Is Hazelnut Butter Acidic or Alkaline?
Hazelnut butter (prepared) is alkaline: Negative PRAL: alkalizing after digestion.
Classification
Hazelnut butter is made from roasted, finely ground hazelnuts and takes on their balance. Potassium and magnesium outweigh protein and phosphorus, which gives −3.3. Unlike peanut butter or cashew butter, it is alkaline. At 669 kcal per 100 g, though, a spoonful in porridge or on bread is enough. Sweetened chocolate hazelnut spreads are something else entirely.
In the Nuts & Seeds category, hazelnut butter (prepared) ranks #5 of 29, sorted from alkaline to acid-forming. More alkaline options include Coconut flesh (−3.5), Coconut (copra) (−11.5), Chestnuts (−19.3). More acid-forming are Hazelnuts (−3.2), Macadamia nuts (−1.1), Poppy seeds (+0.9).
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 hazelnut butter 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: Hazelnut butter (prepared) has a PRAL of −3.3 per 100 g, so it counts as alkaline in your daily acid-base balance.
How much hazelnut butter do I need for a noticeable effect?
A handful (30 g) of hazelnut butter adds −1.0 to your daily balance. For comparison: an egg is around +5.4, a slice of cheese around +6. So one serving of hazelnut butter roughly offsets one of them.
Why is hazelnut butter 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. Hazelnut butter provides more potassium, magnesium and calcium than phosphorus and protein, so the balance is negative (−3.3).
Hazelnut Butter logged, balance checked.
Basentracker adds up every meal automatically and shows whether your day is in the alkaline range. The same values as on this page, all 977 foods, photo scan, recipes.
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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.