Is Maple Syrup Acidic or Alkaline?
Maple syrup (raw) is strongly alkaline: Negative PRAL: alkalizing after digestion.
Classification
Maple syrup is boiled-down tree sap, and none of the minerals evaporate with the water. Potassium and calcium stay behind in concentrated form, hence the alkaline value of −6.2 per 100 ml. That does not make it a health food. At 240 kcal, it is still sugar. As a sweetener for oatmeal, though, it beats agave syrup, which comes out neutral.
In the Sugar & Sweeteners category, maple syrup (raw) ranks #2 of 12, sorted from alkaline to acid-forming. More alkaline options include Molasses (−42.5). More acid-forming are Brown sugar (−2.1), Honey (−1.2), Glucose (dextrose) (−0.1).
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 maple syrup 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: Maple syrup (raw) has a PRAL of −6.2 per 100 ml, so it counts as strongly alkaline in your daily acid-base balance.
How much maple syrup do I need for a noticeable effect?
Two teaspoons (10 g) of maple syrup adds −0.6 to your daily balance. For comparison: an egg is around +5.4, a slice of cheese around +6. So one serving of maple syrup roughly offsets one of them.
Why is maple syrup 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. Maple syrup provides more potassium, magnesium and calcium than phosphorus and protein, so the balance is negative (−6.2).
Maple Syrup 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 Sugar & Sweeteners: Sugar & Sweeteners 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.