<p>BunsenBurner, you’re right about the abstract. It’s evident that looking up an abstract of an article that’s been reported upon in the press is a very good idea! :)</p>
<p>Lists of foods and additives that are “acid forming in the body” include all artificial sweeteners as acid forming. I’m not sure how this property is scientifically determined.</p>
<p>I do know that there are people who get sick when their body chemistry is too acidic. When they avoid eating an excess of acid forming foods (see my post #36 above), symptoms often go away. This could perhaps be considered a form of proof that certain substances are acid-forming in the body. In any event, I have experienced it myself.</p>
<p>Scout59, I hate unsweetened ice tea too. I sweeten mine with stevia. You have to be careful not to use too much stevia, or it tastes odd…sort of bitter. It’s good to experiment with different brands. I’ve found that sweetening tea with just a little bit of stevia is very satisfying.</p>
<p>NJMOm, I suspect there is ZERO scientific basis for assignment of the majority of foods on that list. And what exactly is “acid forming”? The pH inside of our stomachs is pretty low (highly acidic). A list without a single link to a peer reviewed reference? Anti Aging Today Dot Org? My BS-O-Meter is definitely registering something… 
They list Oxygen Therapy… Don’t they know that oxygen and its reactive species are the number 1 culprits causing aging?!</p>
<p>BunsenBurner, that same list (or very similar ones) of acid and alkaline properties of foods can be found on many, many websites. </p>
<p>I first encountered it when I was learning about macrobiotics during a certain period when I had to eliminate wheat and dairy from my diet because of allergies and was trying to figure out what to eat. </p>
<p>You probably won’t like this link any better, lol:</p>
<p>[Macrobiotic</a> diet - acid and alkaline](<a href=“http://www.macrobioticcooking.com/6.html]Macrobiotic”>Macrobiotic diet - acid and alkaline)</p>
<p>I think certain traditional dietary approaches like that one are mainly based on a great deal of accumulated evidence on how people react to certain foods.</p>
<p>These days, I don’t have the same allergy related problems, and I certainly do not follow anything resembling a strict macrobiotic diet. However, I think some of its basic principles are very sound.</p>