Is Cherry Acidic or Alkaline?
Cherry (dried) is strongly alkaline: Negative PRAL: alkalizing after digestion.
Classification
Dried cherries are clearly alkaline at −14.4 because drying concentrates the fruit's potassium into very little mass. At the same time, the energy content rises to 277 kcal per 100 g. A tablespoon, about 10 g, in your oatmeal adds about −1.4 and provides a small counterweight to the acid-forming rolled oats.
In the Fruit category, cherry (dried) ranks #7 of 80, sorted from alkaline to acid-forming. More alkaline options include Dried fruit (mixed) (−16.2), Mango (−17.6), Dried fig (−17.8). More acid-forming are Persimmon (−14.3), Dried date (−13.4), Plum (prune) (−13.0).
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.
Goes well with
Frequently Asked Questions
Is cherry 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: Cherry (dried) has a PRAL of −14.4 per 100 g, so it counts as strongly alkaline in your daily acid-base balance.
How much cherry do I need for a noticeable effect?
One piece or a handful (120 g) of cherry adds −17.3 to your daily balance. For comparison: an egg is around +5.4, a slice of cheese around +6. So one serving of cherry roughly offsets one of them.
Why is cherry alkaline even though it tastes sour?
The PRAL depends on the minerals left over after digestion, not on taste or pH. Cherry provides more potassium, magnesium and calcium than phosphorus and protein, so the balance is negative (−14.4).
Cherry 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 Fruit: Fruit 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.