Is Artichoke Acidic or Alkaline?
Artichoke (boiled) is slightly acid-forming: Positive PRAL: acid-forming after digestion.
Classification
Boiled artichokes land just on the acid-forming side at +0.8. For a vegetable, they contain quite a lot of protein and phosphorus, and some of the potassium leaches into the water during cooking. On the plate, the dip matters more anyway: a vinaigrette changes little, while a cheese sauce shifts the balance noticeably. At 54 kcal, the vegetable itself stays light.
In the Vegetables & Salad category, artichoke (boiled) ranks #102 of 110, sorted from alkaline to acid-forming. More alkaline options include Pumpkin, sweet and sour pickled (+0.2), Soybean sprouts (0.0), Mushroom, button (−0.5). More acid-forming are Snow peas (+0.8), Alfalfa sprouts (+1.8), Radish sprouts (+2.4).
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.
What balances artichoke
A serving (150 g) of artichoke adds +1.2 to your daily balance. These three bring it back; the grams shown offset exactly this serving.
Frequently Asked Questions
Is artichoke 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: Artichoke (boiled) has a PRAL of +0.8 per 100 g, so it counts as slightly acid-forming in your daily acid-base balance.
How much avocado offsets a serving (150 g) of artichoke?
A serving (150 g) of artichoke adds +1.2 to your daily balance. Avocado (ripe) has −9.9 per 100 g, so about 10 g of avocado offset this serving.
Do I have to avoid artichoke on an alkaline diet?
No. What counts is the balance of the whole day, not a single food. Artichoke is slightly acid-forming; with enough vegetables, potatoes and fruit on the same plate, the meal stays balanced.
Artichoke logged, balance checked.
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Compare all Vegetables & Salad: Vegetables & Salad 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.