Is your high-acid diet costing you?

We’ve long known that a highly acidic diet can undermine your health, but the foods you should avoid might not be as obvious as you think

While oranges and lemons are commonly associated with being acidic foods, dietitians say our bodies determine if a food is acidic by how it is metabolised and broken down during digestion. Picture: iStock

In 2020, nutrition researchers at Trinity College Dublin conducted an investigation into the typical Irish diet. They concluded that the average person gets most of their dairy calories from a mix of cereals, red meat, dairy, and miscellaneous ultra-processed convenience foods. Legumes, non-starchy vegetables like leafy greens or broccoli, and fruit, comprise less than 5% of those calories.

This heavily-skewed balance towards protein, carbohydrates, and processed meals represents what nutrition experts call a high dietary acid load.