Is Butter Acidic or Alkaline?
Practically neutral: butter has a PRAL of +0.9 per 100 g, which technically puts it just inside the acid-forming range. Pure fats contain hardly any minerals or protein, so butter, margarine (−0.4) and almost all oils (0.0) sit close to zero.
Why butter is acid-forming
The PRAL is calculated from protein, phosphorus, potassium, magnesium and calcium. Butter is more than 80% fat and 16% water, and its traces of milk protein and calcium almost cancel each other out. That's why butter plays no role in your acid-base balance, no matter how much you use.
The same goes for olive oil, canola (rapeseed) oil, coconut oil and margarine. If you're choosing between butter and oil, decide by fatty acid profile and taste, not by PRAL. The acid-forming foods are the ones the butter goes on: bread (+2 to +6) and cheese (+9 to +30).
Acidic or alkaline: PRAL, not pH
The PRAL (potential renal acid load) estimates what a food leaves behind after digestion. It is not the pH of the food itself: a lemon tastes sour, yet its PRAL is −4.0. If you are asking whether butter is acidic because of heartburn or reflux, that is a question of pH and your stomach, which the PRAL does not measure; talk to your doctor about it.
Butter in different forms: raw, cooked, processed
How the PRAL changes with state and product. All values per 100 g or 100 ml.
| Food | PRAL |
|---|---|
| Butter (raw) | +0.9 |
| Margarine (raw) | −0.4 |
| Olive oil (raw) | 0.0 |
| Coconut oil (raw) | 0.0 |
Alkaline foods that balance it
Frequently Asked Questions
Is ghee or clarified butter more alkaline?
It's even more neutral, because the last of the milk protein and water have been removed. Clarified butter comes in at +0.1, practically the same as oils.
Is olive oil acidic?
No, it's neutral (0.0). No oil shifts your acid-base balance, because fats contain no relevant minerals.
Butter and everything else on your plate: calculated automatically.
Basentracker adds up the PRAL of every meal and shows whether your day is in the alkaline range. Over 950 foods, photo scan, recipes, free.
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More oils & fats compared
All oils & fats with their PRAL: Oils & Fats table. Back to the overview Acidic or Alkaline?, or put together a meal in the PRAL calculator.
Source: Basentracker food database (PRAL according to Remer & Manz, calculated from protein, phosphorus, potassium, magnesium and calcium per 100 g). This information does not replace medical advice.