Is Savoy Cabbage Acidic or Alkaline?
Savoy cabbage (fresh) is alkaline: Negative PRAL: alkalizing after digestion.
Classification
Fresh savoy cabbage comes in at −2.7 and is alkaline, thanks to the potassium and calcium in its crinkled leaves and its low protein content. Cooked, it comes to −1.7, because some of the minerals pass into the cooking water. If you steam it briefly or sauté it in a skillet, you keep more of them. A 200 g serving of fresh savoy cabbage adds roughly −5.
In the Vegetables & Salad category, savoy cabbage (fresh) ranks #77 of 110, sorted from alkaline to acid-forming. More alkaline options include Fennel (−2.8), Iceberg lettuce (−2.8), Yellow bell pepper (−2.9). More acid-forming are Cauliflower (−2.6), Kohlrabi (−2.5), Onion (−2.4).
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.
Savoy cabbage: fresh, cooked
Same food, different state. All values per 100 g.
| State | PRAL |
|---|---|
| fresh | −2.7 |
| cooked | −1.7 |
Goes well with
Frequently Asked Questions
Is savoy cabbage 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: Savoy cabbage (fresh) has a PRAL of −2.7 per 100 g, so it counts as alkaline in your daily acid-base balance.
How much savoy cabbage do I need for a noticeable effect?
A serving (150 g) of savoy cabbage adds −4.0 to your daily balance. For comparison: an egg is around +5.4, a slice of cheese around +6. So one serving of savoy cabbage roughly offsets one of them.
Why is savoy cabbage 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. Savoy cabbage provides more potassium, magnesium and calcium than phosphorus and protein, so the balance is negative (−2.7).
Savoy cabbage, fresh or cooked: which is more alkaline?
Savoy cabbage (fresh) is at −2.7, Savoy cabbage (cooked) at −1.7. So the "fresh" version is more alkaline. Differences come from water content, cooking water or concentration during drying.
Savoy Cabbage logged, balance checked.
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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.