Is Seaweed (Wakame) Acidic or Alkaline?
Seaweed (wakame) (raw) is alkaline: Negative PRAL: alkalizing after digestion.
Classification
Fresh wakame is full of water, which dilutes potassium and magnesium and keeps the PRAL at a moderate −1.3. Dried seaweed comes in many times lower, because the water is gone. In miso soup or a cucumber wakame salad, you only eat a few grams anyway, so the effect on your daily balance stays small. The flavor, however, does not.
In the Vegetables & Salad category, seaweed (wakame) (raw) ranks #88 of 110, sorted from alkaline to acid-forming. More alkaline options include Pilz Shiitake (−1.4), Morel mushroom (−1.5), Porcini mushrooms (−1.6). More acid-forming are Broccoli (−1.3), Green olive (−1.2), Green olives (−1.2).
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
Is seaweed (wakame) 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: Seaweed (wakame) (raw) has a PRAL of −1.3 per 100 g, so it counts as alkaline in your daily acid-base balance.
How much seaweed (wakame) do I need for a noticeable effect?
A serving (150 g) of seaweed (wakame) adds −2.0 to your daily balance. For comparison: an egg is around +5.4, a slice of cheese around +6. So one serving of seaweed (wakame) roughly offsets one of them.
Why is seaweed (wakame) 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. Seaweed (wakame) provides more potassium, magnesium and calcium than phosphorus and protein, so the balance is negative (−1.3).
Seaweed (Wakame) 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 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.