Is Rhubarb Acidic or Alkaline?
Rhubarb (fresh) is strongly alkaline: Negative PRAL: alkalizing after digestion.
Classification
Despite its sour taste, rhubarb is clearly alkaline at −6.8. The stalks are almost all water and bring a lot of potassium and hardly any protein. The sourness you taste says nothing about the balance after metabolism. As a compote or cake topping, rhubarb needs plenty of sugar, which dilutes the value per 100 g but does not reverse it.
In the Vegetables & Salad category, rhubarb (fresh) ranks #16 of 110, sorted from alkaline to acid-forming. More alkaline options include Arugula (−7.1), Horseradish (−7.6), Swiss chard (−7.8). More acid-forming are Potato (−6.6), Potato (−6.5), Fennel (−6.5).
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 rhubarb 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: Rhubarb (fresh) has a PRAL of −6.8 per 100 g, so it counts as strongly alkaline in your daily acid-base balance.
How much rhubarb do I need for a noticeable effect?
A serving (150 g) of rhubarb adds −10.3 to your daily balance. For comparison: an egg is around +5.4, a slice of cheese around +6. So one serving of rhubarb roughly offsets one of them.
Why is rhubarb 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. Rhubarb provides more potassium, magnesium and calcium than phosphorus and protein, so the balance is negative (−6.8).
Rhubarb 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 Vegetables & Salad: Vegetables & Salad 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.