Is Rice Acidic or Alkaline?
Acid-forming, but only mildly. Cooked white rice has a PRAL of +1.8 per 100 g, and brown rice +1.9. As a side dish with vegetables, rice is not a problem.
Why rice is acid-forming
Rice is one of the mildest grain side dishes. Cooked rice is more than 60% water, so its PRAL per 100 g is small. A full side serving of 180 g comes to about +3.2. For comparison, the same amount of pasta reaches +10.4, and a 60 g wheat roll +3.3.
Brown rice scores slightly higher than white rice because of the phosphorus in its outer layer. Nutritionally, it is still the better choice: more fiber, more magnesium, and it keeps you full longer. The difference of 0.1 points is meaningless for 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 rice 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.
Rice in different forms: raw, cooked, processed
How the PRAL changes with state and product. All values per 100 g or 100 ml.
| Food | PRAL |
|---|---|
| White rice (cooked) | +1.8 |
| Brown rice (cooked) | +1.9 |
| Parboiled rice (cooked) | +1.5 |
| Wild rice (cooked) | +2.6 |
| Rice noodles (cooked) | +2.1 |
| Rice pudding (prepared) | +1.2 |
Alkaline foods that balance it
Frequently Asked Questions
Is brown rice more alkaline than white rice?
No, it is slightly more acid-forming: +1.9 versus +1.8 per 100 g cooked. The difference does not matter, and brown rice remains the more nutrient-rich choice.
Is rice pudding acidic?
Yes, mildly acid-forming. Prepared rice pudding has +1.2 per 100 g, a little less than cooked rice, because milk (+0.1) dilutes the rice. Add apple sauce or cinnamon plums and it becomes a balanced to alkaline meal.
Why does uncooked rice have a much higher PRAL?
Because that value refers to 100 g of dry rice. When you cook rice, it absorbs two to three times its weight in water, so the value per 100 g drops accordingly. Always calculate with the cooked weight.
Rice 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 grains, bread & pasta compared
All grains, bread & pasta with their PRAL: Grains, Bread & Pasta 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.