Is Buckwheat Flour Acidic or Alkaline?
Buckwheat flour (raw) is acid-forming: Positive PRAL: acid-forming after digestion.
Classification
Buckwheat flour is finely ground grain without water. Protein and phosphorus are concentrated in it, and potassium and magnesium aren't enough to counter them: +6.7. This value applies to the dry flour. In dough for galettes or bread, water is added and the value per 100 g drops markedly, almost to zero in finished buckwheat bread. Egg and milk in the dough push it back up.
In the Grains, Bread & Pasta category, buckwheat flour (raw) ranks #93 of 121, sorted from alkaline to acid-forming. More alkaline options include Egg noodles, fresh (+6.7), Protein bread (+6.6), Millet flour (+6.5). More acid-forming are Rolled oats (+6.8), Instant oats (+6.8), Wheat berries (+7.1).
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.
What balances buckwheat flour
A dry serving (50 g) of buckwheat flour adds +3.4 to your daily balance. These three bring it back; the grams shown offset exactly this serving.
Frequently Asked Questions
Is buckwheat flour 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: Buckwheat flour (raw) has a PRAL of +6.7 per 100 g, so it counts as acid-forming in your daily acid-base balance.
How much avocado offsets a dry serving (50 g) of buckwheat flour?
A dry serving (50 g) of buckwheat flour adds +3.4 to your daily balance. Avocado (ripe) has −9.9 per 100 g, so about 30 g of avocado offset this serving.
Do I have to avoid buckwheat flour on an alkaline diet?
No. What counts is the balance of the whole day, not a single food. Buckwheat flour is acid-forming; with enough vegetables, potatoes and fruit on the same plate, the meal stays balanced.
Buckwheat Flour logged, balance checked.
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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.