Is Broccoli Acidic or Alkaline?
Broccoli (fresh) is strongly alkaline: Negative PRAL: alkalizing after digestion. Alkaline. Broccoli has a PRAL of −6.1 per 100 g raw and −1.3 boiled, so a 200 g serving adds about −12.3 to your daily balance raw, or −2.5 boiled.
Classification
Raw broccoli has plenty of potassium and little protein, which gives it −6.1 at 35 kcal. Boiled, only −1.3 remains, because much of the potassium passes into the cooking water. If you want to keep the alkalizing effect, steam the florets briefly, sauté them in a pan or roast them in the oven instead of boiling them soft in lots of water.
In the Vegetables & Salad category, broccoli (fresh) ranks #23 of 110, sorted from alkaline to acid-forming. More alkaline options include Lettuce (−6.2), Carrot (−6.3), Soup greens (−6.5). More acid-forming are Wild garlic (−5.8), Chanterelle (−5.8), Brussels sprouts (−5.6).
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.
Broccoli: fresh, boiled
Same food, different state. All values per 100 g.
| State | PRAL |
|---|---|
| fresh | −6.1 |
| boiled | −1.3 |
Goes well with
Frequently Asked Questions
Is broccoli 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: Broccoli (fresh) has a PRAL of −6.1 per 100 g, so it counts as strongly alkaline in your daily acid-base balance.
How much broccoli do I need for a noticeable effect?
A serving of broccoli (200 g) of broccoli adds −12.3 to your daily balance. For comparison: an egg is around +5.4, a slice of cheese around +6. So one serving of broccoli roughly offsets one of them.
Why is broccoli 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. Broccoli provides more potassium, magnesium and calcium than phosphorus and protein, so the balance is negative (−6.1).
Broccoli, fresh or boiled: which is more alkaline?
Broccoli (fresh) is at −6.1, Broccoli (boiled) at −1.3. So the "fresh" version is more alkaline. Differences come from water content, cooking water or concentration during drying.
Broccoli 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.