Is Bok Choy Acidic or Alkaline?
Bok choy (fresh) is alkaline: Negative PRAL: alkalizing after digestion.
Classification
Bok choy is alkaline at −4.0 because this Asian cabbage contains a lot of potassium and calcium with little protein, and at 16 kcal per 100 g it is very light. In a wok it cooks down a lot, so two heads totaling 300 g are quickly eaten and add about −12. That lets you win back a large part of what the rice and chicken bring.
In the Vegetables & Salad category, bok choy (fresh) ranks #56 of 110, sorted from alkaline to acid-forming. More alkaline options include Tomatoes, peeled (−4.1), Okra (−4.1), Horseradish (−4.1). More acid-forming are Tomatoes, strained (passata) (−4.0), Zucchini (−3.7), Daikon radish (−3.6).
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 bok choy 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: Bok choy (fresh) has a PRAL of −4.0 per 100 g, so it counts as alkaline in your daily acid-base balance.
How much bok choy do I need for a noticeable effect?
A serving (150 g) of bok choy adds −6.0 to your daily balance. For comparison: an egg is around +5.4, a slice of cheese around +6. So one serving of bok choy roughly offsets one of them.
Why is bok choy alkaline even though it is not a typical alkaline food?
The PRAL depends on the minerals left over after digestion, not on taste or pH. Bok choy provides more potassium, magnesium and calcium than phosphorus and protein, so the balance is negative (−4.0).
Bok Choy 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 Vegetables & Salad: Vegetables & Salad 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.