What Food Has a pH Higher Than 7? Understanding Alkaline Nutrition

October 13, 2025 •

4 min read

While the body's blood pH is tightly regulated at a slightly alkaline 7.35–7.45, the foods we eat can influence the pH of our urine and digestive processes. Understanding what food has a pH higher than 7 is a key aspect of the alkaline diet, which emphasizes plant-based, nutrient-rich foods.

Quick Summary

This article explains the concept of alkaline foods and their role in nutrition, providing examples of vegetables, fruits, and nuts with a pH higher than 7. It also offers practical advice on integrating more plant-based options into your daily meals.

Key Points

pH Scale: A pH value greater than 7 indicates alkalinity. Many fruits and vegetables, despite some being acidic in their raw state, are considered alkaline-forming after digestion.
Alkaline Foods: Key examples include most fruits (like lemons, watermelon), most vegetables (spinach, kale, broccoli), nuts (almonds), seeds (chia), and legumes (lentils, soybeans).
pH and Blood: The body tightly regulates blood pH and diet does not significantly alter it. Benefits of an alkaline-style diet come from its emphasis on nutritious, plant-based foods, not from a direct change to blood alkalinity.
Health Benefits: Focusing on alkaline foods can reduce inflammation, support bone health by improving mineral balance, and aid in weight management due to higher fiber and nutrient density.
Dietary Balance: The goal is not to eliminate all acidic foods but to achieve a better balance by increasing alkaline-forming plant foods and reducing processed, sugary, and high-animal-protein options.
Practical Incorporation: Start incorporating more alkaline foods by adding leafy greens to smoothies, swapping processed snacks for nuts, and building meals around vegetables and plant-based proteins.

What the pH Scale Means for Your Diet

The pH scale is a measure of acidity or alkalinity, ranging from 0 to 14. A pH value of 7 is neutral, while anything below 7 is acidic and anything above 7 is alkaline. The idea behind an alkaline diet is that consuming foods with a pH greater than 7 can help balance the body's overall acid load. However, it's crucial to distinguish between a food's inherent pH and its effect on the body after digestion. For instance, while citrus fruits like lemons are acidic on their own, they have an alkalizing effect after being metabolized by the body.

Unlike the pH of your urine, which can fluctuate with diet, your body's blood pH is under strict control by multiple internal systems, including the kidneys and lungs. The claims that a diet can significantly alter blood pH are largely unsubstantiated by mainstream science. However, the health benefits often associated with the alkaline diet are due to its emphasis on eating whole, plant-based foods, which are rich in vitamins, minerals, and fiber, and low in processed ingredients.

What Food Has a pH Higher Than 7? Key Alkaline Foods

An abundance of natural, unprocessed foods are considered alkaline-forming, with a pH higher than 7. These foods are rich in minerals such as potassium, calcium, and magnesium, which contribute to their alkalizing effect. Focusing on these food groups can contribute to a healthier, more balanced diet.

Vegetables and Leafy Greens

Many vegetables are highly alkaline-forming and packed with nutrients. Including a wide variety in your diet can contribute to overall well-being:

Leafy Greens: Spinach, kale, arugula, and Swiss chard are excellent sources of alkaline minerals.
Cruciferous Vegetables: Broccoli, cauliflower, and cabbage are full of vitamins and have a positive effect on acid-alkaline balance.
Root Vegetables: Carrots, beets, and sweet potatoes are nutrient-dense alkaline foods.
Other Vegetables: Cucumber, celery, and bell peppers are also considered strong alkaline contributors.

Fruits and Plant-Based Proteins

While some fruits have an acidic taste, many have an alkalizing effect post-digestion. Some of the most alkaline options include:

Watermelon: This is one of the most distinctly alkaline fruits, with a pH of around 9.0.
Avocado: Another fruit with alkaline properties, rich in healthy fats and nutrients.
Lemons and Limes: Though acidic in their raw state, these citrus fruits are highly alkalizing upon digestion.
Melons and Bananas: These fruits are also great alkaline choices.
Plant-Based Proteins: Tofu, soybeans, lentils, and most nuts and seeds (especially almonds) are alkaline-forming.

Health Benefits of a Plant-Forward Diet

Adopting a diet rich in alkaline foods offers numerous health advantages that are well-supported by nutritional science, regardless of the body's internal pH balance. The focus on whole, unprocessed foods leads to a higher intake of essential nutrients and fiber while reducing consumption of unhealthy fats, sugars, and processed ingredients.

Supports Bone Health: A diet with a higher ratio of fruits and vegetables (rich in potassium and calcium) to sodium can help preserve muscle mass and bone mineral density, particularly in older adults.
Reduces Inflammation: The abundance of antioxidants and phytonutrients in plant-based foods can help fight inflammation in the body.
Aids Digestion: High-fiber alkaline foods can support a healthy gut microbiome, which improves digestion and nutrient absorption.
Helps Weight Management: Alkaline diets typically contain fewer calories and are more filling due to their high fiber and water content, which can aid in weight loss.
Improved Energy Levels: By reducing the consumption of processed and sugary foods, many individuals experience more stable energy throughout the day.

Alkaline vs. Acidic Foods: A Nutritional Comparison

To better understand the food categories, here is a comparison of typical alkaline- and acid-forming foods based on their metabolic effect on the body.


Food Category	Alkaline-Forming Examples	Acid-Forming Examples
Vegetables	Spinach, kale, broccoli, cucumbers, beets, sweet potatoes	Canned beans (with tomato sauce), mushrooms
Fruits	Lemons, limes, avocados, watermelon, bananas, melons	Canned fruits, fruit syrups, cranberry juice
Protein	Tofu, almonds, lentils, soybeans	Meat, fish, poultry, eggs, cheese, dairy
Grains	Quinoa, brown rice, millet (less acidic)	Wheat products, white rice, pasta, oats
Beverages	Herbal tea, lemon water, mineral water	Coffee, alcohol, soda, sweetened drinks
Fats	Avocado oil, olive oil, flaxseed oil	Trans fats, processed fats

Incorporating More Alkaline Foods

Making simple changes to your daily routine can help increase your intake of alkaline-forming foods. The goal is a balanced diet, not complete elimination of all acidic foods.

Start with Breakfast: Add a handful of spinach to your morning smoothie or top a chia seed pudding with fresh berries.
Rethink Your Grains: Swap out traditional oatmeal for a hot quinoa porridge topped with fruit and nuts.
Boost Your Salads: Create a vibrant, alkaline-rich salad with leafy greens, cucumber, tomato, avocado, and almonds, dressed with a lemon-tahini vinaigrette.
Snack Smart: Trade processed snacks for a handful of almonds or pumpkin seeds, or enjoy fresh fruit.
Stay Hydrated: Infuse your water with lemon or cucumber for a refreshing, hydrating, and alkalizing drink.
Create Plant-Forward Dinners: Experiment with vegetable stir-fries with tofu or lentil soups.

Conclusion

While the concept of an alkaline diet affecting the body's blood pH has been largely debunked by science, its emphasis on consuming high quantities of nutrient-rich, alkaline-forming foods is undeniably healthy. By focusing on what food has a pH higher than 7, such as fruits, vegetables, and plant-based proteins, you naturally increase your intake of vitamins, minerals, and antioxidants while reducing processed foods. The overall benefits of this whole-food approach—from improved bone and digestive health to better energy levels—stem from sound nutritional principles rather than an altered pH balance. The most effective strategy for optimal health is to prioritize a varied and balanced diet that is rich in a wide range of colorful, plant-based foods.

For further reading on the science behind alkaline diets and their health effects, consider this review from the National Institutes of Health: Is There Evidence That an Alkaline pH Diet Benefits Health?

Frequently Asked Questions

No, diet cannot significantly change your blood's pH, which is tightly regulated by your body's internal systems, including the kidneys and lungs, to maintain a very narrow, slightly alkaline range.

While lemons have an acidic pH in their raw state, they have an alkalizing effect on the body after being digested and metabolized, which is why they are included in alkaline diets.

Highly alkaline foods include most fruits and vegetables, such as spinach, kale, cucumbers, watermelon, and avocado, as well as nuts like almonds and legumes such as lentils.

A food's raw pH is its acidity level before digestion. Its metabolic effect, or 'ash,' is what influences the body's acid-base balance and is determined by the minerals left over after digestion.

An alkaline-focused diet can aid weight loss because it emphasizes low-calorie, high-fiber, and nutrient-dense fruits and vegetables while limiting processed, sugary, and high-fat foods.

Yes, eating alkaline-forming foods can increase the pH of your urine. Your body excretes excess acid through urine as part of its pH regulation process.

Beyond pH theory, a diet rich in alkaline-forming foods offers benefits like better bone health, reduced inflammation, improved digestion, and higher nutrient intake due to its focus on whole, plant-based foods.