Is Kale Acidic or Alkaline?
Kale (fresh) is strongly alkaline: Negative PRAL: alkalizing after digestion.
Classification
Kale comes in at −11.7, making it one of the most strongly alkaline vegetables grown in Germany. Besides lots of potassium, its leaves carry an unusual amount of calcium, while its protein barely counts. In the classic German winter meal, quantity decides: served with Pinkel sausage and Kassler, a large portion of kale plus potatoes offsets a good part of the acid from the meat. At 53 kcal per 100 g, the kale itself stays light.
In the Vegetables & Salad category, kale (fresh) ranks #6 of 110, sorted from alkaline to acid-forming. More alkaline options include Spinach (−12.2), Stinging nettle (−12.6), Spinach (−12.9). More acid-forming are Purslane (−10.3), Dandelion greens (−9.7), Chicory (−9.3).
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.
Goes well with
Frequently Asked Questions
Is kale 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: Kale (fresh) has a PRAL of −11.7 per 100 g, so it counts as strongly alkaline in your daily acid-base balance.
How much kale do I need for a noticeable effect?
A serving (150 g) of kale adds −17.5 to your daily balance. For comparison: an egg is around +5.4, a slice of cheese around +6. So one serving of kale roughly offsets one of them.
Why is kale 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. Kale provides more potassium, magnesium and calcium than phosphorus and protein, so the balance is negative (−11.7).
Kale 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.