Is Chocolate Acidic or Alkaline?
Alkaline, all three kinds: dark chocolate −6.1 per 100 g, milk chocolate −2.1, white chocolate −1.5. The higher the cocoa content, the more alkaline it is.
Why chocolate is alkaline
Cocoa is very rich in magnesium and potassium, so dark chocolate is clearly alkaline. The effect gets smaller as the cocoa content drops. Milk chocolate is half sugar and milk powder. White chocolate contains no cocoa mass at all, only cocoa butter, and its slightly negative value comes from the milk powder.
Two rows of dark chocolate (20 g) come to −1.2, a little less than a small apple. That doesn't make chocolate a health food: 100 g has 563 kcal. But if you eat chocolate anyway, 70% cocoa or more is the right choice for your daily balance.
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 chocolate 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.
Chocolate in different forms: raw, cooked, processed
How the PRAL changes with state and product. All values per 100 g or 100 ml.
| Food | PRAL |
|---|---|
| Dark chocolate (prepared) | −6.1 |
| Milk chocolate (prepared) | −2.1 |
| White chocolate (prepared) | −1.5 |
| Cocoa powder (alkalized) (dried) | −31.7 |
Goes well with
Frequently Asked Questions
Is dark chocolate acidic?
No, it's alkaline: −6.1 per 100 g at 70% cocoa. The higher the cocoa content, the more negative the PRAL.
Is milk chocolate acidic?
No, it's even slightly alkaline (−2.1). Cocoa and milk powder are alkaline, and the sugar is neutral.
Chocolate 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 sweets & snacks compared
All sweets & snacks with their PRAL: Sweets & Snacks 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.