Is Pumpkin (Hokkaido) Acidic or Alkaline?
Pumpkin (Hokkaido) (boiled) is alkaline: Negative PRAL: alkalizing after digestion. Alkaline: Hokkaido pumpkin has a PRAL of −3.4 per 100 g and butternut −5.4. Pumpkin seeds, on the other hand, are strongly acid-forming at +17.0.
Classification
Boiled Hokkaido pumpkin is alkaline at −3.4, because potassium clearly outweighs the small amount of protein, all at only 30 kcal per 100 g. Butternut comes in a bit lower per 100 g. Since you can eat the skin, Hokkaido is especially easy to cook with. A soup made from 500 g of it puts about −17 into the pot.
In the Vegetables & Salad category, pumpkin (Hokkaido) (boiled) ranks #62 of 110, sorted from alkaline to acid-forming. More alkaline options include Red bell pepper (−3.5), Cauliflower (−3.6), Daikon radish (−3.6). More acid-forming are Sauerkraut (−3.4), Cucumber (−3.3), Sauerkraut (−3.3).
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.
Goes well with
Frequently Asked Questions
Is pumpkin (Hokkaido) 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: Pumpkin (Hokkaido) (boiled) has a PRAL of −3.4 per 100 g, so it counts as alkaline in your daily acid-base balance.
How much pumpkin (Hokkaido) do I need for a noticeable effect?
A serving of roasted pumpkin (200 g) of pumpkin (Hokkaido) adds −6.8 to your daily balance. For comparison: an egg is around +5.4, a slice of cheese around +6. So one serving of pumpkin (Hokkaido) roughly offsets one of them.
Why is pumpkin (Hokkaido) 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. Pumpkin (Hokkaido) provides more potassium, magnesium and calcium than phosphorus and protein, so the balance is negative (−3.4).
Pumpkin (Hokkaido) 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.