Is Edamame (Green Soybeans) Acidic or Alkaline?
Edamame (green soybeans) (boiled) is alkaline: Negative PRAL: alkalizing after digestion.
Classification
Edamame are soybeans harvested before they ripen. Like all legumes they're high in protein, yet they're alkaline at −3.1, because potassium and magnesium more than offset the protein. That makes them one of the few protein sources with a negative value, much more alkaline than cooked white beans. As a snack straight from the pod, they're filling at 161 kcal per 100 g. The sea salt on top doesn't count in the PRAL.
In the Legumes category, edamame (green soybeans) (boiled) ranks #3 of 26, sorted from alkaline to acid-forming. More alkaline options include Green beans (−4.0), Green beans (−5.6). More acid-forming are Chickpea flour (−2.8), Green beans (−2.0), Green peas (−1.9).
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 edamame (green soybeans) 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: Edamame (green soybeans) (boiled) has a PRAL of −3.1 per 100 g, so it counts as alkaline in your daily acid-base balance.
How much edamame (green soybeans) do I need for a noticeable effect?
A cooked serving (150 g) of edamame (green soybeans) adds −4.7 to your daily balance. For comparison: an egg is around +5.4, a slice of cheese around +6. So one serving of edamame (green soybeans) roughly offsets one of them.
Why is edamame (green soybeans) alkaline even though it is not a typical alkaline food?
The PRAL depends on the minerals left over after digestion, not on taste or pH. Edamame (green soybeans) provides more potassium, magnesium and calcium than phosphorus and protein, so the balance is negative (−3.1).
Edamame (Green Soybeans) logged, balance checked.
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Compare all Legumes: Legumes 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.