Is Molasses Acidic or Alkaline?
Molasses (raw) is strongly alkaline: Negative PRAL: alkalizing after digestion.
Classification
Molasses reaches −42.5 per 100 ml because potassium, calcium and magnesium stay behind in the dark syrup when cane sugar is refined. A 7 ml teaspoon adds about −3, roughly as much as two mandarins. White sugar loses exactly these minerals, so it doesn't show up in the balance at all.
In the Sugar & Sweeteners category, molasses (raw) ranks #1 of 12, sorted from alkaline to acid-forming. More acid-forming are Maple syrup (−6.2), Brown sugar (−2.1), Honey (−1.2).
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 molasses 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: Molasses (raw) has a PRAL of −42.5 per 100 ml, so it counts as strongly alkaline in your daily acid-base balance.
How much molasses do I need for a noticeable effect?
Two teaspoons (10 g) of molasses adds −4.3 to your daily balance. For comparison: an egg is around +5.4, a slice of cheese around +6. So one serving of molasses roughly offsets one of them.
Why is molasses 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. Molasses provides more potassium, magnesium and calcium than phosphorus and protein, so the balance is negative (−42.5).
Molasses 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.