Are Sweet Lupins Acidic or Alkaline?
Sweet lupins (raw) are acid-forming: Positive PRAL: acid-forming after digestion.
Classification
Raw sweet lupins come in at +5.4, which makes them acid-forming like most high-protein legumes: a lot of protein with phosphorus meets comparatively little potassium. Cooked, they are barely lower at +5.2. At 356 kcal per 100 g, the dry seed is rich, but after soaking and cooking you take in much less dry matter per serving.
In the Legumes category, sweet lupins (raw) rank #25 of 26, sorted from alkaline to acid-forming. More alkaline options include Lentils (+4.8), Red lentils (+3.9), Lentils (+3.7). More acid-forming are Red lentils (+8.6).
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.
Sweet lupins: raw, cooked
Same food, different state. All values per 100 g.
| State | PRAL |
|---|---|
| cooked | +5.2 |
| raw | +5.4 |
What balances sweet lupins
A cooked serving (150 g) of sweet lupins adds +8.1 to your daily balance. These three bring it back; the grams shown offset exactly this serving.
Frequently Asked Questions
Are sweet lupins 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: Sweet lupins (raw) have a PRAL of +5.4 per 100 g, so they count as acid-forming in your daily acid-base balance.
How much kale offsets a cooked serving (150 g) of sweet lupins?
A cooked serving (150 g) of sweet lupins adds +8.1 to your daily balance. Kale (fresh) has −11.7 per 100 g, so about 70 g of kale offset this serving.
Do I have to avoid sweet lupins on an alkaline diet?
No. What counts is the balance of the whole day, not a single food. Sweet lupins are acid-forming; with enough vegetables, potatoes and fruit on the same plate, the meal stays balanced.
Sweet lupins, raw or cooked: which is more alkaline?
Sweet lupins (raw) is at +5.4, Sweet lupins (cooked) at +5.2. So the "cooked" version is more alkaline. Differences come from water content, cooking water or concentration during drying.
Sweet Lupins logged, balance checked.
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Compare all Legumes: Legumes 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.