Is Miso (Soybean Paste) Acidic or Alkaline?
Miso (soybean paste) (fermented) is strongly alkaline: Negative PRAL: alkalizing after digestion.
Classification
Miso comes in at −13.0, clearly in the alkaline range. The fermented soybean paste brings plenty of potassium and magnesium, which clearly outweigh the protein, and sodium doesn't appear in the formula. Yet salt is exactly what miso has plenty of. An 18 g tablespoon for a soup adds about −2; in finished miso soup, it's heavily diluted.
In the Herbs, Spices & Sauces category, miso (soybean paste) (fermented) ranks #21 of 75, sorted from alkaline to acid-forming. More alkaline options include Dill (−13.1), Vegetable broth, powder (−14.1), Bay leaf (−17.2). More acid-forming are Agar-agar (−9.8), Coriander leaves (−9.7), Parsley root (−9.5).
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 miso (soybean paste) 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: Miso (soybean paste) (fermented) has a PRAL of −13.0 per 100 g, so it counts as strongly alkaline in your daily acid-base balance.
How much miso (soybean paste) do I need for a noticeable effect?
A teaspoon (5 g) of miso (soybean paste) adds −0.7 to your daily balance. For comparison: an egg is around +5.4, a slice of cheese around +6. So one serving of miso (soybean paste) roughly offsets one of them.
Why is miso (soybean paste) 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. Miso (soybean paste) provides more potassium, magnesium and calcium than phosphorus and protein, so the balance is negative (−13.0).
Miso (Soybean Paste) 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 Herbs, Spices & Sauces: Herbs, Spices & Sauces 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.