Is Corn Syrup Acidic or Alkaline?
Corn syrup (raw) is neutral: PRAL close to zero: hardly shifts your acid-base balance.
Classification
Corn syrup is practically at zero with +0.2 per 100 ml because it is almost entirely sugar and water, with no significant protein or minerals. It doesn't register in your acid-base balance, and the value says nothing about the 318 kcal per 100 ml. Molasses is the opposite: it keeps the minerals of cane sugar and sits deep in the alkaline range.
In the Sugar & Sweeteners category, corn syrup (raw) ranks #10 of 12, sorted from alkaline to acid-forming. More alkaline options include Stevia (steviol glycosides) (+0.1), Fructose (0.0), Powdered sugar (0.0). More acid-forming are Sweetened cornflakes (+2.5), Sweetened wheat pops (+4.2).
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 corn syrup 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: Corn syrup (raw) has a PRAL of +0.2 per 100 ml, so it counts as neutral in your daily acid-base balance.
Does corn syrup count in the acid-base balance at all?
Hardly. At +0.2 per 100 ml, corn syrup is in the neutral range between −0.5 and +0.5. You can eat it without shifting your balance.
Corn Syrup 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 Sugar & Sweeteners: Sugar & Sweeteners 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.