Is Skim Milk Acidic or Alkaline?
Skim milk (raw) is neutral: PRAL close to zero: hardly shifts your acid-base balance.
Classification
Skim milk is neutral at +0.1 per 100 ml. Calcium and potassium almost exactly offset the milk's protein and phosphorus, and skimming doesn't change that because fat doesn't count. Whole milk lands at the same value, just with almost twice the calories. Milk only starts to matter once it's concentrated into cheese or quark.
In the Dairy category, skim milk (raw) ranks #14 of 25, sorted from alkaline to acid-forming. More alkaline options include Milk (3.7% fat) (+0.1), Lactose-free milk (+0.1), Milk, low-fat (+0.1). More acid-forming are Greek yogurt (+0.2), Sour cream (+0.2), Kefir (+0.2).
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.
Goes well with
Frequently Asked Questions
Is skim milk 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: Skim milk (raw) has a PRAL of +0.1 per 100 ml, so it counts as neutral in your daily acid-base balance.
Does skim milk count in the acid-base balance at all?
Hardly. At +0.1 per 100 ml, skim milk is in the neutral range between −0.5 and +0.5. You can eat it without shifting your balance.
Skim Milk 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 Dairy: Dairy 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.