Is Spirulina Powder Acidic or Alkaline?
Spirulina powder (raw) is strongly acid-forming: Positive PRAL: acid-forming after digestion.
Classification
Spirulina powder comes in at +15.4, making it clearly acid-forming. The dried algae consists largely of protein, and its minerals aren't enough to offset that. So its reputation as a source of alkalinity doesn't hold up to the math. At a typical amount of one teaspoon, about 3 g, the powder shifts your balance by just under +0.5 and stays unremarkable.
In the Vegetables & Salad category, spirulina powder (raw) ranks #110 of 110, sorted from alkaline to acid-forming. More alkaline options include Wheat sprouts (+5.0), Lentil sprouts (+2.7), Mushrooms (+2.5).
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 spirulina powder
A serving (150 g) of spirulina powder adds +23.2 to your daily balance. These three bring it back; the grams shown offset exactly this serving.
Frequently Asked Questions
Is spirulina powder 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: Spirulina powder (raw) has a PRAL of +15.4 per 100 g, so it counts as strongly acid-forming in your daily acid-base balance.
How much apricot offsets a serving (150 g) of spirulina powder?
A serving (150 g) of spirulina powder adds +23.2 to your daily balance. Apricot (fresh) has −7.2 per 100 g, so about 320 g of apricot offset this serving.
Do I have to avoid spirulina powder on an alkaline diet?
No. What counts is the balance of the whole day, not a single food. Spirulina powder is strongly acid-forming; with enough vegetables, potatoes and fruit on the same plate, the meal stays balanced.
Spirulina Powder 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 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.