Is Sourdough (Starter from Rye Flour) Acidic or Alkaline?
Sourdough (starter from rye flour) (fermented) is slightly acid-forming: Positive PRAL: acid-forming after digestion.
Classification
Rye sourdough starter comes in at +3.6. Fermentation produces lactic and acetic acid, which PRAL doesn't capture at all because your metabolism burns them. The acid-forming value comes from the grain's protein and phosphorus. As a leavening agent, the starter makes up only part of the bread dough, and the finished rye bread ends up at +3.0.
In the Grains, Bread & Pasta category, sourdough (starter from rye flour) (fermented) ranks #43 of 121, sorted from alkaline to acid-forming. More alkaline options include Multigrain roll (+3.5), Croissant (+3.4), Granola (+3.4). More acid-forming are Corn grits (polenta) (+3.7), Spelt pasta (+3.7), Parboiled rice (+3.7).
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 sourdough (starter from rye flour)
A dry serving (50 g) of sourdough (starter from rye flour) adds +1.8 to your daily balance. These three bring it back; the grams shown offset exactly this serving.
Frequently Asked Questions
Is sourdough (starter from 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: Sourdough (starter from rye flour) (fermented) has a PRAL of +3.6 per 100 g, so it counts as slightly acid-forming in your daily acid-base balance.
How much avocado offsets a dry serving (50 g) of sourdough (starter from rye flour)?
A dry serving (50 g) of sourdough (starter from rye flour) adds +1.8 to your daily balance. Avocado (ripe) has −9.9 per 100 g, so about 20 g of avocado offset this serving.
Do I have to avoid sourdough (starter from rye flour) on an alkaline diet?
No. What counts is the balance of the whole day, not a single food. Sourdough (starter from rye flour) is slightly acid-forming; with enough vegetables, potatoes and fruit on the same plate, the meal stays balanced.
Sourdough (Starter from 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.
Free for Android · iPhone coming soon
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.