Is Brown Rice Acidic or Alkaline?
Brown rice (raw) is slightly acid-forming: Positive PRAL: acid-forming after digestion.
Classification
Raw brown rice sits at +4.2. The value applies to the dry grain, with phosphorus from the germ and outer layer. Cooked, it drops to +1.9, because the grain absorbs water and almost triples in weight. So for your balance, the cooked value is what counts: 70 g raw becomes a serving of just under 200 g.
In the Grains, Bread & Pasta category, brown rice (raw) ranks #56 of 121, sorted from alkaline to acid-forming. More alkaline options include Wholemeal spaghetti (+4.2), Wholemeal pasta (+4.2), Baguette (+4.1). More acid-forming are Wholemeal toast bread (+4.3), Wholemeal roll (+4.3), Rye, whole kernel (+4.4).
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.
Brown rice: raw, cooked
Same food, different state. All values per 100 g.
| State | PRAL |
|---|---|
| cooked | +1.9 |
| raw | +4.2 |
What balances brown rice
A dry serving (50 g) of brown rice adds +2.1 to your daily balance. These three bring it back; the grams shown offset exactly this serving.
Frequently Asked Questions
Is brown rice 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: Brown rice (raw) has a PRAL of +4.2 per 100 g, so it counts as slightly acid-forming in your daily acid-base balance.
How much avocado offsets a dry serving (50 g) of brown rice?
A dry serving (50 g) of brown rice adds +2.1 to your daily balance. Avocado (ripe) has −9.9 per 100 g, so about 20 g of avocado offset this serving.
Do I have to avoid brown rice on an alkaline diet?
No. What counts is the balance of the whole day, not a single food. Brown rice is slightly acid-forming; with enough vegetables, potatoes and fruit on the same plate, the meal stays balanced.
Brown rice, raw or cooked: which is more alkaline?
Brown rice (raw) is at +4.2, Brown rice (cooked) at +1.9. So the "cooked" version is more alkaline. Differences come from water content, cooking water or concentration during drying.
Brown Rice 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 Grains, Bread & Pasta: Grains, Bread & Pasta 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.