Is White Asparagus Acidic or Alkaline?
White asparagus (raw) is alkaline: Negative PRAL: alkalizing after digestion.
Classification
Raw white asparagus comes in at −3.0, making it alkaline, just like raw green asparagus: both bring potassium with little protein. Boiled, the value drops to −1.1, because the peeled spears lose potassium in the cooking water. If you shave it thin for a salad or cook it in the oven, you keep more of it.
In the Vegetables & Salad category, white asparagus (raw) ranks #73 of 110, sorted from alkaline to acid-forming. More alkaline options include Eggplant (−3.0), Carrots (−3.1), Shallot (−3.1). More acid-forming are Yellow bell pepper (−2.9), Iceberg lettuce (−2.8), Fennel (−2.8).
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.
White asparagus: raw, boiled
Same food, different state. All values per 100 g.
| State | PRAL |
|---|---|
| raw | −3.0 |
| boiled | −1.1 |
Goes well with
Frequently Asked Questions
Is white asparagus 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: White asparagus (raw) has a PRAL of −3.0 per 100 g, so it counts as alkaline in your daily acid-base balance.
How much white asparagus do I need for a noticeable effect?
A serving (150 g) of white asparagus adds −4.5 to your daily balance. For comparison: an egg is around +5.4, a slice of cheese around +6. So one serving of white asparagus roughly offsets one of them.
Why is white asparagus 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. White asparagus provides more potassium, magnesium and calcium than phosphorus and protein, so the balance is negative (−3.0).
White asparagus, raw or boiled: which is more alkaline?
White asparagus (raw) is at −3.0, White asparagus (boiled) at −1.1. So the "raw" version is more alkaline. Differences come from water content, cooking water or concentration during drying.
White Asparagus 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.