Is Prickly Pear Acidic or Alkaline?
Prickly pear (fresh) is alkaline: Negative PRAL: alkalizing after digestion.
Classification
At −3.0, prickly pears are alkaline because the juicy flesh provides potassium and some magnesium, with protein almost entirely absent. Two peeled fruits, about 200 g together, bring roughly −6 at a little over 100 kcal. Wear gloves when peeling them, since the fine spines on the skin cling stubbornly to your fingers.
In the Fruit category, prickly pear (fresh) ranks #55 of 80, sorted from alkaline to acid-forming. More alkaline options include Starfruit (−3.0), Persimmon (−3.0), Strawberry (−3.0). More acid-forming are Dried mulberries (−2.9), Orange (−2.8), Lychee (−2.7).
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 prickly pear 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: Prickly pear (fresh) has a PRAL of −3.0 per 100 g, so it counts as alkaline in your daily acid-base balance.
How much prickly pear do I need for a noticeable effect?
One piece or a handful (120 g) of prickly pear adds −3.6 to your daily balance. For comparison: an egg is around +5.4, a slice of cheese around +6. So one serving of prickly pear roughly offsets one of them.
Why is prickly pear alkaline even though it tastes sour?
The PRAL depends on the minerals left over after digestion, not on taste or pH. Prickly pear provides more potassium, magnesium and calcium than phosphorus and protein, so the balance is negative (−3.0).
Prickly Pear 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.