Is Lard Acidic or Alkaline?
Lard (raw) is neutral: PRAL close to zero: hardly shifts your acid-base balance.
Classification
For your balance, lard is neutral at +0.1, because rendered fat contains practically no protein, no phosphorus and no alkaline minerals. Whether you fry potatoes in it or use it to enrich red cabbage, your acid-base balance doesn't change. The 900 kcal per 100 g and the cracklings in Griebenschmalz (lard with cracklings) are another matter.
In the Oils & Fats category, lard (raw) ranks #19 of 22, sorted from alkaline to acid-forming. More alkaline options include Olive oil (0.0), Grapeseed oil (0.0), Rapeseed oil (0.0). More acid-forming are Clarified butter (+0.1), Butter (+0.9), Herb butter (garlic butter) (+2.9).
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 lard 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: Lard (raw) has a PRAL of +0.1 per 100 g, so it counts as neutral in your daily acid-base balance.
Does lard count in the acid-base balance at all?
Hardly. At +0.1 per 100 g, lard is in the neutral range between −0.5 and +0.5. You can eat it without shifting your balance.
Lard 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 Oils & Fats: Oils & Fats 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.