Is Chicken Liver Acidic or Alkaline?
Chicken liver (raw) is strongly acid-forming: Positive PRAL: acid-forming after digestion.
Classification
Chicken liver comes in at +12.3, higher than raw chicken breast. Organ meats are especially rich in phosphorus, and together with the protein that clearly outweighs the little potassium. At 112 kcal per 100 g, it's still lean. Fried with onions and apple and served with mashed potatoes, it makes a plate where the sides offset a good part of the acid.
In the Meat & Sausages category, chicken liver (raw) ranks #52 of 67, sorted from alkaline to acid-forming. More alkaline options include Beef mince (+12.1), Veal (+12.1), Corned beef (+11.8). More acid-forming are Roast chicken (with skin) (+12.5), Rabbit meat (+12.8), Roast beef (+12.9).
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 chicken liver
A serving (125 g) of chicken liver adds +15.4 to your daily balance. These three bring it back; the grams shown offset exactly this serving.
Frequently Asked Questions
Is chicken liver 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: Chicken liver (raw) has a PRAL of +12.3 per 100 g, so it counts as strongly acid-forming in your daily acid-base balance.
How much spinach offsets a serving (125 g) of chicken liver?
A serving (125 g) of chicken liver adds +15.4 to your daily balance. Spinach (fresh) has −12.2 per 100 g, so about 130 g of spinach offset this serving.
Do I have to avoid chicken liver on an alkaline diet?
No. What counts is the balance of the whole day, not a single food. Chicken liver is strongly acid-forming; with enough vegetables, potatoes and fruit on the same plate, the meal stays balanced.
Chicken Liver 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.
Free for Android · iPhone coming soon
Compare all Meat & Sausages: Meat & Sausages 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.