Is Beef Mince Acidic or Alkaline?
Beef mince (prepared) is strongly acid-forming: Positive PRAL: acid-forming after digestion.
Classification
Fried beef mince comes in at +12.1, a good half more than raw (+7.9), because water escapes during browning and leaves protein and phosphorus concentrated per 100 g. A 120 g burger patty comes to just under +15. Lettuce, tomato and onion in the bun are nice, but they offset only a small part of that.
In the Meat & Sausages category, beef mince (prepared) ranks #51 of 67, sorted from alkaline to acid-forming. More alkaline options include Veal (+12.1), Corned beef (+11.8), Chicken thigh (+11.8). More acid-forming are Chicken liver (+12.3), Roast chicken (with skin) (+12.5), Rabbit meat (+12.8).
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.
Beef mince: prepared, raw
Same food, different state. All values per 100 g.
| State | PRAL |
|---|---|
| raw | +7.9 |
| prepared | +12.1 |
What balances beef mince
A serving (125 g) of beef mince adds +15.2 to your daily balance. These three bring it back; the grams shown offset exactly this serving.
Frequently Asked Questions
Is beef mince 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 mince (prepared) has a PRAL of +12.1 per 100 g, so it counts as strongly acid-forming in your daily acid-base balance.
How much lamb's lettuce offsets a serving (125 g) of beef mince?
A serving (125 g) of beef mince adds +15.2 to your daily balance. Lamb's lettuce (fresh) has −8.3 per 100 g, so about 180 g of lamb's lettuce offset this serving.
Do I have to avoid beef mince on an alkaline diet?
No. What counts is the balance of the whole day, not a single food. Beef mince is strongly acid-forming; with enough vegetables, potatoes and fruit on the same plate, the meal stays balanced.
Beef mince, prepared or raw: which is more alkaline?
Beef mince (prepared) is at +12.1, Beef mince (raw) at +7.9. So the "raw" version is more alkaline. Differences come from water content, cooking water or concentration during drying.
Beef Mince 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 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.