Is Red Currant Acidic or Alkaline?
Red currant (fresh) is strongly alkaline: Negative PRAL: alkalizing after digestion.
Classification
Despite their distinctly sour taste, red currants come in at −5.3 because they provide potassium with hardly any protein, and your metabolism breaks down the fruit acids. Black currants are only slightly lower. In red fruit jelly or compote, the potassium stays in the pot, and the sugar doesn't change the balance.
In the Fruit category, red currant (fresh) ranks #24 of 80, sorted from alkaline to acid-forming. More alkaline options include Cantaloupe (−5.4), Black currant (−5.5), Banana (−6.4). More acid-forming are Dried cranberry (−5.1), Guava (−5.1), Kiwifruit (−4.9).
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.
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Frequently Asked Questions
Is red currant 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: Red currant (fresh) has a PRAL of −5.3 per 100 g, so it counts as strongly alkaline in your daily acid-base balance.
How much red currant do I need for a noticeable effect?
One piece or a handful (120 g) of red currant adds −6.3 to your daily balance. For comparison: an egg is around +5.4, a slice of cheese around +6. So one serving of red currant roughly offsets one of them.
Why is red currant alkaline even though it tastes sour?
The PRAL depends on the minerals left over after digestion, not on taste or pH. Red currant provides more potassium, magnesium and calcium than phosphorus and protein, so the balance is negative (−5.3).
Red Currant 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.