Is Cayenne Pepper Acidic or Alkaline?
Cayenne pepper (dried) is strongly alkaline: Negative PRAL: alkalizing after digestion.
Classification
Cayenne pepper is dried, ground chili, and drying concentrates the pepper's potassium into a fraction of the weight, hence the extreme value of −31.4. In practice, that doesn't matter, because a pinch weighs almost nothing and its contribution to your balance stays tiny. The value mainly shows how much drying boosts any vegetable on paper.
In the Herbs, Spices & Sauces category, cayenne pepper (dried) ranks #8 of 75, sorted from alkaline to acid-forming. More alkaline options include Chili powder (−31.4), Turmeric powder (−35.5), Paprika powder (−36.2). More acid-forming are Cloves powder (−29.6), Saffron powder (−29.5), Ginger powder (−24.1).
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.
Goes well with
Frequently Asked Questions
Is cayenne pepper 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: Cayenne pepper (dried) has a PRAL of −31.4 per 100 g, so it counts as strongly alkaline in your daily acid-base balance.
How much cayenne pepper do I need for a noticeable effect?
A teaspoon (5 g) of cayenne pepper adds −1.6 to your daily balance. For comparison: an egg is around +5.4, a slice of cheese around +6. So one serving of cayenne pepper roughly offsets one of them.
Why is cayenne pepper 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. Cayenne pepper provides more potassium, magnesium and calcium than phosphorus and protein, so the balance is negative (−31.4).
Cayenne Pepper 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 Herbs, Spices & Sauces: Herbs, Spices & Sauces 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.