Is Blue Cheese (General) Acidic or Alkaline?
Blue cheese (general) (raw) is strongly acid-forming: Positive PRAL: acid-forming after digestion.
Classification
Like any aged cheese, blue cheese contains a lot of protein and phosphorus, and its calcium isn't enough to offset them: +12.7. That puts it well below hard cheeses such as Alpine cheese or Appenzeller, because it contains more water. In a dressing or crumbled over salad, its strong flavor means you only need a little, and the salad underneath offsets part of the acid.
In the Cheese category, blue cheese (general) (raw) ranks #14 of 37, sorted from alkaline to acid-forming. More alkaline options include Gorgonzola cheese (+12.6), Queso fresco (+12.5), Goat cheese (+11.6). More acid-forming are Mozzarella (+12.7), Limburger cheese (+13.0), Roquefort cheese (+13.7).
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 blue cheese (general)
A slice (30 g) of blue cheese (general) adds +3.8 to your daily balance. These three bring it back; the grams shown offset exactly this serving.
Frequently Asked Questions
Is blue cheese (general) 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: Blue cheese (general) (raw) has a PRAL of +12.7 per 100 g, so it counts as strongly acid-forming in your daily acid-base balance.
How much lamb's lettuce offsets a slice (30 g) of blue cheese (general)?
A slice (30 g) of blue cheese (general) adds +3.8 to your daily balance. Lamb's lettuce (fresh) has −8.3 per 100 g, so about 50 g of lamb's lettuce offset this serving.
Do I have to avoid blue cheese (general) on an alkaline diet?
No. What counts is the balance of the whole day, not a single food. Blue cheese (general) is strongly acid-forming; with enough vegetables, potatoes and fruit on the same plate, the meal stays balanced.
Blue Cheese (General) logged, balance checked.
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Compare all Cheese: Cheese 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.