Is Tzatziki Acidic or Alkaline?
Tzatziki (prepared) is alkaline: Negative PRAL: alkalizing after digestion.
Classification
Tzatziki comes in at −1.2, which makes it slightly alkaline. The grated cucumber, with its potassium and water, more than offsets the milk protein in the yogurt. Garlic and olive oil change little. As a dip with gyros, it is the alkaline element on the plate, even if 100 g only adds about −1. The meat next to it counts many times more.
In the Meals & Fast Food category, tzatziki (prepared) ranks #21 of 118, sorted from alkaline to acid-forming. More alkaline options include Vegetable soup (−1.4), Pea stew (−1.8), Mashed potatoes (instant) (−2.2). More acid-forming are Pea soup (−1.2), Bean soup (−1.1), Onion soup (−1.0).
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 tzatziki 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: Tzatziki (prepared) has a PRAL of −1.2 per 100 g, so it counts as alkaline in your daily acid-base balance.
How much tzatziki do I need for a noticeable effect?
A meal (300 g) of tzatziki adds −3.7 to your daily balance. For comparison: an egg is around +5.4, a slice of cheese around +6. So one serving of tzatziki roughly offsets one of them.
Why is tzatziki 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. Tzatziki provides more potassium, magnesium and calcium than phosphorus and protein, so the balance is negative (−1.2).
Tzatziki 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 Meals & Fast Food: Meals & Fast Food 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.