Acidic Foods (what to look out for)

While we may all have a general understanding of what acid is and that some foods may be acidic or not, when it comes to your teeth it is good to understand where your food lie on the scale. When I speak of scale I mean the pH scale which tells you if something is an acid, a base, or neutral.

• pH of 0 indicates a high level of acidity (gastric acid 1).
• pH of 7 is neutral (pure distilled water).
• pH of 14 is the most basic, or alkaline (ammonia 11.6 or lye 13).

For example, battery acid is extremely acidic at 0, while liquid drain cleaner is very alkaline at 14. Pure distilled water is neither acidic nor alkaline.
Just like different substances, different parts of the human body have different pH levels. Your ideal blood pH is between 7.35 and 7.45, which is slightly alkaline. The stomach is typically at a pH of 3.5, which helps food break down properly.
Knowing these facts and facts provided in previous “what is secretly bad for your teeth” articles acidic foods are bad for your teeth.
Fruits and fruit juices high in acid
Here’s a list of fruits and their pH from the Food Safety and Health department at the University of Wisconsin-Madison. They are listed from most acidic to least:
• lemon juice (pH: 2.00–2.35)
• limes (pH: 2.00–2.80)
• blue plums (pH: 2.80–3.40)
• grapes (pH: 2.90–3.82)
• pomegranates (pH: 2.93–3.20)
• grapefruits (pH: 3.00–3.75)
• blueberries (pH: 3.12–3.33)
• pineapples (pH: 3.20–4.00)
• apples (pH: 3.30–4.00)
• peaches (pH: 3.30–4.05)
• mangos (pH: 3.40–4.80)
• oranges (pH: 3.69–4.34)
• tomatoes (pH: 4.30–4.90)
This is provided to make you aware that there are a lot of different items out that and while they may be beneficial for your overall health too much will potentially wear away at your teeth, especially if allowed to have prolonged contact with the surface of the teeth. It is therefore recommended to brush your teeth after a large quantity of acidic foods are eaten and especially before bed.