Is Iceberg Lettuce Acidic or Alkaline?
Iceberg lettuce (fresh) is alkaline: Negative PRAL: alkalizing after digestion.
Classification
Iceberg lettuce is largely water with a bit of potassium, enough for −2.8 at just 15 kcal. That makes it alkaline, but less so than chicory, endive or Chinese cabbage, which bring more minerals. The dressing matters most anyway: oil and vinegar leave the minus intact, while a Caesar dressing with Parmesan and egg yolk wipes it out.
In the Vegetables & Salad category, iceberg lettuce (fresh) ranks #75 of 110, sorted from alkaline to acid-forming. More alkaline options include Yellow bell pepper (−2.9), White asparagus (−3.0), Green asparagus (−3.0). More acid-forming are Savoy cabbage (−2.7), Cauliflower (−2.6), Kohlrabi (−2.5).
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.
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Frequently Asked Questions
Is iceberg lettuce 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: Iceberg lettuce (fresh) has a PRAL of −2.8 per 100 g, so it counts as alkaline in your daily acid-base balance.
How much iceberg lettuce do I need for a noticeable effect?
A serving (150 g) of iceberg lettuce adds −4.1 to your daily balance. For comparison: an egg is around +5.4, a slice of cheese around +6. So one serving of iceberg lettuce roughly offsets one of them.
Why is iceberg lettuce 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. Iceberg lettuce provides more potassium, magnesium and calcium than phosphorus and protein, so the balance is negative (−2.8).
Iceberg Lettuce 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 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.