Potential renal acid load of non-dairy plant-based milk alternatives

The market for plant-based milk alternatives has been growing continuously within the last years, and numerous new food items including almond, oat, and soy milk are nowadays commercially available. The impact of said foods on the acid-base balance in humans has been rarely assessed but is of great importance for individuals who adopt an alkaline diet for health reasons. Using the Potential Renal Acid Load (PRAL) score as a measurement of the amount of acid or base a certain food produces in the human body, we analyzed n = 39 plant-based milk items available on the German market. For this cross-sectional study, we used manufacturer-derived data and aimed to compare the PRAL values of different plant-based milks. The median PRAL score for all plant-based milk alternatives was -0.23 (2.14) mEq/100 ml, and indicated a slightly alkalizing potential. Soy milks yielded, on average, the lowest PRAL score (-1.11 & PLUSMN; 1.14 mEq/100 ml), whereas mixed milks were slightly acidifying (mean PRAL score: 0.19 & PLUSMN; 0.39 mEq/100 ml). When compared to the PRAL value of cow's milk, plant-based milk alternatives were slightly more alkaline. Our results allow for a better characterization of plant-based milk alternatives and are useful for individuals and researchers that aim to estimate the potential renal acid load from a growing group of food items.