Is Barley Flour Acidic or Alkaline?
Barley flour (raw) is acid-forming: Positive PRAL: acid-forming after digestion.
Classification
Barley flour is in the acid-forming range at +5.4: the grain's protein and phosphorus win out, and barley's minerals offset only part of them. That makes it a bit milder than spelt or buckwheat flour. For baking it's usually mixed with wheat because it has little gluten. In flatbreads, pancakes or as a thickener for soups, it also works on its own.
In the Grains, Bread & Pasta category, barley flour (raw) ranks #69 of 121, sorted from alkaline to acid-forming. More alkaline options include Wholemeal rye bread (+5.3), Pearled barley (+5.3), Bulgur (durum wheat) (+5.2). More acid-forming are Wheat roll (+5.5), Wheat flour (+5.6), Focaccia (+5.7).
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.
What balances barley flour
A dry serving (50 g) of barley flour adds +2.7 to your daily balance. These three bring it back; the grams shown offset exactly this serving.
Frequently Asked Questions
Is barley flour 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: Barley flour (raw) has a PRAL of +5.4 per 100 g, so it counts as acid-forming in your daily acid-base balance.
How much avocado offsets a dry serving (50 g) of barley flour?
A dry serving (50 g) of barley flour adds +2.7 to your daily balance. Avocado (ripe) has −9.9 per 100 g, so about 30 g of avocado offset this serving.
Do I have to avoid barley flour on an alkaline diet?
No. What counts is the balance of the whole day, not a single food. Barley flour is acid-forming; with enough vegetables, potatoes and fruit on the same plate, the meal stays balanced.
Barley Flour logged, balance checked.
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Compare all Grains, Bread & Pasta: Grains, Bread & Pasta 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.