Is Papaya Acidic or Alkaline?
Papaya (dried) is strongly alkaline: Negative PRAL: alkalizing after digestion.
Classification
Dried papaya comes in at −28.7 because drying concentrates the fruit's potassium into a fraction of the weight. Fresh, it is −4.5. At 289 kcal per 100 g, though, it is also a sugar concentrate, and it is often candied as well. A 30 g handful adds about −9, in mineral terms as much as half a fresh fruit.
In the Fruit category, papaya (dried) ranks #1 of 80, sorted from alkaline to acid-forming. More acid-forming are Dried apricot (−21.8), Pineapple (−19.2), Dried fig (−17.8).
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.
Papaya: dried, fresh
Same food, different state. All values per 100 g.
| State | PRAL |
|---|---|
| dried | −28.7 |
| fresh | −4.5 |
Goes well with
Frequently Asked Questions
Is papaya 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: Papaya (dried) has a PRAL of −28.7 per 100 g, so it counts as strongly alkaline in your daily acid-base balance.
How much papaya do I need for a noticeable effect?
One piece or a handful (120 g) of papaya adds −34.5 to your daily balance. For comparison: an egg is around +5.4, a slice of cheese around +6. So one serving of papaya roughly offsets one of them.
Why is papaya alkaline even though it tastes sour?
The PRAL depends on the minerals left over after digestion, not on taste or pH. Papaya provides more potassium, magnesium and calcium than phosphorus and protein, so the balance is negative (−28.7).
Papaya, dried or fresh: which is more alkaline?
Papaya (dried) is at −28.7, Papaya (fresh) at −4.5. So the "dried" version is more alkaline. Differences come from water content, cooking water or concentration during drying.
Papaya 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 Fruit: Fruit 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.