Is Honey Acidic or Alkaline?
Mildly alkaline. Honey has a PRAL of −1.2 per 100 g, but in the amounts you actually eat, the effect is practically zero.
Why honey is alkaline
Honey is about 80% sugar and 17% water. It contains only trace amounts of minerals, mostly potassium. That little bit of potassium is enough for a slightly negative PRAL. On paper, one tablespoon adds −0.2 to your daily balance, which is nothing you would notice.
If you buy honey as an "alkaline sweetener," you are paying for a myth. The same goes the other way: table sugar, at 0.0, is neutral, not acid-forming. For your acid-base balance, sweeteners are a side issue. What matters is what fills the rest of your plate.
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 honey 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.
Honey in different forms: raw, cooked, processed
How the PRAL changes with state and product. All values per 100 g or 100 ml.
| Food | PRAL |
|---|---|
| Honey (raw) | −1.2 |
| Maple syrup (raw) | −6.2 |
| Agave syrup (raw) | 0.0 |
| Table sugar (raw) | 0.0 |
Goes well with
Frequently Asked Questions
Is honey better than sugar for your acid-base balance?
On paper, only slightly: −1.2 versus 0.0 per 100 g. With one tablespoon, the difference can't be measured. Honey does contain traces of enzymes and flavor compounds, but at 305 kcal per 100 g it has not much fewer calories than sugar (400 kcal).
Is maple syrup alkaline?
Yes, more clearly than honey: −6.2 per 100 ml, because it contains more potassium and calcium. Still, in tablespoon amounts it hardly makes a difference.
Honey 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 sugar & sweeteners compared
All sugar & sweeteners with their PRAL: Sugar & Sweeteners 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.