Short answer: mushrooms are mildly acidic in the pan and alkaline-forming in the body — and Dr. Sebi approved all of them but one. Shiitake is the single exclusion. Species vary more than most people expect: straw mushrooms are nearly two pH points more acidic than button.
The numbers, and why species matters here
Common mushrooms measure pH 6.00 to 6.70 raw and 6.00 to 6.22 cooked. But unlike most foods on this list, the variety genuinely changes the answer:
| Variety | pH |
|---|---|
| Common / button | 6.00–6.70 |
| Oyster | 5.50 |
| Straw | 4.90 |
Straw mushrooms at 4.90 come close to the 4.6 line food scientists use to separate high-acid from low-acid foods. So “mushrooms are pH 6.0 to 6.7” is true for the ones in most supermarkets and not true across the board.
On PRAL, common mushrooms come out at −1.4 — alkaline-forming. One table gives −2.5; the rest agree on −1.4. No published PRAL exists for individual species like shiitake, oyster or portobello, so anyone quoting one has calculated it themselves.
Are mushrooms Dr. Sebi approved?
Yes, with one exception, and the phrasing is consistent across every reproduction of the guide: “mushrooms — all except shiitake.”
Some versions of the list itemise the permitted kinds as cremini, enoki, oyster and portobello. That itemisation only appears on one reproduction, though; the canonical wording is the blanket “all except shiitake,” which is broader.
The stated reason for excluding shiitake is that it’s “a hybrid mushroom.”
The honest note on shiitake
Shiitake isn’t a hybrid. Lentinula edodes is a naturally occurring wild species native to East Asia, and it’s been cultivated on logs for roughly a thousand years. Growing something deliberately isn’t the same as breeding it into a new form — cultivation and hybridisation are different processes, and shiitake has only been subject to the first.
We’re reporting what the guide says because that’s what you came here to find out. But if you’re deciding whether to eat shiitake, that’s the fact worth having.
Separately, and often confused with this: kombucha is also excluded, and is sometimes described as a mushroom in this context. It isn’t one — a SCOBY is a culture of bacteria and yeast, not a fungus in the culinary sense.
What to use instead of shiitake
Shiitake is usually doing one of two jobs — meaty texture, or deep savoury flavour. Both are covered:
- Oyster mushrooms — the closest match for texture and savouriness, and explicitly named as permitted.
- Portobello or cremini — best where shiitake was being grilled or roasted for substance.
- Sea vegetables — wakame, dulse, arame, hijiki and nori are all approved, and they’re the strongest source of savoury depth on this list. If it’s the umami you’re missing rather than the texture, this is the swap.
One thing worth being straight about
Mushrooms being alkaline-forming doesn’t mean they alkalise you. Blood pH stays between 7.35 and 7.45 whatever you eat, held there by your lungs and kidneys. PRAL describes the acid load your kidneys process and shows up in urine pH, not blood. Mushrooms are worth eating for their minerals and their flavour — which is reason enough.
Common questions
Are mushrooms acidic?
Mildly, as a food — around pH 6.0 to 6.7 for common varieties. After digestion they’re alkaline-forming.
Is shiitake Dr. Sebi approved?
No — it’s the one mushroom the guide excludes, on the stated grounds that it’s a hybrid. It isn’t one botanically, but that’s the guide’s position.
Can I eat mushrooms with acid reflux?
Mushrooms aren’t a common reflux trigger — they’re low in acid and low in fat. How they’re cooked matters more; heavy oil or cream is the more likely problem.
Is cream of mushroom soup alkaline?
No. The mushrooms are alkaline-forming but the dairy and the processing aren’t, and dairy is excluded from the approved list entirely.
Related
- Is avocado alkaline or acidic?
- Is rice alkaline or acidic?
- Is broccoli alkaline, and why isn’t it approved?
- Is honey alkaline or acidic?
Not sure if a variety is approved? Scan it in the Ackaline app for an instant answer — free to download. Every approved mushroom, herb and vegetable is covered in The Alkaline Healing Blueprint.
For education, not medical advice. Talk to your doctor before making significant changes to how you eat.
