Is Sweetened Condensed Milk Acidic or Alkaline?
Condensed milk, sweetened (raw) is slightly acid-forming: Positive PRAL: acid-forming after digestion.
Classification
Sweetened condensed milk is just barely acid-forming at +0.9 per 100 ml. Thickening concentrates the milk's protein and phosphorus, but also its calcium and potassium, so only a small surplus remains. The added sugar does not count. At 322 kcal per 100 ml, you only use small amounts anyway. A teaspoon in your coffee makes no difference to your balance.
In the Dairy category, sweetened condensed milk (raw) ranks #20 of 25, sorted from alkaline to acid-forming. More alkaline options include Yogurt, low-fat (1.5%) (+0.8), Yogurt, plain (3.5%) (+0.5), Kefir (+0.2). More acid-forming are Sheep milk (+1.1), Skyr (+5.8), Curd cheese (+6.4).
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 sweetened condensed milk
A cup (150 g) of sweetened condensed milk adds +1.4 to your daily balance. These three bring it back; the grams shown offset exactly this serving.
Frequently Asked Questions
Is sweetened condensed milk 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: Condensed milk, sweetened (raw) has a PRAL of +0.9 per 100 ml, so it counts as slightly acid-forming in your daily acid-base balance.
How much lamb's lettuce offsets a cup (150 g) of sweetened condensed milk?
A cup (150 g) of sweetened condensed milk adds +1.4 to your daily balance. Lamb's lettuce (fresh) has −8.3 per 100 g, so about 20 g of lamb's lettuce offset this serving.
Do I have to avoid sweetened condensed milk on an alkaline diet?
No. What counts is the balance of the whole day, not a single food. Condensed milk, sweetened is slightly acid-forming; with enough vegetables, potatoes and fruit on the same plate, the meal stays balanced.
Condensed Milk, Sweetened 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 Dairy: Dairy 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.