Is Water Acidic or Alkaline?
Neutral: tap water is neutral (−0.1 per 100 ml), and mineral water ranges from neutral to mildly alkaline depending on the source (−0.2 on average). "Alkaline water" with a high pH offers no added benefit.
Why water is neutral
What makes water alkaline is its dissolved minerals: calcium, magnesium, potassium and, above all, bicarbonate. Mineral waters with more than 1,000 mg of bicarbonate per liter have a measurable alkalizing effect. Still waters with few minerals sit at zero. The average of −0.2 hides this range.
The pH of the water, which is how "alkaline water" is marketed, doesn't matter here. Your stomach neutralizes it right away. Ionized or "alkaline" water from special machines has no proven advantage over a bicarbonate-rich mineral water from the grocery store, but it costs many times more.
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 water 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.
Water in different forms: raw, cooked, processed
How the PRAL changes with state and product. All values per 100 g or 100 ml.
| Food | PRAL |
|---|---|
| Mineral water (raw) | −0.2 |
| Tap water (raw) | −0.1 |
| Coconut water (fresh) | −5.7 |
| Herbal tea (prepared) | −0.3 |
Goes well with
Frequently Asked Questions
Is mineral water alkaline?
Depending on the source, it ranges from neutral to clearly alkaline. What matters is the bicarbonate content, not the pH in the advertising.
Is alkaline water with a pH of 9 worth it?
No. Your stomach neutralizes the pH. Only the dissolved minerals count, and regular mineral water has those too.
Water 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.
Free for Android · iPhone coming soon
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.