Is Apple Acidic or Alkaline?
Apple (fresh) is alkaline: Negative PRAL: alkalizing after digestion. Mildly alkaline. An apple has a PRAL of −1.9 per 100 g, which puts it at the lower end among fruits, but it is still clearly alkaline.
Classification
An apple is mostly water, plus fruit sugar and some potassium, and that is all it takes for the mildly alkaline value of −1.9. It is not an alkaline powerhouse like a banana or an avocado, but it is always within reach. Dried apple rings reach −10.2, because the water is gone and the same amount of potassium is spread over less weight.
In the Fruit category, apple (fresh) ranks #68 of 80, sorted from alkaline to acid-forming. More alkaline options include Pear (−2.3), Mandarin (−2.3), Blackberry (−2.4). More acid-forming are Apple sauce, unsweetened (−1.9), Sour cherry (−1.8), Physalis (cape gooseberry) (−1.7).
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.
Apple: fresh, dried
Same food, different state. All values per 100 g.
| State | PRAL |
|---|---|
| dried | −10.2 |
| fresh | −1.9 |
Goes well with
Frequently Asked Questions
Is apple 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: Apple (fresh) has a PRAL of −1.9 per 100 g, so it counts as alkaline in your daily acid-base balance.
How much apple do I need for a noticeable effect?
One medium apple (150 g) of apple adds −2.9 to your daily balance. For comparison: an egg is around +5.4, a slice of cheese around +6. So one serving of apple roughly offsets one of them.
Why is apple alkaline even though it tastes sour?
The PRAL depends on the minerals left over after digestion, not on taste or pH. Apple provides more potassium, magnesium and calcium than phosphorus and protein, so the balance is negative (−1.9).
Apple, fresh or dried: which is more alkaline?
Apple (fresh) is at −1.9, Apple (dried) at −10.2. So the "dried" version is more alkaline. Differences come from water content, cooking water or concentration during drying.
Apple 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 Fruit: Fruit 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.