Is Rice Flour Acidic or Alkaline?
Rice flour (raw) is slightly acid-forming: Positive PRAL: acid-forming after digestion.
Classification
Rice flour comes in at +4.0 because the dry flour concentrates the protein and phosphorus of the rice grain, while polished rice brings hardly any potassium. For comparison, light rye flour is only +1.1. In a dough, water and fat dilute the value per 100 g, so finished gluten-free baked goods come in lower than the flour itself. Fillings and toppings then also play a role.
In the Grains, Bread & Pasta category, rice flour (raw) ranks #52 of 121, sorted from alkaline to acid-forming. More alkaline options include Corn pasta (+3.9), White toast bread (+3.9), Flatbread (+3.8). More acid-forming are Baguette (+4.1), Wholemeal pasta (+4.2), Wholemeal spaghetti (+4.2).
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.
What balances rice flour
A dry serving (50 g) of rice flour adds +2.0 to your daily balance. These three bring it back; the grams shown offset exactly this serving.
Frequently Asked Questions
Is rice flour 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: Rice flour (raw) has a PRAL of +4.0 per 100 g, so it counts as slightly acid-forming in your daily acid-base balance.
How much kale offsets a dry serving (50 g) of rice flour?
A dry serving (50 g) of rice flour adds +2.0 to your daily balance. Kale (fresh) has −11.7 per 100 g, so about 20 g of kale offset this serving.
Do I have to avoid rice flour on an alkaline diet?
No. What counts is the balance of the whole day, not a single food. Rice flour is slightly acid-forming; with enough vegetables, potatoes and fruit on the same plate, the meal stays balanced.
Rice Flour 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 Grains, Bread & Pasta: Grains, Bread & Pasta 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.