Dietary Acid Load: From Kimball C Atwood, the Father of Functional Food, to Contemporary Science
Abstract Much has been written about the “alkaline diet” in the lay press. Proponents suggest it is a cure-all for endless lists of human ailments. Critics suggest that since acid-base balance is so tightly regulated, the acidity or alkalinity of diet is, with only few exceptions, of little relevance to human health. This review explores early origins of the marketing of the acid-alkaline diet and reflect its rudimentary science off a more sophisticated, contemporary understanding of dietary acid load. As outlined here, the North American alkaline diet phenomenon was manufactured by grapefruit mogul and food faddist, Kimball C Atwood. The marketing techniques initiated by Atwood—using the trapping of science to promote a healthy idea to the masses—were highly lucrative and imitated by many other companies. However,...
