Is Dark Chocolate Acidic or Alkaline?
Dark chocolate (prepared) is strongly alkaline: Negative PRAL: alkalizing after digestion.
Classification
The more cocoa, the more alkaline: dark chocolate comes in at −6.1 because cocoa mass contains a lot of potassium and magnesium, and there is little milk powder to offset it. Milk chocolate is at −2.1, white chocolate at −1.5. Two pieces totaling 20 g add roughly −1.2. The PRAL says nothing about the sugar, the fat or the 563 kcal per 100 g.
In the Sweets & Snacks category, dark chocolate (prepared) ranks #9 of 91, sorted from alkaline to acid-forming. More alkaline options include Banana chips (−10.2), Sweet potato chips (−15.0), Potato chips naturale (−17.0). More acid-forming are Coconut macaroons (−5.1), Chocolate chips (−4.4), Stollen (Dresden style) (−4.3).
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.
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Frequently Asked Questions
Is dark chocolate 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: Dark chocolate (prepared) has a PRAL of −6.1 per 100 g, so it counts as strongly alkaline in your daily acid-base balance.
How much dark chocolate do I need for a noticeable effect?
A small serving (40 g) of dark chocolate adds −2.4 to your daily balance. For comparison: an egg is around +5.4, a slice of cheese around +6. So one serving of dark chocolate roughly offsets one of them.
Why is dark chocolate 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. Dark chocolate provides more potassium, magnesium and calcium than phosphorus and protein, so the balance is negative (−6.1).
Dark Chocolate 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 Sweets & Snacks: Sweets & Snacks 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.