Following an alkaline diet requires us to consume reasonable amounts of fruits and vegetables that are said to have an alkalizing effect on the body. There are a wide variety of green alkaline drinks that can help to improve health and energy levels. However drinking spinach juice isn’t always the most appetizing option.

Personally I enjoy a vegetable alkaline drink but my real passion lies in making my own fruit alkaline drinks. While the pH of fruits in their raw state is often acidic, this is not the determining factor when deciding whether a foodstuff has an acidifying or alkalizing effect upon the body.

Once the fruit is consumed and processed by the body, it is the pH of the resulting “ash” that is important to followers of an alkaline acid diet. See the reference at the end of this article for further details regarding the PRAL calculation. This formula takes the values of various nutrients from a food stuff and the resulting value determines whether a food is acid or alkaline.

While there is sometimes disagreement amongst those looking to become healthier by consuming alkalizing foods, I am satisfied that my understanding of the scientific papers is correct and that foods such as oranges and lemons are indeed alkaline. This is also the case with alkaline coffee. Even though I love drinking coffee and according to the acid diet science it is “healthy”, I limit my consumption as after the energy boost I usually find there is a come down period shortly after.

So today I wanted to discuss the health benefits I am deriving from my favorite alkaline fruit juice. Well, it actually has some vegetables in there too. I am talking about carrot, orange and ginger juice. Adding double the amount of oranges to carrots ensures a sweet fruitier juice that avoids an earthen taste that can occur when drinking a higher ratio of carrots.

Particularly in the summer months when it is important to hydrate with alkaline fluids, 4 oranges, 2 carrots and a chunk of ginger provides an amazing hydration boost any time of the day. I like to have an alkaline drink at the start of each day to set my body off on the right track.

Another excellent alkaline fruit juice that I enjoy is orange and grapefruit. The ratio to which I make this drink is 3 oranges for each grapefruit that I add. The amount of liquid that comes from a grapefruit is amazing.

While I love drinking freshly squeezed orange juice adding something to the mix offers the possibility of extra nutrition in my fruit alkaline drink.

References: Remer T., Manz F. Potential renal acid load of foods and its influence on urine pH. J. Am. Diet. Assoc. 1995; 95:791-797

Cranberry Fruit
Cranberries or botanically name (Vacciunium macrocapron) for millennia have been a part of the diet of North American and used for medicinal purpose in folk medicine. Although cranberries are most familiar to consumers in North America, close relative of the cranberry also consumed in Northern Europe and Asia. In North America and Europe, cranberries are primarily processed and consumed in form of cranberry juices, cranberry juice cocktails, and cranberry fruit juice with the oldest cranberry juice recipe dating back to 1683.

Cranberries have only been cultivated for the last 150 year; therefore, relative to grapes and other cultivated fruits, there is little genetic diversity. The typical annual crop size is approx 500 million pounds, with 60% being used directly in beverages, 35% being processed into sauces and concentrates that are mostly made into beverages, and 5% being consumed fresh.

Cranberries are popular with the consumers because of their bitter-tart taste, and because of their positive implication for health as a functional food, they are one of the first functional foods in America. As a functional food, cranberry juice is associated with protection from urinary tract infections (UTIs). Cranberry juice may also be useful for promoting cardiovascular health and inhibiting cancer development, and suggestions have also been made regarding cranberry applications for improving oral and gastric health.
Cranberry Fruit