Is Brown Sugar Acidic or Alkaline?
Brown sugar (raw) is alkaline: Negative PRAL: alkalizing after digestion.
Classification
Brown sugar contains traces of molasses, and the molasses brings some potassium and calcium. Hence the slightly alkaline value of −2.1, more than you'd expect from a sugar. That's no argument for more sweetness: per teaspoon, the effect is vanishingly small, but the 387 kcal per 100 g aren't. The PRAL says nothing about sugar as such.
In the Sugar & Sweeteners category, brown sugar (raw) ranks #3 of 12, sorted from alkaline to acid-forming. More alkaline options include Maple syrup (−6.2), Molasses (−42.5). More acid-forming are Honey (−1.2), Glucose (dextrose) (−0.1), Table sugar (0.0).
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.
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Frequently Asked Questions
Is brown sugar 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 sugar (raw) has a PRAL of −2.1 per 100 g, so it counts as alkaline in your daily acid-base balance.
How much brown sugar do I need for a noticeable effect?
Two teaspoons (10 g) of brown sugar adds −0.2 to your daily balance. For comparison: an egg is around +5.4, a slice of cheese around +6. So one serving of brown sugar roughly offsets one of them.
Why is brown sugar 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. Brown sugar provides more potassium, magnesium and calcium than phosphorus and protein, so the balance is negative (−2.1).
Brown Sugar 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 Sugar & Sweeteners: Sugar & Sweeteners 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.