Is Cranberry Juice Acidic or Alkaline?
Cranberry juice (raw) is alkaline: Negative PRAL: alkalizing after digestion.
Classification
Cranberry juice comes in at −1.6 per 100 ml, mildly alkaline, because the berries' potassium stays in the juice and the fruit acids are metabolized. Compared with apple or pineapple juice, the effect is a bit weaker. Most products on the shelf are nectars with added sugar, because pure juice tastes very tart. It pays to check the label.
In the Drinks category, cranberry juice (raw) ranks #21 of 80, sorted from alkaline to acid-forming. More alkaline options include Red wine (−1.6), Rosé wine (−1.7), Mulled wine (−1.7). More acid-forming are Peach nectar (−1.4), Fruit spritzer (general) (−1.3), Coffee, instant (−1.2).
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 cranberry juice 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: Cranberry juice (raw) has a PRAL of −1.6 per 100 ml, so it counts as alkaline in your daily acid-base balance.
How much cranberry juice do I need for a noticeable effect?
A glass (200 ml) of cranberry juice adds −3.1 to your daily balance. For comparison: an egg is around +5.4, a slice of cheese around +6. So one serving of cranberry juice roughly offsets one of them.
Why is cranberry juice 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. Cranberry juice provides more potassium, magnesium and calcium than phosphorus and protein, so the balance is negative (−1.6).
Cranberry Juice 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.