Is Powdered Sugar Acidic or Alkaline?
Powdered sugar (raw) is neutral: PRAL close to zero: hardly shifts your acid-base balance.
Classification
Powdered sugar sits at 0.0, because pure sugar contains no protein, no phosphorus and no significant minerals. The idea that sugar makes you acidic can't be backed up with PRAL; the formula simply doesn't see it. But the value also says nothing about the 400 kcal per 100 g or about blood sugar, and the amount dusted on a cake is usually smaller than you think.
In the Sugar & Sweeteners category, powdered sugar (raw) ranks #7 of 12, sorted from alkaline to acid-forming. More alkaline options include Glucose (dextrose) (−0.1), Honey (−1.2), Brown sugar (−2.1). More acid-forming are Fructose (0.0), Stevia (steviol glycosides) (+0.1), Corn syrup (+0.2).
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.
Goes well with
Frequently Asked Questions
Is powdered sugar 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: Powdered sugar (raw) has a PRAL of 0.0 per 100 g, so it counts as neutral in your daily acid-base balance.
Does powdered sugar count in the acid-base balance at all?
Hardly. At 0.0 per 100 g, powdered sugar is in the neutral range between −0.5 and +0.5. You can eat it without shifting your balance.
Powdered Sugar 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.
Free for Android · iPhone coming soon
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.