Is Sun-dried Tomato Acidic or Alkaline?
Sun-dried tomato (dried) is strongly alkaline: Negative PRAL: alkalizing after digestion.
Classification
Sun-dried tomatoes reach −53.8, an extremely alkaline value that comes purely from concentration. Fresh tomatoes are at −4.2, and drying removes most of the water while the potassium stays. Four pieces totaling 20 g add about −11. When they are packed in oil, the oil dilutes the value per 100 g somewhat, and the calories go up.
In the Vegetables & Salad category, sun-dried tomato (dried) ranks #1 of 110, sorted from alkaline to acid-forming. More acid-forming are Seaweed (−18.6), Spinach (−12.9), Stinging nettle (−12.6).
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.
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Frequently Asked Questions
Is sun-dried tomato 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: Sun-dried tomato (dried) has a PRAL of −53.8 per 100 g, so it counts as strongly alkaline in your daily acid-base balance.
How much sun-dried tomato do I need for a noticeable effect?
A serving (150 g) of sun-dried tomato adds −80.7 to your daily balance. For comparison: an egg is around +5.4, a slice of cheese around +6. So one serving of sun-dried tomato roughly offsets one of them.
Why is sun-dried tomato 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. Sun-dried tomato provides more potassium, magnesium and calcium than phosphorus and protein, so the balance is negative (−53.8).
Sun-dried Tomato 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.