Are Cashews Acidic or Alkaline?
Cashews (raw) are acid-forming: Positive PRAL: acid-forming after digestion.
Classification
Among nuts, cashews lean acid-forming at +7.1, because they bring lots of protein and especially lots of phosphorus, and their potassium and magnesium don't make up for it. A handful is still moderate, since at 618 kcal per 100 g you won't eat them by the plateful anyway. In a vegetable curry, their share of acid gets lost among the potatoes, spinach and tomatoes.
In the Nuts & Seeds category, cashews (raw) rank #20 of 29, sorted from alkaline to acid-forming. More alkaline options include Roasted peanuts (salted) (+7.0), Peanut butter (+6.8), Cashew butter (+6.8). More acid-forming are Roasted peanuts (unsalted) (+7.2), Pine nuts (+7.2), Roasted cashews (salted) (+7.2).
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 cashews
A handful (30 g) of cashews adds +2.1 to your daily balance. These three bring it back; the grams shown offset exactly this serving.
Frequently Asked Questions
Are cashews 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: Cashews (raw) have a PRAL of +7.1 per 100 g, so they count as acid-forming in your daily acid-base balance.
How much spinach offsets a handful (30 g) of cashews?
A handful (30 g) of cashews adds +2.1 to your daily balance. Spinach (fresh) has −12.2 per 100 g, so about 20 g of spinach offset this serving.
Do I have to avoid cashews on an alkaline diet?
No. What counts is the balance of the whole day, not a single food. Cashews are acid-forming; with enough vegetables, potatoes and fruit on the same plate, the meal stays balanced.
Cashews logged, balance checked.
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Compare all Nuts & Seeds: Nuts & Seeds 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.