Is Meat Acidic or Alkaline?
Acid-forming. Every type of meat is acid-forming: roast beef +12.9, beef mince +12.1, pork chop +13.7 and chicken breast +13.2 per 100 g prepared, while sausage usually falls between +5 and +15.
Why meat is acid-forming
Meat is made of muscle protein and contains a lot of phosphorus. When your body metabolizes it, they produce sulfuric acid and phosphoric acid, which your kidneys excrete. Meat contains only a little potassium, which would counter this. That is why meat ranks near the top for acid load. Only hard cheese (+16 to +30) is higher.
A 150 g steak adds +19.3 to your daily balance. If you eat meat every day, your diet won't balance out without generous vegetable sides. A serving of fries (−11.4 per 100 g) helps more here than rice (+1.8). If you limit meat to two or three meals a week and eat legumes the rest of the time, you lower your acid load the most.
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 meat 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.
Meat in different forms: raw, cooked, processed
How the PRAL changes with state and product. All values per 100 g or 100 ml.
| Food | PRAL |
|---|---|
| Roast beef (prepared) | +12.9 |
| Beef mince (prepared) | +12.1 |
| Pork chop (prepared) | +13.7 |
| Pork tenderloin (prepared) | +13.8 |
| Chicken breast (prepared) | +13.2 |
| Lamb fillet (prepared) | +13.7 |
| Salami (prepared) | +14.5 |
| Smoked ham (prepared) | +8.2 |
Alkaline foods that balance it
Frequently Asked Questions
Which meat is the least acidic?
The differences are small. Prepared poultry, beef and pork mostly range from +12 to +14 per 100 g. Lean meat doesn't do better. If anything, it's the opposite: pork belly comes in at +10.8.
Is sausage better than meat?
By PRAL, it's usually a bit lower (ham +8.2, frankfurters +6.9), because fat and water dilute the protein. Salami, however, is even higher than meat at +14.5. Salt and additives are reasons against sausage anyway.
Meat and everything else on your plate: calculated automatically.
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More meat & sausages compared
All meat & sausages with their PRAL: Meat & Sausages 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.