Is Beef Liver Acidic or Alkaline?
Beef liver (raw) is strongly acid-forming: Positive PRAL: acid-forming after digestion.
Classification
Beef liver comes in at +14.6, clearly above beef muscle meat (+9.0), because organ meats are especially rich in phosphorus and also contain a lot of protein. A 150 g serving comes to about +22. Fried the classic way with onions and apple rings and served with mashed potatoes, it at least has some potassium on the plate as a counterweight.
In the Meat & Sausages category, beef liver (raw) ranks #65 of 67, sorted from alkaline to acid-forming. More alkaline options include Salami (+14.5), Pork tenderloin (+13.8), Cooked ham (+13.8). More acid-forming are Pork liver (+16.3), Beef jerky (+17.2).
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 beef liver
A serving (125 g) of beef liver adds +18.3 to your daily balance. These three bring it back; the grams shown offset exactly this serving.
Frequently Asked Questions
Is beef liver 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: Beef liver (raw) has a PRAL of +14.6 per 100 g, so it counts as strongly acid-forming in your daily acid-base balance.
How much avocado offsets a serving (125 g) of beef liver?
A serving (125 g) of beef liver adds +18.3 to your daily balance. Avocado (ripe) has −9.9 per 100 g, so about 180 g of avocado offset this serving.
Do I have to avoid beef liver on an alkaline diet?
No. What counts is the balance of the whole day, not a single food. Beef liver is strongly acid-forming; with enough vegetables, potatoes and fruit on the same plate, the meal stays balanced.
Beef Liver logged, balance checked.
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Compare all Meat & Sausages: Meat & Sausages 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.