Are Pecans Acidic or Alkaline?
Pecans (raw) are slightly acid-forming: Positive PRAL: acid-forming after digestion.
Classification
Pecans are slightly acid-forming at +2.0, which makes them fairly mild among nuts, because they consist mostly of fat and bring comparatively little protein and phosphorus. Brazil nuts and pine nuts are several times higher. At 723 kcal per 100 g, though, they are very energy-dense, so a 30 g handful is enough.
In the Nuts & Seeds category, pecans (raw) rank #10 of 29, sorted from alkaline to acid-forming. More alkaline options include Roasted pistachios (salted) (+1.6), Poppy seeds (+0.9), Macadamia nuts (−1.1). More acid-forming are Pistachios (+2.7), Almond butter (+3.7), Sesame seeds (+3.9).
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.
What balances pecans
A handful (30 g) of pecans adds +0.6 to your daily balance. These three bring it back; the grams shown offset exactly this serving.
Frequently Asked Questions
Are pecans 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: Pecans (raw) have a PRAL of +2.0 per 100 g, so they count as slightly acid-forming in your daily acid-base balance.
Do I have to avoid pecans on an alkaline diet?
No. What counts is the balance of the whole day, not a single food. Pecans are slightly acid-forming; with enough vegetables, potatoes and fruit on the same plate, the meal stays balanced.
Pecans 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.