Is Stinging Nettle Acidic or Alkaline?
Stinging nettle (fresh) is strongly alkaline: Negative PRAL: alkalizing after digestion.
Classification
Stinging nettles are a mineral-rich wild herb. The leaves bring a lot of calcium and potassium with moderate protein, resulting in a strongly alkaline −12.6. Blanching removes their stinging hairs, and you can then use them like spinach, for example in soup, quiche or a smoothie. If you forage them yourself in spring, the young shoot tips are best.
In the Vegetables & Salad category, stinging nettle (fresh) ranks #4 of 110, sorted from alkaline to acid-forming. More alkaline options include Spinach (−12.9), Seaweed (−18.6), Sun-dried tomato (−53.8). More acid-forming are Spinach (−12.2), Kale (−11.7), Purslane (−10.3).
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 stinging nettle 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: Stinging nettle (fresh) has a PRAL of −12.6 per 100 g, so it counts as strongly alkaline in your daily acid-base balance.
How much stinging nettle do I need for a noticeable effect?
A serving (150 g) of stinging nettle adds −18.9 to your daily balance. For comparison: an egg is around +5.4, a slice of cheese around +6. So one serving of stinging nettle roughly offsets one of them.
Why is stinging nettle 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. Stinging nettle provides more potassium, magnesium and calcium than phosphorus and protein, so the balance is negative (−12.6).
Stinging Nettle 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.