Is Wholemeal Rye Bread Acidic or Alkaline?
Wholemeal rye bread (baked) is acid-forming: Positive PRAL: acid-forming after digestion.
Classification
Wholemeal rye bread reaches +5.3, clearly more than regular rye bread (+3.0), because the outer layers of the grain milled into the flour add extra phosphorus and protein. In return, it provides more fiber and keeps you full longer. A 50 g slice adds a little over +2.6. Top it with tomato, cucumber or radishes and you win back part of that.
In the Grains, Bread & Pasta category, wholemeal rye bread (baked) ranks #68 of 121, sorted from alkaline to acid-forming. More alkaline options include Pearled barley (+5.3), Bulgur (durum wheat) (+5.2), Sprouted wheat (+5.0). More acid-forming are Barley flour (+5.4), Wheat roll (+5.5), Wheat flour (+5.6).
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.
What balances wholemeal rye bread
Two slices (100 g) of wholemeal rye bread adds +5.3 to your daily balance. These three bring it back; the grams shown offset exactly this serving.
Frequently Asked Questions
Is wholemeal rye bread 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: Wholemeal rye bread (baked) has a PRAL of +5.3 per 100 g, so it counts as acid-forming in your daily acid-base balance.
How much spinach offsets two slices (100 g) of wholemeal rye bread?
Two slices (100 g) of wholemeal rye bread adds +5.3 to your daily balance. Spinach (fresh) has −12.2 per 100 g, so about 40 g of spinach offset this serving.
Do I have to avoid wholemeal rye bread on an alkaline diet?
No. What counts is the balance of the whole day, not a single food. Wholemeal rye bread is acid-forming; with enough vegetables, potatoes and fruit on the same plate, the meal stays balanced.
Wholemeal Rye Bread logged, balance checked.
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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.