Is Provolone Cheese Acidic or Alkaline?
Provolone cheese (raw) is strongly acid-forming: Positive PRAL: acid-forming after digestion.
Classification
Provolone, at +19.4, is clearly acid-forming. Aging and pressing draw out water and concentrate protein and phosphorus, while the potassium drains off with the whey. Parmesan is even higher, mozzarella well below. Two slices on a sandwich weigh about 40 g and give about +8. Only plenty of vegetables on the side can help with that.
In the Cheese category, provolone cheese (raw) ranks #31 of 37, sorted from alkaline to acid-forming. More alkaline options include Butter cheese (+19.1), Edam cheese (+18.7), Paneer cheese (+17.9). More acid-forming are Harz cheese (sour milk cheese) (+20.4), Gruyere cheese (+20.5), Appenzeller cheese (+20.9).
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.
What balances provolone cheese
A slice (30 g) of provolone cheese adds +5.8 to your daily balance. These three bring it back; the grams shown offset exactly this serving.
Frequently Asked Questions
Is provolone cheese 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: Provolone cheese (raw) has a PRAL of +19.4 per 100 g, so it counts as strongly acid-forming in your daily acid-base balance.
How much spinach offsets a slice (30 g) of provolone cheese?
A slice (30 g) of provolone cheese adds +5.8 to your daily balance. Spinach (fresh) has −12.2 per 100 g, so about 50 g of spinach offset this serving.
Do I have to avoid provolone cheese on an alkaline diet?
No. What counts is the balance of the whole day, not a single food. Provolone cheese is strongly acid-forming; with enough vegetables, potatoes and fruit on the same plate, the meal stays balanced.
Provolone Cheese logged, balance checked.
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Compare all Cheese: Cheese 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.