Are Brussels Sprouts Acidic or Alkaline?
Brussels sprouts (fresh) are strongly alkaline: Negative PRAL: alkalizing after digestion.
Classification
Fresh Brussels sprouts come in at −5.6, which makes them solidly alkaline, because they bring a lot of potassium with a moderate protein content. When boiled, some of it passes into the water, leaving −4.8. If you roast the halved sprouts in the oven with a little oil instead of boiling them, more potassium stays in the vegetable, and you get nutty roasted flavors too.
In the Vegetables & Salad category, Brussels sprouts (fresh) rank #26 of 110, sorted from alkaline to acid-forming. More alkaline options include Chanterelle (−5.8), Wild garlic (−5.8), Broccoli (−6.1). More acid-forming are Beetroot (−5.6), Pumpkin (Butternut) (−5.4), Sweet potato (−5.3).
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.
Brussels sprouts: fresh, cooked
Same food, different state. All values per 100 g.
| State | PRAL |
|---|---|
| fresh | −5.6 |
| cooked | −4.8 |
Goes well with
Frequently Asked Questions
Are Brussels sprouts 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: Brussels sprouts (fresh) have a PRAL of −5.6 per 100 g, so they count as strongly alkaline in your daily acid-base balance.
How much Brussels sprouts do I need for a noticeable effect?
A serving (150 g) of Brussels sprouts adds −8.5 to your daily balance. For comparison: an egg is around +5.4, a slice of cheese around +6. So one serving of Brussels sprouts roughly offsets one of them.
Why are Brussels sprouts alkaline even though they are not typical alkaline foods?
The PRAL depends on the minerals left over after digestion, not on taste or pH. Brussels sprouts provide more potassium, magnesium and calcium than phosphorus and protein, so the balance is negative (−5.6).
Brussels sprouts, fresh or cooked: which is more alkaline?
Brussels sprouts (fresh) is at −5.6, Brussels sprouts (cooked) at −4.8. So the "fresh" version is more alkaline. Differences come from water content, cooking water or concentration during drying.
Brussels Sprouts 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.