Are M&M's Milk Chocolate Candies Acidic or Alkaline?
M&M's Milk Chocolate Candies (prepared) are alkaline: Negative PRAL: alkalizing after digestion.
Classification
Milk chocolate M&M's come in at −2.3, slightly alkaline. The cocoa brings potassium and magnesium, and the milk powder adds protein and phosphorus but also calcium. Without the peanut, the value is lower than for the peanut version. It says nothing about sugar or the 466 kcal per 100 g, so it's no reason to open a second bag.
In the Sweets & Snacks category, M&M's Milk Chocolate Candies (prepared) rank #18 of 91, sorted from alkaline to acid-forming. More alkaline options include Trail mix (nuts & raisins) (−2.8), Toblerone (−2.9), Rhubarb cake (−2.9). More acid-forming are Pralines (−2.1), Milk chocolate (−2.1), chocolate hazelnut spread (−1.9).
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
Are M&M's Milk Chocolate Candies 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: M&M's Milk Chocolate Candies (prepared) have a PRAL of −2.3 per 100 g, so they count as alkaline in your daily acid-base balance.
How much M&M's Milk Chocolate Candies do I need for a noticeable effect?
A small serving (40 g) of M&M's Milk Chocolate Candies adds −0.9 to your daily balance. For comparison: an egg is around +5.4, a slice of cheese around +6. So one serving of M&M's Milk Chocolate Candies roughly offsets one of them.
Why are M&M's Milk Chocolate Candies alkaline even though they are not typical alkaline foods?
The PRAL depends on the minerals left over after digestion, not on taste or pH. M&M's Milk Chocolate Candies provide more potassium, magnesium and calcium than phosphorus and protein, so the balance is negative (−2.3).
M&M's Milk Chocolate Candies 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 Sweets & Snacks: Sweets & Snacks 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.