Is Table Salt Acidic or Alkaline?
Table salt (raw) is alkaline: Negative PRAL: alkalizing after digestion.
Classification
Table salt sits at −3.5, because the PRAL formula only counts protein, phosphorus, potassium, magnesium and calcium. Sodium and chloride, its main components, aren't included at all, and traces of calcium and magnesium produce the negative value. In practice, this is meaningless: 5 g of salt adds about −0.2. So for salt, alkaline in the PRAL sense doesn't mean that eating more of it makes sense.
In the Herbs, Spices & Sauces category, table salt (raw) ranks #39 of 75, sorted from alkaline to acid-forming. More alkaline options include Barbecue sauce (−4.0), Chives (−4.3), Mint (−4.3). More acid-forming are Vanilla bean (−3.3), Red wine vinegar (−3.3), Nutmeg powder (−3.2).
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 table salt 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: Table salt (raw) has a PRAL of −3.5 per 100 g, so it counts as alkaline in your daily acid-base balance.
How much table salt do I need for a noticeable effect?
A teaspoon (5 g) of table salt adds −0.2 to your daily balance. For comparison: an egg is around +5.4, a slice of cheese around +6. So one serving of table salt roughly offsets one of them.
Why is table salt 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. Table salt provides more potassium, magnesium and calcium than phosphorus and protein, so the balance is negative (−3.5).
Table Salt 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 Herbs, Spices & Sauces: Herbs, Spices & Sauces 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.