{"id":661,"date":"2020-07-21T15:38:25","date_gmt":"2020-07-21T15:38:25","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.stremon.com\/?p=661"},"modified":"2020-07-21T15:40:26","modified_gmt":"2020-07-21T15:40:26","slug":"oxalate-oxalic-acid-good-or-bad","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.stremon.com\/oxalate-oxalic-acid-good-or-bad\/","title":{"rendered":"Oxalate (Oxalic Acid): Good or Bad?"},"content":{"rendered":"<div class=\"css-1u22pos\">\n<p>Leafy greens and other plant foods are very popular among the health-conscious.<\/p><div class=\"kdodp64d61de8d5659\" ><script async src=\"https:\/\/pagead2.googlesyndication.com\/pagead\/js\/adsbygoogle.js\"><\/script>\n<ins class=\"adsbygoogle\"\n     style=\"display:block; text-align:center;\"\n     data-ad-layout=\"in-article\"\n     data-ad-format=\"fluid\"\n     data-ad-client=\"ca-pub-8209967072221559\"\n     data-ad-slot=\"2673331731\"><\/ins>\n<script>\n     (adsbygoogle = window.adsbygoogle || []).push({});\n<\/script><\/div><style type=\"text\/css\">\r\n@media screen and (min-width: 1201px) {\r\n.kdodp64d61de8d5659 {\r\ndisplay: block;\r\n}\r\n}\r\n@media screen and (min-width: 993px) and (max-width: 1200px) {\r\n.kdodp64d61de8d5659 {\r\ndisplay: block;\r\n}\r\n}\r\n@media screen and (min-width: 769px) and (max-width: 992px) {\r\n.kdodp64d61de8d5659 {\r\ndisplay: block;\r\n}\r\n}\r\n@media screen and (min-width: 768px) and (max-width: 768px) {\r\n.kdodp64d61de8d5659 {\r\ndisplay: block;\r\n}\r\n}\r\n@media screen and (max-width: 767px) {\r\n.kdodp64d61de8d5659 {\r\ndisplay: block;\r\n}\r\n}\r\n<\/style>\r\n\n<p>However, many of these foods also contain an\u00a0antinutrient\u00a0called oxalate (oxalic acid).<\/p>\n<p>This is a detailed article about oxalate and its health effects.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"css-0\">\n<div><a name=\"section1\"><\/a>What is Oxalate?<\/div>\n<p>Oxalic acid is an organic compound found in many plants.<\/p>\n<p>These include leafy greens, vegetables,\u00a0fruits, cocoa, nuts and seeds (1<span class=\"css-1mdvjzu icon-hl-trusted-source-after\"><span class=\"sro\">Trusted Source<\/span><\/span>).<\/p>\n<p>In plants, it\u2019s usually bound to minerals, forming oxalate. The terms \u201coxalic acid\u201d and \u201coxalate\u201d are used interchangeably in nutrition science.<\/p>\n<p>Your body can produce oxalate on its own or obtain it from food. Vitamin C can also be converted into oxalate when it&#8217;s metabolized (2<span class=\"css-1mdvjzu icon-hl-trusted-source-after\"><span class=\"sro\">Trusted Source<\/span><\/span>).<\/p>\n<p>Once consumed, oxalate can bind to minerals to form compounds, including calcium oxalate and iron oxalate. This mostly occurs in the colon, but can also take place in the kidneys and other parts of the urinary tract.<\/p>\n<p>For most people, these compounds are then eliminated in the stool or urine.<\/p>\n<p>However, for sensitive individuals, high-oxalate diets have been linked to an increased risk of kidney stones and other health problems.<\/p>\n<blockquote class=\"css-pc7ote\"><p><strong>BOTTOM LINE:<\/strong>Oxalate is an organic acid found in plants, but can also be synthesized by the body. It binds minerals, and has been linked to kidney stones and other health problems.<\/p><\/blockquote>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"css-0\">\n<div><a name=\"section2\"><\/a>Oxalate Can Reduce Mineral Absorption<\/div>\n<p>One of the main health concerns about oxalate is that it can bind to minerals in the gut and prevent the body from absorbing them.<\/p>\n<p>For example,\u00a0spinach\u00a0is high in calcium and oxalate, which prevents a lot of the calcium from being absorbed into the body (3<span class=\"css-1mdvjzu icon-hl-trusted-source-after\"><span class=\"sro\">Trusted Source<\/span><\/span>).<\/p>\n<p>Eating\u00a0fiber\u00a0and oxalate together may further hinder nutrient absorption (4<span class=\"css-1mdvjzu icon-hl-trusted-source-after\"><span class=\"sro\">Trusted Source<\/span><\/span>).<\/p>\n<p>Nevertheless, it&#8217;s important to remember that only some of the minerals in our food will bind to oxalate.<\/p>\n<p>Even though calcium absorption from spinach is reduced,\u00a0calcium\u00a0absorption from\u00a0milk\u00a0is not affected when milk and spinach are consumed together (3<span class=\"css-1mdvjzu icon-hl-trusted-source-after\"><span class=\"sro\">Trusted Source<\/span><\/span>).<\/p>\n<blockquote class=\"css-pc7ote\"><p><strong>BOTTOM LINE:<\/strong>Oxalate can bind to minerals in the gut and prevent some of them from being absorbed, particularly when combined with fiber.<\/p><\/blockquote>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"css-0\">\n<div><a name=\"section3\"><\/a>Oxalate May Contribute to Kidney Stones<\/div>\n<p>Normally, calcium and small amounts of oxalate are present in the urinary tract at the same time, but they remain dissolved and cause no problems.<\/p>\n<p>However, sometimes they bind to form crystals. In some people, these crystals can lead to the formation of stones, especially when oxalate is high and urine volume is low (5<span class=\"css-1mdvjzu icon-hl-trusted-source-after\"><span class=\"sro\">Trusted Source<\/span><\/span>).<\/p>\n<p>Small stones often don&#8217;t cause any problems, but large stones can cause severe pain, nausea and blood in the urine as they move through the urinary tract.<\/p>\n<p>Although there are other types of kidney stones, about 80% are made up of calcium oxalate (5<span class=\"css-1mdvjzu icon-hl-trusted-source-after\"><span class=\"sro\">Trusted Source<\/span><\/span>).<\/p>\n<p>For this reason, people who have had one episode of kidney stones may be advised to minimize their consumption of foods high in oxalate (5<span class=\"css-1mdvjzu icon-hl-trusted-source-after\"><span class=\"sro\">Trusted Source<\/span><\/span>,\u00a06<span class=\"css-1mdvjzu icon-hl-trusted-source-after\"><span class=\"sro\">Trusted Source<\/span><\/span>).<\/p>\n<p>However, across-the-board oxalate restriction is no longer recommended to every person with kidney stones. This is because most of the oxalate found in urine is produced by the body, rather than absorbed from food (7<span class=\"css-1mdvjzu icon-hl-trusted-source-after\"><span class=\"sro\">Trusted Source<\/span><\/span>).<\/p>\n<p>Most urologists now only prescribe a strict low-oxalate diet (less than 50 milligrams per day) for patients who have high levels of oxalate in their urine (6<span class=\"css-1mdvjzu icon-hl-trusted-source-after\"><span class=\"sro\">Trusted Source<\/span><\/span>).<\/p>\n<p>Therefore, it&#8217;s important to be tested from time to time to figure out how much restriction is necessary.<\/p>\n<blockquote class=\"css-pc7ote\"><p><strong>BOTTOM LINE:<\/strong>High-oxalate foods may increase the risk of kidney stones in susceptible people, and recommendations for patients are based on urinary levels.<\/p><\/blockquote>\n<\/div>\n<div>\n<div>\n<section class=\"css-11k39sg\">\n<div class=\"css-rp3d6\">\n<div class=\"css-fwihi8\">READER SURVEY<\/div>\n<div class=\"css-1451br9\">\n<div class=\"css-1dtbtvx\">Please take a quick 1-minute survey<\/div>\n<p class=\"css-1cr3nkl\">Your answers will help us improve our experience. You&#8217;re the best!<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"css-8nu43k\">\n<div class=\"css-l48fio\"><span class=\"css-14ktbsh\"><span class=\"css-1huyk6v\">ANSWER QUICK SURVEY<\/span><\/span><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/section>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"css-0\">\n<div><a name=\"section4\"><\/a>Does it Cause Any Other Problems?<\/div>\n<p>Some claim that a high oxalate intake may be linked to the development of autism.<\/p>\n<p>Others say oxalates may be linked to vulvodynia, which is characterized by chronic, unexplained vaginal pain.<\/p>\n<p>Based on study results, researchers believe neither of these disorders are likely triggered by dietary oxalates (8<span class=\"css-1mdvjzu icon-hl-trusted-source-after\"><span class=\"sro\">Trusted Source<\/span><\/span>,\u00a09<span class=\"css-1mdvjzu icon-hl-trusted-source-after\"><span class=\"sro\">Trusted Source<\/span><\/span>,\u00a010<span class=\"css-1mdvjzu icon-hl-trusted-source-after\"><span class=\"sro\">Trusted Source<\/span><\/span>).<\/p>\n<p>However, when 59 women with vulvodynia were treated with a low-oxalate diet and calcium supplements, nearly a quarter experienced improvements in symptoms (10<span class=\"css-1mdvjzu icon-hl-trusted-source-after\"><span class=\"sro\">Trusted Source<\/span><\/span>).<\/p>\n<p>The authors of that study concluded that dietary oxalate might worsen, rather than cause, the condition.<\/p>\n<p>Several online anecdotes do link oxalates with autism and vulvodynia, but only a few studies have looked into possible connections. Further research is needed.<\/p>\n<blockquote class=\"css-pc7ote\"><p><strong>BOTTOM LINE:<\/strong>Some people have suggested that consuming foods high in oxalate may lead to autism and vulvodynia, but at this point the research does not support these claims.<\/p><\/blockquote>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"css-0\">\n<div><a name=\"section5\"><\/a>Most Foods with Oxalates Are Very Healthy<\/div>\n<p>Some proponents of low-oxalate diets say people are better off not consuming foods rich in oxalates, since they may have negative health effects.<\/p>\n<p>However, it&#8217;s not that simple. Many of these are healthy foods that contain important antioxidants, fiber and other nutrients.<\/p>\n<p>Therefore, it&#8217;s not a good idea for most people to completely stop eating high-oxalate foods.<\/p>\n<blockquote class=\"css-pc7ote\"><p><strong>BOTTOM LINE:<\/strong>Many foods that contain oxalates are delicious and provide many health benefits. Avoiding them is not necessary for most people, and may even be detrimental.<\/p><\/blockquote>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"css-0\">\n<div><a name=\"section6\"><\/a>Your Gut Determines Oxalate Absorption<\/div>\n<p>Some of the oxalate you eat can be broken down by bacteria in the\u00a0gut, which happens before it can bind to minerals.<\/p>\n<p>One of them,\u00a0<em>Oxalobacter formigenes<\/em>, actually uses it as an energy source. It significantly reduces the amount your body absorbs (11<span class=\"css-1mdvjzu icon-hl-trusted-source-after\"><span class=\"sro\">Trusted Source<\/span><\/span>).<\/p>\n<p>However, some people don&#8217;t have much of this bacteria in their gut, as antibiotics decrease the number of\u00a0<em>O. formigenes<\/em>\u00a0colonies (12<span class=\"css-1mdvjzu icon-hl-trusted-source-after\"><span class=\"sro\">Trusted Source<\/span><\/span>).<\/p>\n<p>What&#8217;s more, studies have found that people with inflammatory bowel disease have an increased risk of developing kidney stones (13<span class=\"css-1mdvjzu icon-hl-trusted-source-after\"><span class=\"sro\">Trusted Source<\/span><\/span>,\u00a014<span class=\"css-1mdvjzu icon-hl-trusted-source-after\"><span class=\"sro\">Trusted Source<\/span><\/span>).<\/p>\n<p>This is partly because they are unable to regulate the amount of oxalate they absorb.<\/p>\n<p>Similarly, elevated levels of oxalate have been found in the urine of patients who have had gastric bypass surgery or other surgeries that alter gut function (15<span class=\"css-1mdvjzu icon-hl-trusted-source-after\"><span class=\"sro\">Trusted Source<\/span><\/span>).<\/p>\n<p>This suggests that people who have taken antibiotics or suffer from gut dysfunction may benefit more from a low-oxalate diet.<\/p>\n<blockquote class=\"css-pc7ote\"><p><strong>BOTTOM LINE:<\/strong>Most healthy people can consume oxalate-rich foods without problems, but those with altered gut function may need to limit their intake.<\/p><\/blockquote>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"css-0\">\n<div><a name=\"section7\"><\/a>Foods High in Oxalate<\/div>\n<p>Oxalates are found in almost all plants, but some plants contain very high amounts while others have very little. Animal foods contain only trace amounts.<\/p>\n<p>Foods high in oxalate (100\u2013900 mg per serving) include:<\/p>\n<ul>\n<li>Beet greens<\/li>\n<li>Rhubarb<\/li>\n<li>Spinach<\/li>\n<li>Beets<\/li>\n<li>Swiss chard<\/li>\n<li>Endive<\/li>\n<li>Cocoa powder<\/li>\n<li>Kale<\/li>\n<li>Sweet potatoes<\/li>\n<li>Peanuts<\/li>\n<li>Turnip greens<\/li>\n<li>Star fruit<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p>To learn more, this\u00a0comprehensive list\u00a0provides the oxalate content of many foods.<\/p>\n<blockquote class=\"css-pc7ote\"><p><strong>BOTTOM LINE:<\/strong>The amount of oxalates in plants varies from extremely high to very low, and &#8220;high-oxalate&#8221; is classified as 100\u2013900 mg per serving.<\/p><\/blockquote>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"css-0\">\n<div><a name=\"section8\"><\/a>How to Do a Low-Oxalate Diet<\/div>\n<p>People who are placed on\u00a0low-oxalate diets\u00a0for kidney stones are usually instructed to eat less than 50 mg of it each day.<\/p>\n<p>Here are a few tips on how to follow a low-oxalate diet:<\/p>\n<ol class=\"hl-long-line\">\n<li><strong>Limit oxalate to 50 mg per day:<\/strong>\u00a0Choose a variety of nutrient-dense animal and plant sources from this list of\u00a0foods very low in oxalate.<\/li>\n<li><strong>Boil oxalate-rich vegetables:<\/strong>\u00a0Boiling vegetables can reduce their oxalate content from 30% to almost 90%, depending on the vegetable (17<span class=\"css-1mdvjzu icon-hl-trusted-source-after\"><span class=\"sro\">Trusted Source<\/span><\/span>).<\/li>\n<li><strong>Drink plenty of water:<\/strong>\u00a0Aim for a minimum of 2 liters daily. If you have kidney stones, drink enough to produce at least 2.5 liters of urine a day (6<span class=\"css-1mdvjzu icon-hl-trusted-source-after\"><span class=\"sro\">Trusted Source<\/span><\/span>).<\/li>\n<li><strong>Get enough calcium:<\/strong>\u00a0Calcium binds to oxalate in the gut and reduces the amount your body absorbs, so try to get about 800\u20131,200 mg per day (1<span class=\"css-1mdvjzu icon-hl-trusted-source-after\"><span class=\"sro\">Trusted Source<\/span><\/span>,\u00a016<span class=\"css-1mdvjzu icon-hl-trusted-source-after\"><span class=\"sro\">Trusted Source<\/span><\/span>).<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n<p>Foods high in calcium and low in oxalate include:<\/p>\n<ul>\n<li>Cheese<\/li>\n<li>Plain\u00a0yogurt<\/li>\n<li>Canned\u00a0fish\u00a0with bones<\/li>\n<li>Bok choy<\/li>\n<li>Broccoli<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<blockquote class=\"css-pc7ote\"><p><strong>BOTTOM LINE:<\/strong>Diets with less than 50 mg of oxalate per day can be balanced and nutritious. Calcium also helps reduce its absorption.<\/p><\/blockquote>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"css-0\">\n<div><a name=\"section9\"><\/a>Should You Avoid it?<\/div>\n<p>People who tend to form kidney stones may benefit from a low-oxalate diet.<\/p>\n<p>However, healthy people trying to stay healthy do NOT need to avoid\u00a0nutrient-dense foods\u00a0just because they are high in oxalates.<\/p>\n<p>It is simply not a nutrient of concern for most people.<\/p>\n<p>Source:<a href=\"https:\/\/www.healthline.com\/nutrition\/oxalate-good-or-bad\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\">\u00a0healthline.com<\/a><\/p><div class=\"mefny64d61de8d56aa\" ><script async src=\"https:\/\/pagead2.googlesyndication.com\/pagead\/js\/adsbygoogle.js\"><\/script>\n<ins class=\"adsbygoogle\"\n     style=\"display:block; text-align:center;\"\n     data-ad-layout=\"in-article\"\n     data-ad-format=\"fluid\"\n     data-ad-client=\"ca-pub-8209967072221559\"\n     data-ad-slot=\"2673331731\"><\/ins>\n<script>\n     (adsbygoogle = window.adsbygoogle || []).push({});\n<\/script><\/div><style type=\"text\/css\">\r\n@media screen and (min-width: 1201px) {\r\n.mefny64d61de8d56aa {\r\ndisplay: block;\r\n}\r\n}\r\n@media screen and (min-width: 993px) and (max-width: 1200px) {\r\n.mefny64d61de8d56aa {\r\ndisplay: block;\r\n}\r\n}\r\n@media screen and (min-width: 769px) and (max-width: 992px) {\r\n.mefny64d61de8d56aa {\r\ndisplay: block;\r\n}\r\n}\r\n@media screen and (min-width: 768px) and (max-width: 768px) {\r\n.mefny64d61de8d56aa {\r\ndisplay: block;\r\n}\r\n}\r\n@media screen and (max-width: 767px) {\r\n.mefny64d61de8d56aa {\r\ndisplay: block;\r\n}\r\n}\r\n<\/style>\r\n\n<\/div>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Leafy greens and other plant foods are very popular among the health-conscious. However, many of these foods also contain an\u00a0antinutrient\u00a0called&#8230;<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":5,"featured_media":664,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":[],"categories":[6],"tags":[2706,2732,2742,2710,2734,2738,2730,2715,2705,2712,2739,2728,2695,2740,2727,2707,2702,2743,2735,2719,2729,2716,2717,2704,2713,2694,2723,2741,2700,2726,2701,2696,2699,2720,2697,2724,2733,2714,2736,2711,2731,2737,2698,2718,2708,2703,2721,2709,2722,2725],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.stremon.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/661"}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.stremon.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.stremon.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.stremon.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/5"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.stremon.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=661"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/www.stremon.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/661\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":663,"href":"https:\/\/www.stremon.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/661\/revisions\/663"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.stremon.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/664"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.stremon.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=661"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.stremon.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=661"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.stremon.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=661"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}