Is Coffee Acidic or Alkaline?
Alkaline, which surprises many people: black coffee is mildly alkaline with a PRAL of −2.3 per 100 ml, and espresso comes in at −1.9. With a lot of milk, as in a cappuccino, coffee becomes neutral.
Why coffee is alkaline
Coffee tastes bitter and is often labeled “acid-forming” because it can irritate your stomach. Those are two different things. Stomach acid irritation has to do with roasting compounds and caffeine, while the PRAL depends on minerals. Coffee beans bring potassium and magnesium but hardly any phosphorus or protein. That's why the balance comes out slightly negative.
Milk moves the value toward neutral. Cappuccino and latte macchiato come in at −0.3 per 100 ml, because milk itself is close to neutral and dilutes the coffee. Sugar doesn't change the PRAL. If coffee doesn't agree with you, the reasons have nothing to do with your acid-base 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 coffee 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.
Coffee in different forms: raw, cooked, processed
How the PRAL changes with state and product. All values per 100 g or 100 ml.
| Food | PRAL |
|---|---|
| Coffee, black (brewed) | −2.3 |
| Espresso (brewed) | −1.9 |
| Cappuccino (with milk, 3.5%) (prepared) | −0.3 |
| Latte macchiato (with milk, 3.5%) (prepared) | −0.3 |
Goes well with
Frequently Asked Questions
Is coffee acidic or alkaline?
Mildly alkaline by PRAL (−2.3 per 100 ml). The drink's acidic pH (about 5) says nothing about its effect on your metabolism.
Is coffee with milk acidic?
No. Milk has a PRAL of around +0.1 and is neutral itself. Coffee with a splash of milk stays alkaline (−2.2), while cappuccino and latte, at −0.3, fall in the neutral range.
Why is coffee considered bad for your acid-base balance?
Because stomach irritation, heartburn and caffeine get confused with “acid.” That's a question of how well you tolerate coffee, not of the acid load from your diet.
Coffee 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 drinks compared
All drinks with their PRAL: Drinks 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.