Is Stevia (Steviol Glycosides) Acidic or Alkaline?
Stevia (steviol glycosides) (raw) is neutral: PRAL close to zero: hardly shifts your acid-base balance.
Classification
Sweet without affecting the balance: stevia in the form of steviol glycosides sits at +0.1 and is neutral, because the pure sweetener contains no protein, phosphorus or minerals in any meaningful amount. Glucose (dextrose) is just as close to zero at −0.1. So which sweetener you use doesn't matter for your acid-base balance. The difference lies in the calories, which are practically zero here.
In the Sugar & Sweeteners category, stevia (steviol glycosides) (raw) ranks #9 of 12, sorted from alkaline to acid-forming. More alkaline options include Fructose (0.0), Powdered sugar (0.0), Table sugar (0.0). More acid-forming are Corn syrup (+0.2), Sweetened cornflakes (+2.5), Sweetened wheat pops (+4.2).
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 stevia (steviol glycosides) 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: Stevia (steviol glycosides) (raw) has a PRAL of +0.1 per 100 g, so it counts as neutral in your daily acid-base balance.
Does stevia (steviol glycosides) count in the acid-base balance at all?
Hardly. At +0.1 per 100 g, stevia (steviol glycosides) is in the neutral range between −0.5 and +0.5. You can eat it without shifting your balance.
Stevia (Steviol Glycosides) 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 Sugar & Sweeteners: Sugar & Sweeteners 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.