Alkaline herbs: The best for the kitchen

The acid-base balance in balance - how you can increase your well-being with alkaline herbs.

Anyone who deals a lot with nutrition and choosing the right foods will sooner or later come across the keyword acid-base balance. In particular, diet advisors often warn with half-truths about acidification of the body through improper nutrition and acidic foods. These are said to lead to fatigue, headaches and the accumulation of "slag" in the body. In fact, over-acidification of the body without a pre-existing condition (e.g. in the case of chronic Kidney diseases) extremely rare, because the body has a sophisticated buffer system to keep its pH value to regulate. However, scientific findings suggest that a diet rich in bases has a positive effect in the long term effect on the body and the risk of various diseases such as kidney stones, high blood pressure or gout can lower. While short-term "basic cures" therefore hardly have any effect on well-being, the enjoyment of alkaline herbal teas and other alkaline-rich foods actually have a positive effect on health in the long run affect.

Tip: A balanced diet with lots of water and vegetables but few animal products can generally be regarded as alkaline-oriented. A healthy diet supports your body most effectively.

What are alkaline herbs and how do they work?

Basic herbs or generally basic foods are foods that are characterized by a high proportion of base-forming components. This has nothing to do with the taste of the plants: alkaline spices can also taste sour or hot and still have a positive effect on the acid-base balance.
The distribution of cations and anions in the herb determines whether herbs are classified as basic or acidic Foods, which are also indicated as PRAL (Potential Renal Acid Load, German: potential acid load affecting the kidneys). will. Alkaline herbs are high in cations, which include sodium, potassium, calcium, and magnesium. They also contain a low PRAL, which helps the body neutralize acids and restore its natural buffering capacity.
Ideally, the diet should consist of two-thirds alkaline food (mainly plant-based foods) and one-third acid-forming foods (mainly animal-based foods). However, since this is not always possible, alkaline herbal teas come into play here: Due to their high capacity for Alkaline formation, they help to balance acid-forming foods and thereby contribute to a healthy nutrition at.

Tip: If you want to brew fresh alkaline herbal tea, you should always pay attention to the organic quality of your herbs in order to rule out contamination with pesticides or mineral fertilizers. It is even better to grow your herbs in your own garden. So you know exactly with which means the plants were treated. Growing herbs at home is easy as pie: With our Plantura herb growing set For example, even beginners can grow their own alkaline herbs on the windowsill or in the garden.

Basic herbs at a glance

If you want to eat particularly healthy, you can do an excellent alkaline with a herbal tea Cover food needs, because the use of herbs as basic spices has a positive influence on the body. We have put together the best basic wild and household herbs for you here:

1. nettle (Urtica): With a PRAL of -12.6, nettle is one of the front runners among alkaline herbs. It can be drunk as a tea or eaten fresh and also stimulates kidney activity.

2. Parsely (Petroselinum crispum): Parsley is also one of the basic herbs. With a PRAL of -12.5, the herb can have an excellent alkaline effect as a spice. But tea made from parsley is also suitable for a healthy diet.

3. dill (Anethum graveolens): Not only is dill known for its appetite-stimulating and anti-inflammatory effects, but it also has one positive effect on the acid-base balance - with a PRAL of -12.3, the spice has a basic effect on.

4. oregano (Origanum vulgare): Oregano is not only popular as a Mediterranean herb, the plant is also popular as a basic spice with a PRAL of -9.8. What many do not know: oregano can also be used as an alkaline herbal tea.

5. Dandelion (Taraxacum officinale): Whether as a tea or fresh in a salad - as a basic wild herb with a PRAL of -9.7, dandelion is an enrichment for every menu. In addition, the alkaline wild herb is characterized by positive effects on digestion.

6. sage (Salvia officinalis): As an alkaline herbal tea, the effect of sage is undisputed: With a PRAL of -7.5, sage relieves the acid-base balance and also has a positive effect on the gastrointestinal tract. The plant can also be perfectly combined as a basic spice.

7. basil (Ocimum basilicum): Basil lovers can rejoice: With a PRAL of -7.3, the plant is a perfect addition of the diet and can be beneficial to health both as a spice and as an alkaline herbal tea be.

8. rosemary (Salvia rosmarinus): Rosemary has long been known as a spice for hearty dishes. But not only its beneficial effect on the gastrointestinal tract, but also its PRAL of -6.1 make the alkaline herb a welcome guest on the table.

9. thyme (Thymus vulgaris): Fresh thyme tea helps with colds and can also be beneficial for the acid-base balance. Whether as a basic herbal tea or as a spice - thyme is one of the basic herbs with a PRAL of -5.8.

10. chives (Allium schoenoprasum): With its fresh taste, chives are a popular accompaniment to numerous dishes. Thanks to its PRAL of -5.3, it is also a good basic spice.

Tip: If you pay attention to a healthy diet with basic herbs, they should ideally be as untreated as possible. In addition to not using pesticides and mineral fertilizers, this also includes using organic soil. Our Plantura organic herb and seed soil For example, it convinces with 100% natural raw materials and is therefore ideal for growing herbs.

Alkaline herbs can be a real boon for our bodies. If you want to learn more about the healthy power of herbs, you can find out more about Herbs that strengthen the immune system, inform.