Is Chili Powder Acidic or Alkaline?
Chili powder (dried) is strongly alkaline: Negative PRAL: alkalizing after digestion.
Classification
Chili powder reaches −31.4: dried chili peppers contain a lot of potassium, drying concentrates it, and there's relatively little protein. For your meals, that means little. On paper, a teaspoon barely adds anything. The value is mostly a lesson that PRAL is measured per 100 g, and spices never end up on your plate in that amount.
In the Herbs, Spices & Sauces category, chili powder (dried) ranks #7 of 75, sorted from alkaline to acid-forming. More alkaline options include Turmeric powder (−35.5), Paprika powder (−36.2), Oregano (−44.4). More acid-forming are Cayenne pepper (−31.4), Cloves powder (−29.6), Saffron powder (−29.5).
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 chili powder 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: Chili powder (dried) has a PRAL of −31.4 per 100 g, so it counts as strongly alkaline in your daily acid-base balance.
How much chili powder do I need for a noticeable effect?
A teaspoon (5 g) of chili powder 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 chili powder roughly offsets one of them.
Why is chili powder 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. Chili powder provides more potassium, magnesium and calcium than phosphorus and protein, so the balance is negative (−31.4).
Chili Powder 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.