Is Potato Chips Naturale Acidic or Alkaline?
Potato chips naturale (fried) is strongly alkaline: Negative PRAL: alkalizing after digestion.
Classification
Frying evaporates almost all the water, the potato's potassium multiplies per 100 g, and so potato chips reach −17.0. This is exactly where the value hits its limit: PRAL says nothing about fat and salt, and there is plenty of both in the bag, at 526 kcal per 100 g. Alkaline does not mean recommended. A 30 g handful adds about −5.
In the Sweets & Snacks category, potato chips naturale (fried) ranks #6 of 91, sorted from alkaline to acid-forming. More alkaline options include Cocoa powder (alkalized) (−31.7), Cocoa powder, baking (−35.7). More acid-forming are Sweet potato chips (−15.0), Banana chips (−10.2), Dark chocolate (−6.1).
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 potato chips naturale 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: Potato chips naturale (fried) has a PRAL of −17.0 per 100 g, so it counts as strongly alkaline in your daily acid-base balance.
How much potato chips naturale do I need for a noticeable effect?
A small serving (40 g) of potato chips naturale adds −6.8 to your daily balance. For comparison: an egg is around +5.4, a slice of cheese around +6. So one serving of potato chips naturale roughly offsets one of them.
Why is potato chips naturale 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. Potato chips naturale provides more potassium, magnesium and calcium than phosphorus and protein, so the balance is negative (−17.0).
Potato Chips Naturale logged, balance checked.
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Compare all Sweets & Snacks: Sweets & Snacks 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.