Is Cress Acidic or Alkaline?
Cress (fresh) is alkaline: Negative PRAL: alkalizing after digestion.
Classification
Cress is alkaline at −3.1. The young seed leaves bring potassium and calcium, but the value is milder than for coriander or parsley. The typical amount on a slice of buttered bread is only a few grams anyway. A whole container stirred into quark or sprinkled over scrambled eggs adds more flavor than balance.
In the Herbs, Spices & Sauces category, cress (fresh) ranks #43 of 75, sorted from alkaline to acid-forming. More alkaline options include Nutmeg powder (−3.2), Red wine vinegar (−3.3), Vanilla bean (−3.3). More acid-forming are Sea salt (−2.0), Apple cider vinegar (−2.0), Mushroom gravy (−1.8).
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 cress 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: Cress (fresh) has a PRAL of −3.1 per 100 g, so it counts as alkaline in your daily acid-base balance.
How much cress do I need for a noticeable effect?
A teaspoon (5 g) of cress adds −0.2 to your daily balance. For comparison: an egg is around +5.4, a slice of cheese around +6. So one serving of cress roughly offsets one of them.
Why is cress 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. Cress provides more potassium, magnesium and calcium than phosphorus and protein, so the balance is negative (−3.1).
Cress 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.
Free for Android · iPhone coming soon
Compare all Herbs, Spices & Sauces: Herbs, Spices & Sauces 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.