Is Rye Flour Acidic or Alkaline?
Rye flour (raw) is slightly acid-forming: Positive PRAL: acid-forming after digestion.
Classification
Rye flour is only barely acid-forming at +1.1, because rye brings plenty of potassium, which offsets much of its protein and phosphorus. The whole-grain version is only slightly higher at +1.6, while rice flour comes in at +4.0. A tablespoon is enough to thicken a sauce, and that has practically no effect on your balance.
In the Grains, Bread & Pasta category, rye flour (raw) ranks #10 of 121, sorted from alkaline to acid-forming. More alkaline options include Corn starch (+1.0), Sweet corn (+0.7), Buckwheat bread (+0.2). More acid-forming are Schupfnudeln (potato noodles) (+1.3), Garlic bread (+1.4), Parboiled rice (+1.5).
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.
What balances rye flour
A dry serving (50 g) of rye flour adds +0.6 to your daily balance. These three bring it back; the grams shown offset exactly this serving.
Frequently Asked Questions
Is rye 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: Rye flour (raw) has a PRAL of +1.1 per 100 g, so it counts as slightly acid-forming in your daily acid-base balance.
Do I have to avoid rye flour on an alkaline diet?
No. What counts is the balance of the whole day, not a single food. Rye flour is slightly acid-forming; with enough vegetables, potatoes and fruit on the same plate, the meal stays balanced.
Rye 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.