Are Green Olives Acidic or Alkaline?
Green olives (canned) are alkaline: Negative PRAL: alkalizing after digestion.
Classification
Green olives from a jar are slightly alkaline at −1.2 because they supply fat and some calcium and potassium but hardly any protein. The brine mainly adds sodium, which does not appear in the PRAL calculation. Ten olives with an aperitif weigh about 30 g and add just under −0.4, which doesn't matter in your daily balance.
In the Vegetables & Salad category, green olives (canned) rank #91 of 110, sorted from alkaline to acid-forming. More alkaline options include Broccoli (−1.3), Seaweed (wakame) (−1.3), Pilz Shiitake (−1.4). More acid-forming are White asparagus (−1.1), Pumpkin (field pumpkin) (−1.1), Asparagus (−1.0).
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
Are green olives 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: Green olives (canned) have a PRAL of −1.2 per 100 g, so they count as alkaline in your daily acid-base balance.
How much green olives do I need for a noticeable effect?
A serving (150 g) of green olives adds −1.9 to your daily balance. For comparison: an egg is around +5.4, a slice of cheese around +6. So one serving of green olives roughly offsets one of them.
Why are green olives alkaline even though they are not typical alkaline foods?
The PRAL depends on the minerals left over after digestion, not on taste or pH. Green olives provide more potassium, magnesium and calcium than phosphorus and protein, so the balance is negative (−1.2).
Green Olives 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 Vegetables & Salad: Vegetables & Salad 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.