Foods High in Oxalates, What You Need to Know

When it comes to dietary oxalates that plant sources produce and humans consume, they end up as either soluble oxalates or insoluble oxalates.

Under normal conditions, they enter the body as free oxalate (oxalic acid) and bind to minerals in the gut where most become insoluble crystals excreted in feces or as soluble oxalates excreted in the urine.

Although many individuals can tolerate moderate amounts of dietary oxalates without adversely affecting their health, others do not.

We've read the book by Sally K. Norton, entitled "Toxic Superfoods", which is principally prompting many to practice an oxalate-free protocol.

The following content is our own independent review of the "oxalate dilemma", who may be most at risk and some constructive criticisms about this fairly new nutritional concept.

The question is: "What is wrong with dietary oxalates under strained digestive functions? This is when potential issues may occur.

Under such circumstances, soluble oxalates in the form of "free oxalic acid" can enter the bloodstream and circulate around the body instead of being removed as waste material.

When oxalates bind to minerals, especially calcium, they can cause nutrient deficiency as well as toxic accumulation instigating various unwanted side effects over time.

This is proposed by some to not only produce associated health risks like kidney stones but also can be the main culprit behind many digestive, autoimmune and other inflammatory conditions.

Since, as a human species, we are all so very different as far as body types, lifestyle habits, digestive capacities, age of life and foods we choose to eat, dietary oxalate consumption and outcomes can vary widely from person to person depending on many factors.

Generally, however, vegans or vegetarians who have been consuming only plant-based foods for many years can be at greater risk for oxalate-related issues.

Likewise, if you have a history of kidney stones or kidney disorders you may want to consider reducing or eliminating oxalate-rich food sources from your diet. (*)

As we mentioned, some foods are especially high in oxalates but many are mid-range and lower-range.

Scientific oxalic acid analysis and food testing is presented in milligrams per serving amount.

Foods are rated low, moderate, high to very high. Approximations are as follows.

The obvious thing to do if you're thinking about reducing oxalate intake would be to avoid some of the top dietary oxalate offenders.

Here is the popular list of deemed "superfoods" that contain very high to extreme amounts of oxalates and their approximate milligrams per serving. The quantity tested in other foods is available from several online resources.

Some of these fruits and vegetables can become especially concentrated when juiced or blended into smoothies. Likewise, nuts such as almonds become condensed when prepared in nuts milks and nut butter.

There are some general daily guidelines to follow once you know how many milligrams of a food or drink may contain.

An average diet consuming 25% fruits and vegetables can actually be up there between 130 to 220mg a day which is more on the higher range.

Sally K. Norton says: "In healthy people, a diet under 200 mg a day is probably low enough to avoid oxalate problems (60 mg oxalate per meal)."

There are several databases and charts online for checking foods, although they are not guaranteed to be accurate.

There are many factors that can alter the total oxalate content of any one food.

Amount of oxalates, for example, can change depending on soil conditions in which its grown as well as things like ripeness of food. Unripe fruits and vegetables will usually contain more oxalates than ripe ones.

Measurements are therefore rough estimates as they may widely vary.

This may be part of the reason why there is inconsistent information online regarding amounts. Some say certain foods contain a lot of oxalates whereas others say the opposite.

Lastly, the general recommendations for daily oxalate intake can also vary significantly depending on the source.

Since concern about dietary oxalates is a fairly new "nutritional theory", we would say more well-rounded research is definitely needed in this arena.