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Alkaline tide refers to a condition, normally encountered after eating a meal, when stomach acid is released into the stomach causing a temporary increase in pH of the blood.

During HCl excretion in the stomach, the gastric parietal cells extract Cl^- anions, CO₂, H₂O and Na⁺ cations from the blood plasma and in turn release bicarbonate back into the plasma after the HCl acid is formed from CO₂ and H₂O constituents. This is to maintain the plasma's electrical balance, as the Cl anions have been extracted. The bicarbonate content causes the venous blood leaving the stomach to be more alkaline than the arterial blood delivered to it.

A more pronounced alkaline tide results from vomiting, which stimulates hyperactivity of gastric parietal cells to replace lost stomach acid. Thus, protracted vomiting can result in metabolic alkalosis.

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