WHAT TO KNOW ABOUT OXALATE ACIDS

What are Oxalates?

Oxalate and its acid form oxalic acid are organic acids that are primarily from three sources: the diet, from fungus such as Aspergillus and Penicillium and possibly Candida, and also from human metabolism.

Oxalic acid is the most acidic organic acid in body fluids and is used commercially to remove rust from car radiators. Antifreeze (ethylene glycol/PEG) is toxic primarily because it is converted to oxalate. Two different types of genetic diseases are known in which oxalates are high in the urine. The genetic types of hyperoxalurias (type I and type II) can be determined from the organic acid test done at The Great Plains Laboratory. Foods especially high in oxalates include spinach, beets, chocolate, peanuts, wheat bran, tea, cashews, pecans, almonds, berries, and many others. Oxalates are not found in meat or fish at significant concentrations. Daily adult oxalate intake is usually 80-120 mg/d; it can range from 44-1000 mg/d in individuals who eat a typical Western diet.

DID YOU KNOW?:

Yeast overgrowth, commonly associated with antibiotic usage, might lead to increased oxalate production and increased combination with mercury, slowing mercury elimination if oxalates were so high that they deposited in the bones with attached mercury. It would be interesting to see if increased elimination of heavy metals occurs after oxalate elimination by antifungal therapy and low oxalate diet. In addition, oxalates from the diet or from yeast/fungus in the gastrointestinal tract bind calcium, magnesium, and zinc, perhaps leading to deficiencies even when dietary sources should be adequate.

WHY DO PEOPLE FOLLOW THIS DIET?

A low-oxalate diet is often prescribed for people who have increased levels of oxalic acid in their urine or who have a history of forming kidney stones. A treatment program including a low-oxalate diet and plenty of fluids reduces the risk of stone formation. A low oxalate diet is not always effective in reducing urinary oxalic acid levels because most oxalate found in urine is made in the body and does not come from the diet. People with a predisposition to stones are also encouraged to drink plenty of fluids (3 to 4 quarts [liters] per day).

WHAT ARE THE SYMPTOMS?

Oxalate crystals may cause damage to various tissues.  High oxalate in the urine and plasma was first found in people who were susceptible to kidney stones. Many kidney stones are composed of calcium oxalate. Stones can range in size from the diameter of a grain of rice to the width of a golf ball. It is estimated that 10% of males may have kidney stones some time in their life.  In combination with calcium, the oxalic acid crystallizes to form kidney stones—small pebbles that form in either the kidney or the bladder. If these stones, calcium-oxalate, are small enough, they will pass out of the body without being noticed. However if too large, they can cause severe pain, obstruction of the flow of urine, and sometimes infection in the urinary tract.

  What do I need to avoid?

To avoid oxalate ask about ingredients at restaurants and others’ homes, and read food labels. The following list is not complete. Always consult with a healthcare professional before making any significant changes to your diet.

 

THE OXALATE CONTENT OF VARIOUS FOODS

Evidence is now emerging that the absorption of dietary oxalate makes a major contribution to urinary oxalate excretion, particularly in stone formers. The factors that influence this absorption are known to include the oxalate content of the foods eaten, the concentrations of ions in these foods that bind to oxalate and limit its absorption such as calcium and magnesium, the presence of bacteria that can degrade oxalate, the transit time of food through the intestinal tract, the inheritance of certain genes, and quite possibly several other as yet unidentified factors.    

The Oxalate Content of Various Foods

Food                                                                               Mg of Oxalate/100g            Mg of Per Serving

Spinach	645	645 (100 g)
Fiber One Cereal	142	43 (30 g)
Bran Flakes	141	42 (30 g)
Green Beans (steamed)	33	33 (100 g)
Potato (raw)	27.1	27.1 (100 g)
Snack bar (Butterfinger)	53.5	24 (45 g)
Peanut Butter	95.8	19.2 (20 g)
Tea (brewed)	7.5	18.8 (250 g)
Celery	61.2	18.4 (30 g)
Chocolate (American)	42.5	13 (30 g)
Ravioli	6.5	13 (200 g)
White Bread	14.3	8.0 (56 g)
Carrots (raw)	5.7	5.7 (100 g)
Potato Chips	9.4	3.0 (30 g)
White Rice (steamed)	2.1	2.1 (100 g)
Broccoli (steamed)	1.8	1.8 (100 g)
Strawberry jelly	5.3	1.1 (20 g)
Corn flakes	1.9	0.6 (30 g)

Mustard	12.1	0.6 (5 g)
Apple (raw)	0.5	0.5 (100 g)
Peaches (canned)	0.3	0.3 (100 g)
Grape jelly	1.5	0.3 (20 g)

Oxalate-Rich Food Items

FOOD ITEM Beet greens, cooked	SERVING (oz) 1/2 cup	CONTENT(mg) 916
Pursiane, leaves, cooked	1/2 cup	910
Rhubarb, stewed, no sugar	1/2 cup	860
Spinach, cooked	1/2 cup	750
Beets, cooked	1/2 cup	675
Chard, Swiss, leaves cooked	1/2 cup	660
Rhubarb, canned	1/2 cup	600
Spinach, frozen	1/2 cup	600
Beets, pickled	1/2 cup	500
Poke greens, cooked	1/2 cup	476
Endive, raw	20 long leaves	273
Cocoa, dry	1/3 cup	254
Dandelion greens, cooked	1/2 cup	246
Okra, cooked	8-9 pods	146
Potatoes, sweet, cooked	1/2 cup	141
Kale, cooked	1/2 cup	125
Peanuts, raw	1/3 cup (1-3/4 oz.)	113
Turnip greens, cooked	1/2 cup	110
Chocolate, unsweetened	1 ounce	91
Parsnips, diced, cooked	1/2 cup	81
Collard greens, cooked	1/2 cup	74
Pecans, halves, raw	1/3 cup (1-1/4 oz)	74
Tea, leaves (4 mm. infusion)	1 level tsp in 7 oz water	72
Wheat germ, toasted	1/4 cup	67
Gooseberries	1/2 cup	66
Potato, Idaho white, baked	1 medium	64
Carrots, cooked	1/2 cup	45

Apple, raw with skin	1 medium	41
Brussels sprouts, cooked	6-8 medium	37
Strawberries, raw	1/2 cup	35
Celery, raw	2 stalks	34
Milk chocolate bar	1 bar (1.02 oz)	34
Raspberries, black, raw	1/2 cup	33
Orange, edible portion	1 medium	24
Green beans, cooked	1/2 cup	23
Chives, raw, chopped	1 tablespoon	19
Leeks, raw	1/2 medium	15
Blackberries, raw	1/2 cup	13
Concord grapes	1/2 cup	13
Blueberries, raw	1/2 cup	11
Currants, red	1/2 cup	11
Apricots, raw	2 medium	10
Raspberries, red, raw	1/2 cup	10
Broccoli, cooked	1 large stalk	6
Cranberry juice	1/2 cup (4 oz)	6

These foods are high in oxalate (greater than 10 mg per serving): AVOID

·                     Beans in tomato sauce

·                     Beer

·                     Beets

·                     Blackberries

·                     Black and red raspberries

·                     Blueberries

·                     Celery

·                     Chard

·                     Chocolate

·                     Cocoa

·                     Coffee powder (Nescafe)

·                     Collards

·                     Concord grapes

·                     Crackers made from soy flour

·                     Currants

·                     Dandelion greens

·                     Eggplant

·                     Escarole

·                     Fruit cake

·                     Fruit salad (canned)

·                     Green bell pepper

·                     Grits (white corn)

·                     Juices containing berries

·                     Kale

·                     Leeks

·                     Lemon and lime peel

·                     Nuts (especially peanuts and pecans)

·                     Okra

·                     Ovaltine

·                     Parsley

·                     Pokeweed

·                     Rhubarb

·                     Rutabagas

·                     Spinach

·                     Strawberries

·                     Summer squash

·                     Sweet potatoes

·                     Tea

·                     Tofu

·                     Tomato soup

·                     Wheat germ

These foods are moderately high in oxalate (2–10

mg per serving): MODERATION

·                     Apple

·                     Apricots

·                     Asparagus

·                     Bottled beer (12 oz [360 ml] limit/day)

·                     Broccoli

·                     Carrots

·                     Chicken noodle soup (dried)

·                     Coffee (8 oz [240 ml])

·                     Cola beverage (12 oz [360 ml] limit per day)

·                     Corn

·                     Cornbread

·                     Cucumber

·                     Lettuce

·                     Lima beans

·                     Marmalade

·                     Oranges

·                     Orange juice (4 oz [120 ml])

·                     Parsnips

·                     Peaches

·                     Pears

·                     Peas (canned)

·                     Pepper (greater than 1 tsp [2 grams] per day)

·                     Pineapple

·                     Plums

·                     Prunes

·                     Sardines

·                     Soy products (most)

·                     Sponge cake

·                     Tomatoes

·                     Tomato juice (4 oz [120 ml])

·                     Turnip

·                     Watercress

Best bets

These foods are low in oxalate (0–2 mg per serving); eat as desired: OK

·                     Apple juice

·                     Avocado

·                     Bacon

·                     Bananas

·                     Beef (lean)

·                     Bing cherries

·                     Brussels sprouts

·                     Cabbage

·                     Cauliflower

·                     Cheese

·                     Eggs

·                     Grapefruit

·                     Green grapes

·                     Jellies

·                     Lamb (lean)

·                     Lemonade or limeaid (without peel)

·                     Melons

·                     Milk

·                     Mushrooms

IF YOU ARE INTERESTED IN LEARNING MORE OR GETTING TESTED CONTACT US:

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