Is Black Tea Acidic or Alkaline?
Black tea (prepared) is neutral: PRAL close to zero: hardly shifts your acid-base balance.
Classification
Freshly brewed, black tea comes in at −0.3 per 100 ml, which makes it neutral. During brewing, some potassium passes from the leaves into the water, but protein does not. Still, the amount isn't enough for a clearly alkaline value. With 0 kcal, plain black tea is calorie-free. A splash of milk or a spoonful of sugar hardly changes the balance, only the energy.
In the Drinks category, black tea (prepared) ranks #45 of 80, sorted from alkaline to acid-forming. More alkaline options include Alcohol-free beer (−0.4), Beer (−0.4), Sports drink (−0.4). More acid-forming are Herbal tea (−0.3), Cappuccino (with milk, 3.5%) (−0.3), Latte macchiato (with milk, 3.5%) (−0.3).
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 black tea 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: Black tea (prepared) has a PRAL of −0.3 per 100 ml, so it counts as neutral in your daily acid-base balance.
Does black tea count in the acid-base balance at all?
Hardly. At −0.3 per 100 ml, black tea is in the neutral range between −0.5 and +0.5. You can eat it without shifting your balance.
Black Tea 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 Drinks: Drinks 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.