simply not true. The acid/alkaline balance of the body is known as the blood pH. The body very carefully controls controls blood pH because even a small shift in this value can stop vital body processes working and very large shifts can cause death. To stop these shifts occurring the blood pH is tightly controlled by the lungs and the kidneys. The only way your blood could become more pH alkaline is by experiencing hyperventilation, extreme vomiting, taking certain prescription drugs or being unfortunate enough to have certain rare diseases. Changing your diet will not alter your blood pH and is actually undesirable. Read more
Sugar does not cause diabetes and 6 other surprising nutrition myths debunked (Inews)
