Is Cider Acidic or Alkaline?
Cider (prepared) is alkaline: Negative PRAL: alkalizing after digestion.
Classification
Cider is fermented apple juice. The yeast turns sugar into alcohol, while the apple's potassium stays in the glass, hence −2.0 per 100 ml, mildly alkaline. Alcohol does not factor into the PRAL, so here the value shows only part of the picture. Mixed with mineral water, as is common in the German state of Hesse, both alcohol and potassium are cut in half.
In the Drinks category, cider (prepared) ranks #13 of 80, sorted from alkaline to acid-forming. More alkaline options include Coffee, with milk (3.5%) (−2.2), Lemon juice (−2.3), Coffee, black (−2.3). More acid-forming are Espresso (−1.9), Port wine (−1.9), Apple juice (−1.8).
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 cider 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: Cider (prepared) has a PRAL of −2.0 per 100 ml, so it counts as alkaline in your daily acid-base balance.
How much cider do I need for a noticeable effect?
A glass (200 ml) of cider adds −3.9 to your daily balance. For comparison: an egg is around +5.4, a slice of cheese around +6. So one serving of cider roughly offsets one of them.
Why is cider 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. Cider provides more potassium, magnesium and calcium than phosphorus and protein, so the balance is negative (−2.0).
Cider 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 Drinks: Drinks 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.