Is Coconut Drink Acidic or Alkaline?
Coconut drink (raw) is alkaline: Negative PRAL: alkalizing after digestion.
Classification
Coconut drink is just barely in the alkaline range at −0.5 per 100 ml. The coconut flesh brings a little potassium and hardly any protein, but in the drink it is heavily diluted with water. At 22 kcal per 100 ml, it is lighter than whole milk, which sits close to zero. In coffee or muesli, it barely shifts your balance in either direction.
In the Plant-Based Alternatives category, coconut drink (raw) ranks #11 of 21, sorted from alkaline to acid-forming. More alkaline options include Coconut yogurt (plain) (−1.1), Oat drink (unsweetened) (−1.2), Almond milk (unsweetened) (−1.3). More acid-forming are Vegan cheese (coco-based) (−0.2), Soy yogurt (+1.7), Soy yogurt (unsweetened) (+3.3).
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 coconut drink 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: Coconut drink (raw) has a PRAL of −0.5 per 100 ml, so it counts as alkaline in your daily acid-base balance.
How much coconut drink do I need for a noticeable effect?
100 ml of coconut drink adds −0.5 to your daily balance. For comparison: an egg is around +5.4, a slice of cheese around +6. So one serving of coconut drink roughly offsets one of them.
Why is coconut drink 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. Coconut drink provides more potassium, magnesium and calcium than phosphorus and protein, so the balance is negative (−0.5).
Coconut Drink 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 Plant-Based Alternatives: Plant-Based Alternatives 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.