Is Pomegranate Juice Acidic or Alkaline?
Pomegranate juice (raw) is alkaline: Negative PRAL: alkalizing after digestion.
Classification
Pomegranate juice comes in at −4.3 per 100 ml, a bit more alkaline than the whole fruit. During pressing, the potassium moves into the juice while the protein-containing kernels stay behind. A small glass has a noticeable alkalizing effect. It also brings 54 kcal per 100 ml with no fiber, though. Diluted as a spritzer, it stays lighter.
In the Drinks category, pomegranate juice (raw) ranks #2 of 80, sorted from alkaline to acid-forming. More alkaline options include Vegetable juice (mixed) (−4.4). More acid-forming are Tomato juice (−4.3), Carrot juice (−3.8), Smoothie, purple (fruits) (−3.1).
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 pomegranate juice 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: Pomegranate juice (raw) has a PRAL of −4.3 per 100 ml, so it counts as alkaline in your daily acid-base balance.
How much pomegranate juice do I need for a noticeable effect?
A glass (200 ml) of pomegranate juice adds −8.7 to your daily balance. For comparison: an egg is around +5.4, a slice of cheese around +6. So one serving of pomegranate juice roughly offsets one of them.
Why is pomegranate juice 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. Pomegranate juice provides more potassium, magnesium and calcium than phosphorus and protein, so the balance is negative (−4.3).
Pomegranate Juice 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 Drinks: Drinks 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.