Is Alcohol-free Beer Acidic or Alkaline?
Alcohol-free beer (prepared) is neutral: PRAL close to zero: hardly shifts your acid-base balance.
Classification
Alcohol-free beer is mostly water with some malt sugar and a little potassium, which adds up to a neutral −0.4 per 100 ml. That makes it neither a source of base nor a source of acid. It is more interesting as a replacement for sweet soda. At 18 kcal per 100 ml, it stays light and at least brings a few minerals from the malt.
In the Drinks category, alcohol-free beer (prepared) ranks #44 of 80, sorted from alkaline to acid-forming. More alkaline options include Beer (−0.4), Sports drink (−0.4), Peppermint tea (−0.4). More acid-forming are Black tea (−0.3), Herbal tea (−0.3), Cappuccino (with milk, 3.5%) (−0.3).
Acidic or alkaline: PRAL, not pH
On this site, acidic and alkaline refer to the PRAL (potential renal acid load). It estimates what a food leaves behind once it has been digested: a positive value is acid-forming, a negative value is alkalizing. That is different from the pH of the food itself: a lemon tastes sour, yet its PRAL is −4.0, so it is alkalizing. Your diet does not change your blood pH. It does change how much acid your kidneys have to deal with.
Goes well with
Frequently Asked Questions
Is alcohol-free beer acidic?
It depends on what you mean by acidic. The pH describes the food itself, for example how sour it tastes. The PRAL describes what it leaves behind after digestion: Alcohol-free beer (prepared) has a PRAL of −0.4 per 100 ml, so it counts as neutral in your daily acid-base balance.
Does alcohol-free beer count in the acid-base balance at all?
Hardly. At −0.4 per 100 ml, alcohol-free beer is in the neutral range between −0.5 and +0.5. You can eat it without shifting your balance.
Alcohol-free Beer logged, balance checked.
Basentracker adds up every meal automatically and shows whether your day is in the alkaline range. The same values as on this page, all 977 foods, photo scan, recipes.
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Compare all Drinks: Drinks table. Common questions are answered in Acidic or Alkaline?, and the PRAL calculator adds up a whole meal.
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.