Alkaline foods: the table with PRAL values

October 21, 2026approx. 15 minutesby mybody®x Editorial & Expert Team

In this article

Which foods are alkaline? The table

In terms of PRAL values, all the vegetables and fruits in the table are base-forming, as is the cooked potato. Steamed spinach has the lowest value at −14.3 mEq per 100 g, the unit used for acid load (calculated using Remer & Manz, 1994; values from BLS 4.0, 2025).

The table lists 31 foods in the form in which they are served, for example, cooked rice and raw bell pepper (BLS 4.0, 2025). For each one, mybody®x (MYBODY Lab GmbH) calculated the PRAL value, using the formula from Remer & Manz (1994) and the nutritional data from the German Nutrient Database of the Max Rubner Institute (BLS 4.0, 2025). The foods are sorted from the lowest to the highest value: the strongest base-forming foods are at the top, and the strongest acid-forming foods at the bottom.

How the acid-base balance in the body works and what a weekly meal plan might look like are explained in the article about acid-base balance. Here, we focus on the numbers themselves and what the evidence says about them.

Alkaline-forming and acid-forming foods compared

These values are not provided by the German Food Code; they are calculated using the formula by Remer & Manz (1994), based on BLS values for protein and minerals (BLS 4.0, 2025). The calculation per 100 g follows Remer & Manz (1995). Negative values are considered alkaline-forming, positive values acid-forming (Remer & Manz, 1995).

Two entries near the middle of the table are easy to overlook. Milk at 0.2 and yogurt at 0.6 are just above zero, while olive oil and sugar are exactly at 0.0 (calculated using Remer & Manz, 1994; values from BLS 4.0, 2025). When reading the list as “alkaline or not,” keep in mind how close these values are to zero. The sign alone says little about the size of the difference between two foods.

What does the PRAL value mean in the table of alkaline foods?

PRAL stands for “potential renal acid load,” the potential acid load of a food on the kidneys (Remer & Manz, 1995). It is given in mEq per 100 g, the unit Remer & Manz (1995) use to report the acid load of individual foods.

The value is derived from five nutrients listed for each food in the German Food Code (BLS 4.0, 2025). Protein and phosphorus increase it. Potassium lowers it, as do calcium and magnesium (Remer & Manz, 1994). Each nutrient is included in the calculation with its own factor.

The factors in the formula by Remer & Manz (1994)

The formula is given for daily intakes, and its result is expressed as mEq per day (Remer & Manz, 1994). The calculation per 100 g follows the study by Remer & Manz (1995), which calculated the PRAL value of selected foods. The model was intended, among other things, to help prevent kidney stones (Remer & Manz, 1995).

In the original study, average values ranged from up to 23.6 mEq/100 g for certain hard cheeses, to 0 for fats and oils, to around −3 for fruits and vegetables, including fruit juices (Remer & Manz, 1995). Gouda is lower, at 17.7 in the table (calculated using Remer & Manz, 1994, values from BLS 4.0, 2025). This is not a contradiction: the nutrient tables from 1995 differ from BLS 4.0 (2025), so the values calculated here cannot be equated with the original values.

Paraphrased from Remer & Manz (1995): The calculation, which is based primarily on PRAL, appropriately predicts the effect of diet on urine acidity. The value therefore refers to urine.

What the PRAL value does not reflect is calories. Olive oil contains 899 kcal per 100 g, and sugar 400 kcal (BLS 4.0, 2025). Both have a PRAL value of 0.0 (calculated using Remer & Manz, 1994, values from BLS 4.0, 2025). The carbohydrates and calories for the same 31 foods are listed in the carbohydrate table; here, the focus is solely on their PRAL values (BLS 4.0, 2025).

Which foods are acid-forming?

All foods with positive values in the table are acid-forming, most notably Gouda at 17.7 mEq per 100 g and chicken breast fillet at 13.3 (calculated using Remer & Manz, 1994, values from BLS 4.0, 2025). Grains and nuts are also in positive territory, while milk is only slightly above zero.

Cheese and quark rank low in the table: Gouda comes in at 17.7, and low-fat quark at 9.4 (calculated using Remer & Manz, 1994, values from BLS 4.0, 2025). Both provide plenty of protein: 22.5 g per 100 g in Gouda and 11.8 g in low-fat quark (BLS 4.0, 2025). Gouda also contains 863 mg of calcium per 100 g (BLS 4.0, 2025). Calcium lowers the value, but protein and phosphorus carry more weight in Gouda.

Chicken breast fillet, fried without fat, scores 13.3, and ground beef 12.2 (calculated according to Remer & Manz, 1994, values from BLS 4.0, 2025). Poached salmon follows at 10.1 (BLS 4.0, 2025). Chicken breast provides 522 mg of potassium per 100 g, which lowers the value, but it also contains 30.8 g of protein, which outweighs that effect (BLS 4.0, 2025).

A boiled chicken egg scores 10.6, the same as almonds; walnuts score 5.7 (calculated according to Remer & Manz, 1994, values from BLS 4.0, 2025). Almonds provide 218 mg of magnesium per 100 g, but also 22.3 g of protein (BLS 4.0, 2025).

For grains, the range extends further down. Oats, whether raw or in muesli, score 6.8, and egg-free pasta scores 5.7 (calculated according to Remer & Manz, 1994, values from BLS 4.0, 2025). A wheat roll scores 5.5, while whole-grain bread scores only 2.6 (BLS 4.0, 2025). Cooked rice scores 1.8 (calculated according to Remer & Manz, 1994, values from BLS 4.0, 2025). Among legumes, cooked lentils score 3.1 and chickpeas 1.7 (BLS 4.0, 2025).

So “acid-forming” is a calculation label, not a judgment about the food. Protein sources such as quark or fish get a positive value because protein raises the value according to the formula (Remer & Manz, 1994). The table does not determine whether a food belongs on your plate. The next chapter covers what the evidence says about concerns for bone health.

Does an alkaline diet make the blood more alkaline?

The PRAL value describes the acid load on the kidneys and the acidity of urine, not the pH of the blood (Remer & Manz, 1995). The kidneys and lungs maintain the balance in the blood (MedlinePlus, 2025), and arterial blood pH is between 7.38 and 7.42 (MedlinePlus, 2024).

The pH level indicates the balance of acids and bases in the body (MedlinePlus, 2025). For arterial blood, the reference work MedlinePlus of the U.S. National Library of Medicine gives a range of 7.38 to 7.42, measured at sea level; ranges may vary slightly by laboratory (MedlinePlus, 2024). The article on kidney values in blood explains which blood test results show how the kidneys are working.

Acidosis, meaning too much acid in the body fluids, is a medical condition (MedlinePlus, 2025). It occurs when acid builds up or the kidneys do not excrete enough of it (MedlinePlus, 2025). An abnormal blood gas result should be evaluated by a doctor.

A second promise concerns the bones: an alkaline diet is supposed to protect them. Fenton et al. (2011) reviewed 55 of 238 studies, including 22 randomized studies in which participants were assigned to groups by chance. Their conclusion: a causal link between acid load and osteoporosis, a bone disease, has not been established, and there is no evidence that an alkaline diet protects the bones (Fenton et al., 2011).

Although more acid in the diet was associated with more calcium in the urine, balance studies showed no calcium loss from the body as a whole (Fenton et al., 2011). For an even bigger promise, protection from cancer, Fenton & Huang (2016) found just one study among 8278 citations that met their criteria. Almost no research supports or refutes such ideas, paraphrased from Fenton & Huang (2016).

Key facts and figures

Source: MedlinePlus (2024) and Remer & Manz (1995); for bones, Fenton et al. (2011)

Alkaline diet for weight loss: What is the evidence?

What is established is an association from observational studies, not causation: the proportion with obesity was 30% in the group with the highest acid load, compared with 27% in the group with the lowest (Abbasalizad Farhangi et al., 2019). According to the S3 guideline, total energy intake is more relevant to preventing obesity than the ratio of macronutrients, the nutrients that provide energy (DAG, 2024).

The figures come from a meta-analysis, meaning a combined assessment of several studies, which included only observational studies (Abbasalizad Farhangi et al., 2019). Such studies show what occurs together, not what causes it. The paper found no association between acid load and either body mass index (BMI) overall or waist circumference (Abbasalizad Farhangi et al., 2019). Even the authors put it cautiously: A higher acid load may increase the prevalence of obesity, paraphrased from Abbasalizad Farhangi et al. (2019).

A small study of 32 women who were not very active in their daily lives divided them into four groups for 8 weeks (Yalcinkaya et al., 2023). It reported a 5.17% decrease in BMI for the group that combined an alkaline diet with endurance training (Yalcinkaya et al., 2023). The result therefore applies to the combination, and with around eight women per group, the study is very small (Yalcinkaya et al., 2023).

Alkaline and low in calories are also not the same thing. With a PRAL value of −9.6, avocado has one of the lowest values in the table, while also providing 132 kcal per 100 g (calculated according to Remer & Manz, 1994; values from BLS 4.0, 2025). By contrast, cucumber contains 16 kcal and steamed spinach 22 kcal per 100 g (BLS 4.0, 2025).

The S3 obesity guideline takes a different approach. When it comes to the distribution of macronutrients, the guideline says to pay attention to their quality (DAG, 2024). According to the S3 guideline, achieving and maintaining a healthy body weight is also possible with a balanced ratio of macronutrients (DAG, 2024).

The two studies show an association based on observations and an effect in conjunction with exercise (Abbasalizad Farhangi et al., 2019; Yalcinkaya et al., 2023). They don’t show that an alkaline diet itself leads to weight loss. The article on the evidence for boosting metabolism examines the evidence behind other claims about metabolism.

Alkaline recipes: What does a day look like?

A day focused on alkaline foods is based on vegetables and potatoes, complemented by fruit, with protein sources from the table added, including acid-forming ones such as eggs or fish. For guidance on macronutrients, the S3 guideline cites the DGE reference values (DAG, 2024).

The examples below don’t specify quantities and aren’t recipes to weigh out. They simply show how the table’s alkaline-forming and acid-forming foods can be combined over the course of a day.

A sample day from the table

Acid-forming foods are a perfectly natural part of this day’s meals. Oats have a score of 6.8, and a boiled egg has a score of 10.6; both provide protein (calculated according to Remer & Manz, 1994, values from BLS 4.0, 2025). By contrast, broccoli and potatoes each have a score of −6.4 (BLS 4.0, 2025). The table doesn’t call for a list of forbidden foods.

The vegetarian weekly meal plan shows how days like these, without meat or fish, can fit into a whole week.

Limitations: What the table of alkaline foods doesn’t show

The table shows a calculation of its own based on average values, not a measurement of a specific food (BLS 4.0, 2025). And it describes urine, not blood (Remer & Manz, 1995).

The PRAL values are not listed as such in the German Nutrient Database; they are calculated from its average values, and variety or preparation can shift them (BLS 4.0, 2025). The formula according to Remer & Manz (1994) is given for daily intakes; the calculation per 100 g follows Remer & Manz (1995). Because the nutrient tables from 1995 differ from BLS 4.0 (2025), the figures should not be equated with the original values from Remer & Manz (1995).

The PRAL value says something about the acid load on the kidneys and the acidity of urine (Remer & Manz, 1995). It says nothing about blood pH. The range of 7.38 to 7.42 applies to arterial blood and can vary slightly by laboratory (MedlinePlus, 2024).

The data on obesity come only from observational studies and show an association, not a cause (Abbasalizad Farhangi et al., 2019). The training study is very small, with 32 women, and its findings apply only to an alkaline diet combined with exercise (Yalcinkaya et al., 2023). The analysis on bones concerns healthy adults (Fenton et al., 2011).

Alkaline foods: What is the table good for?

The table answers a narrow question: the calculated acid load a food places on the kidneys. Vegetables have a negative value and cheese a positive one, but neither is good or bad because of its sign. According to the S3 guideline, total energy intake matters more for weight than the distribution of macronutrients (DAG, 2024). A plate of broccoli and egg is therefore not a compromise between alkaline and acidic, but an ordinary meal.

Frequently asked questions

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Sources

1. Max Rubner Institute: German Nutrient Database (BLS) 4.0 (as of 2025); Remer & Manz: Am J Clin Nutr (1994) and J Am Diet Assoc (1995) – blsdb.de · europepmc.org
2. Abbasalizad Farhangi et al.: PLoS One (2019); Yalcinkaya et al.: Front Nutr (2023); DAG: S3 Obesity Guideline (as of 2024) – europepmc.org · europepmc.org · register.awmf.org
3. Fenton et al.: Nutrition Journal (2011); Fenton & Huang: BMJ Open (2016) – europepmc.org · europepmc.org
4. MedlinePlus (U.S. National Library of Medicine): Acidosis (as of 2025) and Blood gases (as of 2024) – medlineplus.gov · medlineplus.gov

The PRAL values in the table are our own calculations using the formula by Remer & Manz (1994) and nutrient data from BLS 4.0 (2025) [1]. The article’s discussion of body weight is based on two studies and the S3 guideline [2]. The statements on bones and cancer claims are based on [3], and those on blood pH and acidosis on [4]. Information current as of: 20.10.2026.