The alkalinity of acidity of a food depends on what is presented to the kidneys and liver as the end-product of digestion, thus the alkalinity and acidity of an individual's diet does play an important role in homeostasis. Umeboshi plums appear to contain a good deal of sodium and potassium. Additionally, many pickling agents are, in the end (once organic acids have been "burned") alkaline. This article is a total mess. The sections of health benefits and alkalinity need to be completely deleted or rewritten, this is not cool. Not cool at all. Someone needs to actually try a delicious umeboshi and then complain. The Japanese eat them, and they seem pretty on-the-ball.