What is the potential renal acid load (PRAL)?
The Potential Renal Acid Load (PRAL) is the amount of acid or base your body produces from your diet. Foods that are higher in protein and phosphorus are more acid forming (positive PRAL). Foods that are higher in potassium, magnesium, and calcium are more alkaline forming (negative or neutral PRAL). In general, animal protein is acid forming/higher PRAL and fruits and vegetables are alkaline forming/negative PRAL.
Why should you care about PRAL if you have kidney disease?
Because the kidneys help regulate acid/base balance! As kidney function declines, it is harder for the kidneys to remove acid from the body. The kidneys have to work harder to buffer a diet with a high dietary acid load. If you have kidney disease, you want to consume a diet that is overall negative or neutral PRAL and therefore easier on the kidneys.
What does a low PRAL diet look like?
Whether you eat meat/animal protein or not, the goal should be to get more fruits and vegetables in the diet because they help lower the potential acid load of your meal and overall diet! If you can fill up half your plate with vegetables and fruit that meet your individual potassium needs, you are on the right track!
For example, a meal consisting of 3 ounces tofu, 1 cup cooked broccoli, and 1 cup cooked brown rice is +0.9 PRAL. So basically neutral. A similar meal consisting of 3 ounces chicken, 1 cup cooked broccoli, and 1 cup white rice is +11.6 PRAL! So very acid forming.
In general, fruits and veggies are negative PRAL, plant proteins (legumes, nuts, seeds, tofu, tempeh, and grains) are neutral or slightly positive and animal products (cheese, meat, fish, eggs, and poultry) are positive PRAL.
Start eating a lower PRAL diet for your kidney health!
If you’re not sure which fruits and vegetables to be eating, you can download my FREE Low-Moderate Potassium Grocery List!
This list will help you get started at the grocery store and know which fruits, veggies, and other whole plant foods can help you eat an overall negative or neutral PRAL diet!
