Which Nuts Are Alkalaline-Forming and Why it Matters
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Which Nuts Are Alkaline Forming?

Which Nuts Are Alkaline Forming?
Everyday Health
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Updated on August 7, 2025
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Nuts considered alkaline nuts are chestnuts and almonds, while acidic nuts include peanuts, walnuts, cashews, pecans and Brazil nuts. Regardless of where they fit on the alkalinity/acidity scale, nuts are a good source of protein, fiber, healthy fats and other nutrients.

Nutrients in Nuts

Nuts are rich in protein, which makes them a good substitute for meat. Nuts are plentiful in monounsaturated and polyunsaturated fats, which are thought to lower bad cholesterol, as well as omega-3 fatty acids, which can help prevent disorders in heart rhythms.

Nuts are also high in fiber. Fiber satisfies the appetite, lowers cholesterol and plays a role in protection against Type 2 diabetes.

The nutrient profile of nuts includes vitamin E, which helps stop the development of artery-clogging plaque that can lead to a heart attack and stroke. Some nut varieties contain plant sterols, substances that lower cholesterol. In addition, nuts have L-arginine, which increases the flexibility of arteries and reduces the risk of an occlusion.

That said, all tree nut varieties are healthy, and even peanuts are relatively healthy. Choose nuts that are free of salt and sugar.

 Get four to six servings of nuts per week. One serving is 2 tablespoons of nut butter or a small handful of nuts.

Health Benefits of Nuts

Tree nuts and peanuts have multiple wellness benefits, including reducing the risk of chronic disease, decreasing inflammation, improving lipid metabolism and enhancing blood sugar control.

Because nuts are high in fat, some people may be concerned that eating them will lead to weight gain. However, nuts have been found to help control appetite and assist the body in burning more calories. Eating them in portion-controlled sizes (a serving size nuts is 1 oz) is perfectly healthy, while overdoing your consumption of nuts may lead to weight gain.

 Nuts may also help promote longevity. Eating nuts is inversely related to cause-specific death risk and all-cause death risk.

Nut Safety Issues

One downside associated with nut consumption is allergies. Nuts are the foods that most commonly trigger allergic reactions, and some effects, like anaphylaxis, can be fatal.

Allergy to peanuts affects between 2 and 5 percent of U.S. children, and the incidence is increasing. Less than 1 percent of adults and less than 2 percent of children have a tree nut allergy. Since reactions to nuts can be serious, people with nut allergies should take special precautions to avoid unknowingly ingesting them. This involves meticulously checking food product labels and avoiding unlabeled food, as well as checking to see if the facility where the nuts have been processed is cross-contaminated.

The only other precaution relating to nuts involves Brazil nuts. Nuts grown in selenium-rich soil in Brazil may have more than 100 micrograms per nut. Selenium toxicity can occur in levels above 400 micrograms per day in adults. This means that as few as four nuts per day could give an adult a toxic dose. The toxicity limit is much less in children.

What Is the Alkaline Diet?

The pH scale, which ranges from 0 to 14, denotes acidity and alkalinity. A pH of 7.0 is neutral, a pH below 7.0 indicates acidity and a pH above 7.0 indicates alkalinity. The body's normal pH ranges from 7.2 to 7.4. This range is vital for health, so a pH above it is called alkalosis, and a pH below it is called acidosis.

Proponents of the alkaline diet say it enhances health and helps prevent disease by increasing body pH. It includes centering the diet on alkaline foods, including beans, fruits, vegetables and some nuts. Another component of the eating plan is alkaline seeds, which are sunflower and pumpkin seeds and flaxseed.

The alkaline diet also involves limiting the intake of meat, eggs, cheese and other dairy foods, all of which produce acidic compounds.

Benefits of an Alkaline Diet

Alkaline foods don't alter body pH, but they do make the urine slightly more alkaline. In truth, the only people who could benefit from this effect are people with chronic kidney disease. Because the foods make the urine less acidic, it results in less formation of uric acid crystals in the urine. The diet can slow the progression of kidney disease, particularly if patients start on it before their illness is advanced.

While alkaline foods don't make the body more alkaline, they are loaded with healthy nutrients. For this reason, they should feature prominently in the diet.

Because the alkaline diet focuses on plant-based foods, promotes drinking plenty of water and excludes poor-quality dietary elements, such as sugar, alcohol and processed foods, it can be a healthy way of eating. A high-acid diet is linked to a lack of energy, headaches, irritability, allergy issues and increased colds and flu.

Nuts considered alkaline nuts are chestnuts and almonds, while acidic nuts include peanuts, walnuts, cashews, pecans and Brazil nuts.

The Takeaway

  • So-called “alkaline forming” nuts include chestnuts and almonds, while “acidic forming” nuts include peanuts, walnuts, cashews, pecans, and Brazil nuts.
  • Unless you have an allergy to specific nuts, there is no need to limit your nut consumption based on where they fit on the alkalinity/acidity scale.
  • Nuts are a good source of protein, fiber, healthy fats and other nutrients.
EDITORIAL SOURCES
Everyday Health follows strict sourcing guidelines to ensure the accuracy of its content, outlined in our editorial policy. We use only trustworthy sources, including peer-reviewed studies, board-certified medical experts, patients with lived experience, and information from top institutions.
Resources
  1. Nuts and Your Heart: Eating Nuts for Heart Health. Mayo Clinic. November 15, 2023.
  2. Machado de Souza RG et al. Nuts and Human Health Outcomes: A Systematic Review. Nutrients. December 2, 2017.
  3. Bao Y et al. Association of Nut Consumption With Total and Cause-Specific Mortality. New England Journal of Medicine. November 21, 2013.
  4. Nuts. Oregon State University Linus Pauling Institute.
  5. Selenium. Oregon State University Linus Pauling Institute.
  6. A “Basic” Examination of the Alkaline Diet. International Food Information Council. October 12, 2017.
  7. Crome G. What You Need to Know About the Alkaline Diet. American Council on Exercise. May 11, 2015.
  8. A List of Acid/Alkaline Forming Foods. California Courts.
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Roxana Ehsani, RDN

Roxana Ehsani, RD

Medical Reviewer

Roxana Ehsani, RD, is a Miami-based licensed dietitian-nutritionist, board-certified specialist in sports dietetics, and media spokesperson, consultant, and content creator for food and nutrition brands. She is an adjunct instructor for sports nutrition at Virginia Tech in Blacksburg.

Ehsani appears as a food and nutrition expert for television stations across the nation and in national publications, including Runner's World, Women's Health, Glamour, and more, and is a contributing writer for EatingWell. She has a strong background in sports nutrition and has worked with professional, Olympic, collegiate, and high school teams and individual athletes, whom she sees through her private practice. 

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Mary West is a health and nutrition writer, whose work has appeared in an array of online publications. He credits include Olive Oil Times, Live in the Now and Colgate.

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