Is Millet Flour Acidic or Alkaline?
Millet flour (raw) is acid-forming: Positive PRAL: acid-forming after digestion.
Classification
Millet flour sits in the acid-forming range at +6.5, slightly below the whole kernel, because part of the phosphorus-rich hulls is lost during milling. Its reputation as an alkaline grain doesn't hold up to the math. Protein and phosphorus dominate. It's still a good ingredient in gluten-free baking, just not an alkaline source. The 378 kcal per 100 g apply to the dry flour.
In the Grains, Bread & Pasta category, millet flour (raw) ranks #90 of 121, sorted from alkaline to acid-forming. More alkaline options include Buckwheat (+6.5), Wheat flour type 1050 (+6.5), Whole wheat flour (+6.3). More acid-forming are Protein bread (+6.6), Egg noodles, fresh (+6.7), Buckwheat flour (+6.7).
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.
What balances millet flour
A dry serving (50 g) of millet flour adds +3.3 to your daily balance. These three bring it back; the grams shown offset exactly this serving.
Frequently Asked Questions
Is millet flour 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: Millet flour (raw) has a PRAL of +6.5 per 100 g, so it counts as acid-forming in your daily acid-base balance.
How much kale offsets a dry serving (50 g) of millet flour?
A dry serving (50 g) of millet flour adds +3.3 to your daily balance. Kale (fresh) has −11.7 per 100 g, so about 30 g of kale offset this serving.
Do I have to avoid millet flour on an alkaline diet?
No. What counts is the balance of the whole day, not a single food. Millet flour is acid-forming; with enough vegetables, potatoes and fruit on the same plate, the meal stays balanced.
Millet Flour 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 Grains, Bread & Pasta: Grains, Bread & Pasta 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.