Is Asparagus Acidic or Alkaline?
Asparagus (canned) is alkaline: Negative PRAL: alkalizing after digestion.
Classification
From the jar, asparagus stays mildly alkaline at −1.0, even though some of its potassium has moved into the brine. Fresh green asparagus has three times that at −3.0, and boiled white asparagus is almost even with the canned kind at −1.1. As a side, it only nudges your balance a little toward alkaline.
In the Vegetables & Salad category, asparagus (canned) ranks #94 of 110, sorted from alkaline to acid-forming. More alkaline options include Pumpkin (field pumpkin) (−1.1), White asparagus (−1.1), Green olives (−1.2). More acid-forming are Chili peppers, pickled (−1.0), Black olive (−0.9), Garlic (−0.8).
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 asparagus 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: Asparagus (canned) has a PRAL of −1.0 per 100 g, so it counts as alkaline in your daily acid-base balance.
How much asparagus do I need for a noticeable effect?
A serving (150 g) of asparagus adds −1.5 to your daily balance. For comparison: an egg is around +5.4, a slice of cheese around +6. So one serving of asparagus roughly offsets one of them.
Why is asparagus 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. Asparagus provides more potassium, magnesium and calcium than phosphorus and protein, so the balance is negative (−1.0).
Asparagus 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 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.