Is Curry Ketchup Acidic or Alkaline?
Curry ketchup (prepared) is strongly alkaline: Negative PRAL: alkalizing after digestion.
Classification
Curry ketchup is mostly tomato paste, sugar, vinegar and curry powder. Both the concentrated tomato paste and the spice bring plenty of potassium: −6.5 per 100 ml. Still, the sauce can't offset the currywurst underneath, because too little of it ends up on the plate. The PRAL says nothing about the sugar or the 98 kcal per 100 ml.
In the Herbs, Spices & Sauces category, curry ketchup (prepared) ranks #30 of 75, sorted from alkaline to acid-forming. More alkaline options include Basil (−6.5), Ginger powder (−6.7), Ginger root (−6.7). More acid-forming are Rosemary (−6.2), Thyme (−5.8), Chicken broth, powder (−5.5).
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 curry ketchup 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: Curry ketchup (prepared) has a PRAL of −6.5 per 100 ml, so it counts as strongly alkaline in your daily acid-base balance.
How much curry ketchup do I need for a noticeable effect?
A teaspoon (5 g) of curry ketchup adds −0.3 to your daily balance. For comparison: an egg is around +5.4, a slice of cheese around +6. So one serving of curry ketchup roughly offsets one of them.
Why is curry ketchup 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. Curry ketchup provides more potassium, magnesium and calcium than phosphorus and protein, so the balance is negative (−6.5).
Curry Ketchup 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 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.