Is Coconut Flesh Acidic or Alkaline?
Coconut flesh (fresh) is alkaline: Negative PRAL: alkalizing after digestion.
Classification
Fresh coconut flesh is alkaline at −3.5. Despite its high fat content, it is rich in potassium and contains little protein and phosphorus. Fat does not count toward the PRAL, but the 378 kcal per 100 g do count toward your energy balance. Dried as copra, the effect per 100 g becomes much stronger, while fresh coconut is usually eaten in larger pieces.
In the Nuts & Seeds category, coconut flesh (fresh) ranks #4 of 29, sorted from alkaline to acid-forming. More alkaline options include Coconut (copra) (−11.5), Chestnuts (−19.3), Coconut flour (−24.1). More acid-forming are Hazelnut butter (−3.3), Hazelnuts (−3.2), Macadamia nuts (−1.1).
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.
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Frequently Asked Questions
Is coconut flesh 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 flesh (fresh) has a PRAL of −3.5 per 100 g, so it counts as alkaline in your daily acid-base balance.
How much coconut flesh do I need for a noticeable effect?
A handful (30 g) of coconut flesh adds −1.0 to your daily balance. For comparison: an egg is around +5.4, a slice of cheese around +6. So one serving of coconut flesh roughly offsets one of them.
Why is coconut flesh 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 flesh provides more potassium, magnesium and calcium than phosphorus and protein, so the balance is negative (−3.5).
Coconut Flesh 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 Nuts & Seeds: Nuts & Seeds 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.