“Do naturopathic diets create a lot of acidity?”

There is no one naturopathic diet and Naturopathic doctors have years of nutrition training while they are in medical school. Often times, Naturopathic doctors will prescribe specific diets for specific conditions or prescribe changes to your diet that will provide benefit against the health condition that ails you. However when we start to eat different or change the foods we eat, we can experience digestion changes or headaches because of the shifts our bodies undergo with the changes in diet. A great example, would be when you stop drinking coffee and get a headache for a couple of days afterwards. Your body is missing the caffeine and you have a withdrawal headache. It is temporary and will go away. Drink plenty of water and make sure to have regular bowel movements. If you are not tolerating the diet changes, it is best to go over this with you Naturopathic physician.

I'm not sure what naturopathic diet you are referring to, but a healthy diet will not cause excess acidity, in fact, it will decrease it. Schedule an appointment at www.explorehealthaz.com

This is not true. Naturopaths recommend whole food/plant diet which would provide balance to the body system. Headaches would be from another source or an undiscovered food allergy.

There are a variety of nutritional plans and some may increase acidity. These should be recommended on an individual basis to properly address your case.

Dr. Krisel Nagallo, NMD

I’m not sure what you mean by “naturopathic diet” as there isn’t a single one really, however, healthy diets that are rich in vegetables and fruit don’t create acidity. These foods, especially green leafy veggies, are alkaline which means it is the opposite of acidic and LOWERS acidity in the body. If a person is shifting from a standard American diet full of high acidic causing foods (meats, dairy, sugar, processed and fried foods, etc.), then any significant healthy diet change can trigger your body to detox/clean out the unhealthy things from the previous diet. That detox reaction is what causes things like headaches, tiredness, and brain fog. It’s not the healthy diet, but the process of getting rid of all the chemicals, preservatives, and other junk from the unhealthy diet that causes symptoms. The good news is that this detox symptom phase is temporary and you can manage them by doing things like drinking lots of water, gentle exercise like walking regularly, doing something called “dry skin brushing” (you can look up instructions online), and soaking for 20 minutes in a warm epsom salt bath (about 3/4-1 cup epsom salt in a bath tub). These are just a few examples of gentle ways to help your body move toxins out faster without making your symptoms worse. Not everyone experiences detox symptoms, and if you do, how long or severe the symptoms are depends on how much toxins you have stored. Can be just a day to maybe 2 weeks or so, depending on your level of toxicity and if you’re doing things like drinking enough water, etc. Finally, just a reminder to always consult your doctor before undertaking specific health activities and especially if you aren’t feeling well.

There is no one naturopathic diet, so I would need to know what kind of diet you are referring to, in order to respond most accurately. If the diet was prescribed by a doctorate degree level naturopathic doctor, then it is likely a therapeutic diet. We typically recommend that patients eat plenty of vegetables (organic is preferred), some meat, fish and some whole grains. Some patients prefer to follow a strict plant-based diet, and in those cases, we recommend high-protein plant source proteins. An individualized therapeutic diet is unlikely to cause increased acidity in the body.

High intake of processed foods, sugars, grains and meats is what causes acidity in the body. If, by acidity, you are referring to acid reflux, that can be caused by either eating a food to which you are allergic or intolerant or from an environmental exposure such as toxic mold.
I hope this helps.

Joan Waters, ND

No quite the opposite. Acidity is due to things like sugar, alcohol, wheat, meat, dairy etc and greens, vegetables, antioxidants are alkaline. see mthfrsupport.com.au for our blog on alkalising diets.

Yes and No. Naturopathic diets are typically alkaline, however when a person changes to a healthier diet, they can experience detox symptoms such as headaches. When a person begins to dump toxins and/or lose weight due to a healthier diet, they can temporarily be more acidic due to the release of toxin in the blood stream, but this will go away. To help reduce these type of symptoms, some naturopathic physicians will recommend a pH balancer or support for the detox organs (kidneys, liver, etc.). I recommend discussing your concerns with a naturopathic physician before changing your diet to assist with managing any potential symptoms.