Is Broccoli acidic? Broccoli and Acid Reflux: Good or bad
Medically reviewed by Christiana George Updated Date: January 2, 2026
Broccoli is a member of the cabbage family known for its high fiber content and anticancer properties. In addition, it’s often touted as one of the healthiest vegetables on the planet because of its high concentration of antioxidants. It’s also a great source of vitamin C, folate, and calcium. But, despite being loaded with nutrients, many still want to know – is broccoli acidic?
Broccoli has slightly acidic PH of around 6.30-6.85. Since it is almost neutral, it does not make the environment within the stomach more acidic. Even though broccoli is slightly acidic, it actually functions as an alkaline-producing agent within the body. In addition, broccoli contains essential vitamins like A, C, and K. It is rich in antioxidants and fibers, which improve eye health, reduce cancer risk, and help to maintain healthy blood pressure.
Read on to find out more information about whether or not broccoli is acidic.
Broccoli – Acidic, Alkaline, or Neutral?
Broccoli has a PH of around 6.30 – 6.85, which is slightly acidic.
Since broccoli is almost neutral, it does not provoke acid reflux symptoms for most GERD sufferers. Moreover, broccoli actually functions as an alkaline-forming compound in the body.
This means that eating broccoli leads to formation of alkaline compounds in the body. This does not, however, change the body’s pH. The body’s pH is regulated very tightly, and not affected by foods.
So, broccoli is slightly acidic – but close to neutral, is unlikely to provoke GERD symptoms, and has no effect on the body’s pH.
pH of Broccoli
The pH of Broccoli is around 6.30-6.85. The table shows the pH of Broccoli in different types and forms.
| Broccoli | pH Value (Approximate) |
| Broccoli ( Fresh or Raw) | 6.70 |
| Broccoli (Steamed) | 6.62 |
| Broccoli ( Boiled) | 6.88 |
| Broccoli ( Baked) | 6.13 |
| Broccoli, frozen, cooked | 6.30 – 6.85 |
| Broccoli, Rabe | 6-7 |
Broccoli acid reflux: Is this True?
Broccoli is a vegetable loaded with lots of nutritional benefits. It is a member of the brassica family, which also includes cabbage and brussel sprouts. Broccoli contains high levels of vitamins A, C, K, lutein, and folate. It is also an excellent source of fiber, calcium, and iron.
However, this leafy green is not without its downsides. Like many other cruciferous vegetables, broccoli is high in sulfur compounds.
While not harmful for your health, foods high in sulfur can have some unpleasant effects. Sulfur compounds are the cause of the odors associated with passing gas.
So, the sulfur in broccoli is definitely not unhealthy, but it does make your flatulence more odorous.
Despite the smells that may be associated, broccoli has a number of health benefits.
- Vitamin C has a beneficial role in reducing inflammation in the body. It is also important in various tissues’ ability to heal.
- The folates present in broccoli also reduce acid reflux symptoms. In fact, a research study concluded that regular intake of B vitamins reduces the risk of esophagitis ( a condition caused by acid reflux).
But, if your acid reflux is associated with gas or indigestion, foods like broccoli can intensify these associated symptoms. This is because broccoli contains a significant amount of dietary fiber, which is not digested by the human digestive system. Eating broccoli can lead to gas within the digestive system, which can cause a sense of bloating.
Also read:
Are Mangoes Acidic? [Mango And Acid Reflux Good Or Bad]
Is broccoli rabe acidic?
Broccoli rabe has a pH of around 6-7, which is very slightly acidic. But once cooked it becomes alkaline. Broccoli rabe is a rich source of vitamins like A, C, and K.
It is high in folates and fibers that keep you full for a long time. Broccoli rabe is rich in water. It aids in digestion, improves vision, and contains folic acid, which is known to be important in preventing some types of birth abnormalities.
Is steamed broccoli acidic?
The pH of steamed broccoli does not differ significantly from the pH of raw broccoli. You can eat your broccoli the way you want either cooked or steamed.
Steaming is a better way of cooking vegetables than boiling. When vegetables are boiled, a lot of their vitamin and mineral contents are lost in the cooking water. When vegetables are steamed, these nutrients remain in the vegetable. So, steamed broccoli is a great choice!
Is broccoli cheese soup acidic?
Broccoli cheddar soup is delicious, and a hearty fall favorite of many people. Here, the concern is not necessarily the pH. Broccoli cheese soup is a heavy, cream-based soup.
Because of these characteristics, it can trigger GERD gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD) symptoms. GERD is a condition in which stomach acid is allowed to flow up into the esophagus, irritating the lining of the esophagus.
For those who suffer from GERD, it is preferable to eat broth-based soups instead of heavier, cream-based soups. So, regardless of pH considerations, broccoli cheddar soup may not be the best option for GERD sufferers.
7 Ways in which broccoli is good for you
Broccoli is good for you because it’s a great source of vitamin C, vitamin K, and dietary fiber. It can also help maintain a healthy weight and reduce the risk of heart disease, cancer, and other chronic diseases.
| Nutrients Name | Amount per 91 grams raw Broccoli |
| Carbohydrate | 6 grams |
| Protein | 2.6 gram |
| Fat | 0.3 grams |
| Fiber | 2.4 grams |
| Vitamin C | 135% of the RDI |
| Vitamin B9 (Folate) | 14% of the RDI |
| Potassium | 8% of the RDI |
| Phosphorus | 6% of the RDI |
| Selenium | 3% of the RDI |
| Vitamin A | 11% of the RDI |
| Vitamin K | 116% of the RDI |
Detoxification of harmful contaminants
Phytochemicals such as glucoraphanin, and glucobrassicin have significant roles in the human body. These components help detoxify the body. It helps neutralize the stomach acids and remove harmful compounds from the body.
Reducing Obesity
Study found, Broccolis microgreens juice helps to lose weight by enhancing insulin sensitivity and modulating gut microbiota.
Broccoli contains compounds like glucosinolates which are converted to secondary metabolites during digestion. These compounds directly interfere with myrosinase enzymes. It is important in breaking down body fat.
Cardiac health
Broccoli is heart healthy. Because High amounts of selenium and glucosinolates in broccoli produce redox-regulated cardioprotective protein thioredoxin which help our heart keep healthy.
Broccoli keeps blood vessels strong. It has anti-inflammatory properties. It may stop or help reverse damage to blood vessel lining.
Good vision
You have probably heard that carrots are good for the eyes. They are! And the reason is that they contain lutein, which is an antioxidant known to be important in preserving eye health. Lutein is also present in broccoli. Another important component of broccoli is zeaxanthin, which helps protect against cataracts and lens clouding.
Lowering cholesterol
Broccoli helps in lowering cholesterol. The fiber in broccoli binds with the cholesterol in the blood, which facilitates the excretion of cholesterol from the body. This leads to a reduction of cholesterol levels in the blood.
Cancer prevention
The most crucial health benefit of broccoli is its cancer-fighting ability. Broccoli is a cruciferous vegetable. All the vegetables of this group can combat various stomach and intestinal cancers.
Two important components of broccoli are sulforaphane and indole 3-carbinol. These compounds act as detoxifying enzymes. They also regulate estrogen levels that help in fighting breast cancers.
Supports a Healthy Immune System
Broccoli contains a lot of vitamin C, which helps to boost immunity by boosting white blood cells and antibodies. It also has antioxidant properties, which protect cells from damage. Broccoli is also an excellent source of dietary fiber, which helps regulate blood sugar and prevent digestive problems.
Related:
Is Mac and Cheese Healthy? Calories, Nutrition, and a Awesome Recipe
FAQs
Is broccoli high in acidity?
No! Broccoli is a very slightly acidic vegetable, which is actually thought to form alkaline compounds in the body after digestion.
Is broccoli acidic or alkaline?
Broccoli is not high in acidity, but green vegetables such as broccoli are slightly acidic. Since its pH is around 6.5-6.8, it does qualify as very slightly acidic.
However, when digested in the body, it actually works to make the environment more alkaline. In addition, benefits include its high levels of essential vitamins like A, K, and C.
Is broccoli an antacid?
Yes, broccoli neutralizes your stomach acids and helps with indigestion. Thus it is a great antacid.
Is it OK to eat broccoli every day?
Broccoli is a great vegetable. It is high in fiber, low in carbohydrates, and contains some protein. Eating broccoli every day helps regulate bowel movements and sugar levels. It also helps maintain a healthy weight.
What vegetables are not acidic?
Most green vegetables such as celery, lettuce, green peppers, cucumber, and cauliflower are not acidic. They help regulate your acid reflux. They are a good alternative to more acidic foods for those who suffer from acid reflux.
Why is broccoli not good for you?
Although raw or cooked broccoli has many benefits for you, eating it in excessive amounts can cause bloating or gas problems. It has been reported that since broccoli contains thiocyanates, eating broccoli can lead to hypothyroidism.
This is a myth! You would have to eat an impossible amount of broccoli to interfere with your thyroid function. So, please don’t worry about your thyroid when you decide how much broccoli to eat!
Bottom Line
Broccoli has a somewhat acidic pH. But it has an alkaline foaming ability in the body. This ability helps regulate acid reflux mechanisms. The best way to eat broccoli is raw or steamed.
Broccoli regulates healthy blood sugar levels. It improves bowel movement and prevents various disorders related to the stomach like GERD. The excessive use of broccoli can cause bloating and gas problems.
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Black Sesame Macarons With A ‘nutter Butter’ Filling
Well hello. Aside from the usual excuses about being busy, blah blah blah, this past week has been something else. Some of you may be aware that I was made a finalist in Saveur’s Best Food Blog Awards, then removed from the ballot, all within a few days. I thought I’d explain what happened.
I started this blog in June of 2012, and was thus surprised to see that I’d been nominated in the Best New Blog category. Finalists find out the same time as everyone else—when Saveur announces online that the ballots are officially open—so bloggers don’t get the chance for input before everything goes public. After checking the official category definitions, which states that a ‘new blog’ is one started in 2013, I emailed one of the editors to let her know of the error. A few days later, she got back to me, apologizing for their mistake and informing me that they’d had to remove me from the ballot.
I won’t pretend I wasn’t upset, mostly by the initial mistake that landed me in the situation to begin with. A simple fact-check would’ve prevented it. But, it would’ve felt wrong to keep up the misconception, so ultimately I guess I ‘did the right thing’, as cheesy as that may sound. I was a bit crushed to see the blank spot on the ballot where my blog had been listed. The finality is always a bit hard to accept, I guess.
In any case, Saveur did apologize profusely, so I can’t hold a grudge. (And I sooo wanted to. I’m a good grudge-holder—blame it on my overly-principled nature.) And my private drama doesn’t make the award any less awesome and prestigious. So guys, if you haven’t voted yet, there’s still time! Let’s honor those whose efforts liven up the food media world and make it way more exciting than it has any right to be!
Moving on now. While traditional macarons are made with almonds, you can swap out the nut for any other nut or seed without having to change up quantities or technique (although I’m wondering if macadamian nuts might behave differently because they’re so oily? Not sure.) But since macarons are a bitch to get right in the first place, don’t think these sesame seed versions were a breeze to pull off, because they weren’t.
They are, actually, the product of a year of trying, off and on, over and over. In fact, I finally had to take an official black sesame macaron hiatus after my last attempt flopped back in November. I knew it wasn’t the sesame seed part that was stumping me; I’d somehow just lost my macaron-making mojo. But something—perhaps this burgeoning feeling of fresh starts brought on by spring—reinvigorated me, so I once again picked up my floppy spatula and piping bag and got to it.
I don’t know what changed this time—maybe I picked up some common sense this winter—but I finally made the effort to get to the root of the problem. Too often in the past, I found myself simply hoping for the best as I tossed trayfuls of these liquid gremlins into the oven. That’s a pretty defeatist way of looking at a baked good. Sure, there are lots of things out of one’s control, but a composite of sugar, ground seeds, and egg white? No way. It can and must be vanquished.
In the end, getting them to come out perfectly (and I mean perfectly – not a crack in two entire trayfuls!) came down to the placement of the racks in the oven (which heats unevenly; I had to scoot the trays away from the hot corner in the back right) and my ‘macaronage’—the method of mixing together the whipped egg whites and sugar/ground nut mix. About the macaronage, I’ve said this before, but guess who doesn’t learn her own lessons? Don’t baby your batter. The egg whites need to be deflated quite a bit or you’ll get lots of little cracks on the surface of your macarons, effectively ruining an entire batch that you’ll then have to force your family to eat, because you’ll be too embarrassed to share them with anyone else. (Have you seen a cracked macaron? It is a sad sight.)
You have no idea how triumphant I felt when I peeked into the oven mid-bake to discover perfect-looking macarons. I did a little jig in the kitchen.
I’d wanted to pair the black sesame with peanut, which is a fairly common combination in Chinese desserts, but didn’t want the filling to veer in the direction of frosting-sweet. The peanut flavor had to come through. Enter Nutter Butter filling, which I always remember as being aggressively peanut-y without tasting overly-processed. Maybe I’m remembering a different version of Nutter Butters as you, but whatever the case, this Thomas Keller version (think Bouchon Bakery) tasted and looked exactly like how peanut butter filling should. The childhood version, flecked with salt and nostalgia. It’s okay if you want to eat it with your fingers. I did.
Once the macarons comes together, the presentation is very striking (if I do say so myself). But, resist eating too many! You must give them a day to ‘bloom’, let the flavors of the shells and filling meld together. Only then can you truly enjoy the essence of the so-temperamental, but so-worth-it French macaron.
BLACK SESAME MACARONS
Makes 20 macarons
Adapted from BraveTart
Sorry to confuse you, but I use weight measurements when making my macarons for the extra precision, and I highly recommend you do too if you’re not already. Also, the Nutter Butter filling makes a tad more than is needed—for me at least. Its peanut flavor is strong, so be careful not to drown out the delicate taste of the macaron shells. I’d sandwich leftover filling between Ritz crackers or something just as salty.
Ingredients:
- 58 grams black sesame seeds
- 115 grams powdered sugar
- 2 egg whites
- 36 grams granulated sugar
- 1/4 tsp salt
- A few drops gel food coloring in black
Directions:
Preheat your oven to 300 degrees F. Line two baking sheets with parchment paper.
Grind the confectioners sugar and sesame seeds in a food processor until fine (this will take awhile, about 3 minutes, as the sesame seeds are harder to grind up), then sift the mixture into a bowl. Most of it should go through, but if a lot doesn’t, toss it back in the food processor and grind for another minute or so.
In the bowl of a stand mixer with the whisk attachment affixed, add the egg whites and sugar. Turn the mixer on to power level 4 and whisk the mixture together for 3 minutes. Next, turn the power up to 7 and whisk an additional 3 minutes. Turn the power up to 8 and whisk an additional minute or two. By now, there should be a stiff meringue in the bowl. Stop the mixer and add a few drops of coloring at this point and turn the mixer back on to the highest speed, whisking for an additional minute to incorporate the color. Knock the meringue that’s trapped in the whisk back into the bowl.
Now, add the sesame seed mixture into the bowl all at once. I’ll reference Stella’s instructions again:
Use both a folding motion (to incorporate the dry ingredients) and a rubbing/smearing motion, to deflate the meringue against the side of the bowl.
The dry ingredients/meringue will look hopelessly incompatible at first. After about 25 turns (or folds or however you want to call “a single stroke of mixing”) the mixture will still have a quite lumpy and stiff texture. Another 15 strokes will see you to “just about right.” Keep in mind that macaronage is about deflating the whites, so don’t feel like you have to treat them oh-so-carefully. You want to knock the air out of them.
You don’t need to be too gentle with the batter. By the time it’s ready, its consistency will be runnier than you’d think, closer to pancake batter than cake batter.
Fill a pastry bag with the batter. You can use a pastry bag with just a coupler, or with a tip. I used an Ateco 806 tip. Pipe your shells onto the parchment-paper lined baking sheets, a little more than a quarter (US currency) in size (about 2 cm. or 1 inch), spacing them about 1 inch apart.
When you’re done piping, pick up the pan and whack it down hard against your counter. Do this another time, then rotate the pan 90 degrees and do the same thing twice. You might see tiny air bubbles appear on the top of the rounds, a good sign because they could be potentially damaging if buried within the batter. Repeat with the other pan. Now leave the pans alone for half an hour—they’ll develop armor (a skin) during this time to protect them in the oven.
Slide the pans into the oven and bake for about 15 minutes, at which point the shells should be able to be cleanly picked off the parchment paper.
Let the shells come to room temperature, then fill your macarons with the peanut butter filling (recipe below). It’s quite thick, so a spoon should work just fine.
‘NUTTER BUTTER’ FILLING
Adapted from Bouchon Bakery
Ingredients:
1/2 cup smooth salted peanut butter
roughly 3/4 cup powdered sugar
1/4 cup (1/2 stick) butter, room temperature
pinch or two of Maldon salt
Directions:
Cream together all the ingredients in a stand mixer. Taste for sweetness, and add more powdered sugar or salt as needed.
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