Is Sweet Corn Acidic or Alkaline?
Sweet corn (boiled) is slightly acid-forming: Positive PRAL: acid-forming after digestion.
Classification
Boiled sweet corn is just barely acid-forming at +0.7 because some of the potassium passes into the water during cooking, while protein and phosphorus stay in the kernel. The whole raw kernel is still in negative territory. Even so, an ear of corn is a minor item for your balance compared with the bratwurst that usually sits next to it on the grill.
In the Grains, Bread & Pasta category, sweet corn (boiled) ranks #8 of 121, sorted from alkaline to acid-forming. More alkaline options include Buckwheat bread (+0.2), Potato starch (−0.4), Sweet corn (−1.0). More acid-forming are Corn starch (+1.0), Rye flour (+1.1), Schupfnudeln (potato noodles) (+1.3).
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.
What balances sweet corn
A small side (100 g) of sweet corn adds +0.7 to your daily balance. These three bring it back; the grams shown offset exactly this serving.
Frequently Asked Questions
Is sweet corn 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: Sweet corn (boiled) has a PRAL of +0.7 per 100 g, so it counts as slightly acid-forming in your daily acid-base balance.
How much avocado offsets a small side (100 g) of sweet corn?
A small side (100 g) of sweet corn adds +0.7 to your daily balance. Avocado (ripe) has −9.9 per 100 g, so about 10 g of avocado offset this serving.
Do I have to avoid sweet corn on an alkaline diet?
No. What counts is the balance of the whole day, not a single food. Sweet corn is slightly acid-forming; with enough vegetables, potatoes and fruit on the same plate, the meal stays balanced.
Sweet Corn 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.