Is Plantain Acidic or Alkaline?
Plantain (fresh) is strongly alkaline: Negative PRAL: alkalizing after digestion.
Classification
Plantains are clearly alkaline at −9.0, because the starchy flesh brings plenty of potassium with little protein. You rarely eat them raw. When fried, the potassium stays in the fruit. When boiled, some of it goes into the water. In Caribbean and West African cooking, plantains take the place of potatoes and offer some counterweight to the beans, rice and meat on the plate.
In the Fruit category, plantain (fresh) ranks #15 of 80, sorted from alkaline to acid-forming. More alkaline options include Pear (−9.2), Avocado (−9.9), Apple (−10.2). More acid-forming are Sapote (−8.4), Durian (−7.8), Date (−7.8).
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.
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Frequently Asked Questions
Is plantain 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: Plantain (fresh) has a PRAL of −9.0 per 100 g, so it counts as strongly alkaline in your daily acid-base balance.
How much plantain do I need for a noticeable effect?
One piece or a handful (120 g) of plantain adds −10.8 to your daily balance. For comparison: an egg is around +5.4, a slice of cheese around +6. So one serving of plantain roughly offsets one of them.
Why is plantain alkaline even though it tastes sour?
The PRAL depends on the minerals left over after digestion, not on taste or pH. Plantain provides more potassium, magnesium and calcium than phosphorus and protein, so the balance is negative (−9.0).
Plantain 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.