Is Almond Milk (Unsweetened) Acidic or Alkaline?
Almond milk (unsweetened) (raw) is alkaline: Negative PRAL: alkalizing after digestion.
Classification
Whole almonds are clearly acid-forming, but unsweetened almond milk is slightly alkaline at −1.3 per 100 ml. The drink is mostly water, the small share of almonds provides hardly any protein, and calcium is often added. At 24 kcal per 100 ml it's light, and in coffee or muesli it makes a gentle contribution on the alkaline side.
In the Plant-Based Alternatives category, almond milk (unsweetened) (raw) ranks #8 of 21, sorted from alkaline to acid-forming. More alkaline options include Soy milk, unsweetend (−1.6), Soy drink (unsweetened) (−1.6), Rice drink (unsweetened) (−1.7). More acid-forming are Oat drink (unsweetened) (−1.2), Coconut yogurt (plain) (−1.1), Coconut drink (−0.5).
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 almond milk (unsweetened) 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: Almond milk (unsweetened) (raw) has a PRAL of −1.3 per 100 ml, so it counts as alkaline in your daily acid-base balance.
How much almond milk (unsweetened) do I need for a noticeable effect?
100 ml of almond milk (unsweetened) adds −1.3 to your daily balance. For comparison: an egg is around +5.4, a slice of cheese around +6. So one serving of almond milk (unsweetened) roughly offsets one of them.
Why is almond milk (unsweetened) alkaline even though it is not a typical alkaline food?
The PRAL depends on the minerals left over after digestion, not on taste or pH. Almond milk (unsweetened) provides more potassium, magnesium and calcium than phosphorus and protein, so the balance is negative (−1.3).
Almond Milk (Unsweetened) 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 Plant-Based Alternatives: Plant-Based Alternatives 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.