Are Porcini Mushrooms Acidic or Alkaline?
Porcini mushrooms (fresh) are alkaline: Negative PRAL: alkalizing after digestion.
Classification
Fresh porcini mushrooms come in at −1.6 and are slightly alkaline because they supply potassium and their protein stays low in absolute terms. Shiitake mushrooms are similar at −1.4. In a risotto, though, the mushrooms compete with rice and Parmesan, which clearly push the balance up. Creamed mushrooms with bread dumplings don't look much different.
In the Vegetables & Salad category, porcini mushrooms (fresh) rank #85 of 110, sorted from alkaline to acid-forming. More alkaline options include Savoy cabbage (−1.7), Oyster mushroom (−1.7), Pickled cucumbers (−2.0). More acid-forming are Morel mushroom (−1.5), Pilz Shiitake (−1.4), Seaweed (wakame) (−1.3).
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.
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Frequently Asked Questions
Are porcini mushrooms 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: Porcini mushrooms (fresh) have a PRAL of −1.6 per 100 g, so they count as alkaline in your daily acid-base balance.
How much porcini mushrooms do I need for a noticeable effect?
A serving (150 g) of porcini mushrooms adds −2.3 to your daily balance. For comparison: an egg is around +5.4, a slice of cheese around +6. So one serving of porcini mushrooms roughly offsets one of them.
Why are porcini mushrooms alkaline even though they are not typical alkaline foods?
The PRAL depends on the minerals left over after digestion, not on taste or pH. Porcini mushrooms provide more potassium, magnesium and calcium than phosphorus and protein, so the balance is negative (−1.6).
Porcini Mushrooms logged, balance checked.
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Compare all Vegetables & Salad: Vegetables & Salad 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.