Is Yogurt Dressing Acidic or Alkaline?
Yogurt dressing (prepared) is neutral: PRAL close to zero: hardly shifts your acid-base balance.
Classification
At +0.1 per 100 ml, yogurt dressing is practically zero. Oil, lemon and herbs dilute the yogurt's milk protein so much that protein and phosphorus are balanced by potassium and calcium. On your salad, it makes nothing worse and offsets nothing; the lettuce and vegetables in the bowl set the direction.
In the Herbs, Spices & Sauces category, yogurt dressing (prepared) ranks #54 of 75, sorted from alkaline to acid-forming. More alkaline options include Capers (−0.2), Curry sauce (−1.0), Balsamic vinegar (−1.0). More acid-forming are Beef broth, powder (+0.2), White sauce (béchamel) (+0.4), Gravy (+0.5).
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 yogurt dressing 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: Yogurt dressing (prepared) has a PRAL of +0.1 per 100 ml, so it counts as neutral in your daily acid-base balance.
Does yogurt dressing count in the acid-base balance at all?
Hardly. At +0.1 per 100 ml, yogurt dressing is in the neutral range between −0.5 and +0.5. You can eat it without shifting your balance.
Yogurt Dressing 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.