Is Egg Yolk Acidic or Alkaline?
Egg yolk (raw) is strongly acid-forming: Positive PRAL: acid-forming after digestion.
Classification
At +24.6, egg yolk is the acid-forming part of the egg. Practically all the phosphorus sits here, plus a lot of protein and fat, and there's hardly any potassium. Egg white comes in at a fraction of that. That's why mayonnaise, hollandaise or carbonara get their acid load from the yolk, not from the oil or the cream. At 345 kcal per 100 g, the yolk also supplies a good share of their energy.
In the Eggs category, egg yolk (raw) ranks #7 of 7, sorted from alkaline to acid-forming. More alkaline options include Egg (+10.6), Fried egg (+10.6), Quail egg (+10.3).
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.
What balances egg yolk
One egg (60 g) of egg yolk adds +14.8 to your daily balance. These three bring it back; the grams shown offset exactly this serving.
Frequently Asked Questions
Is egg yolk 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: Egg yolk (raw) has a PRAL of +24.6 per 100 g, so it counts as strongly acid-forming in your daily acid-base balance.
How much spinach offsets one egg (60 g) of egg yolk?
One egg (60 g) of egg yolk adds +14.8 to your daily balance. Spinach (fresh) has −12.2 per 100 g, so about 120 g of spinach offset this serving.
Do I have to avoid egg yolk on an alkaline diet?
No. What counts is the balance of the whole day, not a single food. Egg yolk is strongly acid-forming; with enough vegetables, potatoes and fruit on the same plate, the meal stays balanced.
Egg Yolk 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 Eggs: Eggs 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.