Oxalates and what they can do to you
I have seen over and over again how one man’s superfood may be another person’s poison. Fruits, vegetables, nuts and even dark chocolate are without question staples of a healthy diet. But did you know that some of these highly nutritious foods might be poisoning your body and sending your defense mechanisms into chronic overdrive? Nature’s weapon of choice in this matter is a compound called oxalate.
Many people are just learning of the benefits of limiting oxalates in their diet and are finding relief from symptoms such as inflammatory conditions, autoimmune issues, mineral deficiency, and perhaps even autism. Although chances are you that you haven’t heard of oxalate until now, odds are greater that you may have a form of oxalate intolerance or know someone suffering from symptoms of excess oxalate.
Oxalate: What is That?
Oxalates are naturally occurring compounds in plants, animals and human. The body is naturally able to synthesize oxalates from various compounds such as excess vitamin C, fructose as well as yeast. Vitamin B-6 deficiency, magnesium and thiamine deficiency are also ideal circumstances for increased oxalate synthesis.
Unfortunately, oxalates are also found in high concentrations in some of the healthiest foods that we eat on a daily basis. When your body is faced with taking in excess oxalates found in foods, Popeye’s superfood can become our own body’s toxin.
Foods That Contain Oxalate
Dietary oxalate foods are excellent sources of key nutrients such as vitamin C, folate, and fiber and are obvious essentials to maintaining a healthy body. While you read the following list that provides examples of foods containing oxalate, think of what food alternatives have the nutrients that these sources provide.
Fruits: Most fruit is relatively lower in oxalates. The highest concentrations are found in raspberries and some citrus fruits such as grapefruit. Lower levels found in most other berries, apples, plantains, watermelon and cantaloupe.
Vegetables: Very high oxalate concentration in beets, olives, rhubarb, spinach, turnip, yams. Other food sources with oxalates include mustard greens, legumes and artichokes. Little to no oxalate concentration is found in broccoli, cabbage, cauliflower, cucumber, iceberg lettuce, mushrooms, zucchini and scallions.
Dairy: Most food sources contain little to no oxalates. Examples include eggs, cheeses, yogurt, and plain milk (chocolate is a source of oxalates so stray from the chocolate milk).
Grains: A high concentration of oxalates is found in all grains such as whole wheat, oatmeal, brown rice, corn grits, couscous, soy flour and buckwheat. Little to no oxalates concentrated in flaxseed, barley malt flour, corn bran and oat bran.
Meat, Fish and Alternatives: Alternative protein sources such as veggie burgers, soy burgers and tofu burgers are very high in oxalates. Most meats such as buffalo, ham, hamburger, turkey and wild game contain low to no levels of oxalates. All fish except for tuna contain little or no oxalates.
Nuts and Seeds: All nuts are high in oxalate concentration and extremely high in almonds with concentrations more than quadrupled that of a single serving of mixed nuts. Flaxseed contains little to no oxalates.
Other: Oxalates are found in some processed snacks and beverages including potato chips and hot chocolate. Red and white wine contain little to no oxalates.
Oxalate: What’s that Chalky taste?
Have you ever tasted spinach or swiss chard and it left a chalky and perhaps undesirable smooth texture on your tongue and along the roof of your mouth? This texture is a result of the oxalate content in the plant and acts as a defense mechanism so predators like you avoid consuming it.
It then makes sense then that the leaves of fruits and vegetables contain higher concentrations of oxalate compared to other anatomical parts such as the stem.
What are Oxalic Acid Salts?
Often referred to as oxalic acid, this organic acid is highly reactive with minerals including sodium, potassium, magnesium and calcium. Oxalate is like that friend who is great to bring to social gatherings and seems to make friends with everyone.
Just like some of the caustic relationships your friend might form, oxalic acid can combine with calcium and solidify in the kidneys and urinary tract creating a corrosive environment. Now for sure you have heard of kidney stones and urinary tract infections.
Excess Oxalate and Kidney Stones:
When oxalate concentrations are at exceedingly high concentrations in the body, calcium oxalate will develop into sharp crystals forming agonizing kidney stones. In fact, researchers have learned that 75% of kidney stones are actually derived from calcium oxalate.
Some studies are cautious to blame dietary oxalate as the cause of kidney stones. Reasoning is because oxalate concentration in urine measured only accounts for 10-15% of total body concentration.
A better pathway of excreting oxalates through the body is through feces and higher concentrations in this form would represent less absorption of oxalates in the body. This route of excretion better ensures that oxalates will not bind to calcium and create health problems.
Thyroid Conditions and Oxalates:
When the body has more oxalate than it can breakdown, oxalate becomes stored over time in tissue and the thyroid. The human body is innately a design of intelligence. If it is being provided something in excess that it doesn’t need, it will simply store it away for future use just like a squirrel hoards acorns for the cold winter months.
Oxalate binds to a hormone released by the thyroid, T3. Responsibilities of T3 include sending signals to regulate body temperature, metabolism and heart rate. However, excess oxalate binds to T3 creating crystals in the thyroid and consuming the attention of this hormone. Unable to perform other functions, conditions with thyroid disturbances have been linked to excess oxalate.
Oxalate Elimination Diet
An individual with a healthy gut and otherwise healthy immune system can generally tolerate low levels of oxalate from foods. Individuals with either common or rare conditions associated with excess oxalate concentrations in the body may benefit from eliminating dietary sources of oxalate.
Researchers suggest that you do not need to completely eradicate every source of oxalate foods from your diet as much as you should limit the consumption to less than 50 mg daily. Keep in mind that ¼ cup of raw spinach contains this dietary dose.
I teach my clients to minimize their consumption of spinach, beets, grains, nuts, sweet potatoes and chocolate for 3 months until we retest and see that their oxalate levels are in the normal range. From there, they can have a serving of these 1x per week, while we continue with the supplement protocol and retest again in 3 months to see if we were able to keep the levels under control.
Symptoms of Oxalate Intolerance:
Do you have any of these common side effects?
Inflammation in joints causing muscle stiffness and pain
Kidney stones
Urinary tract irritation, pain or urgency to urinate
Vulvar pain (chronic irritation and pain of the female genitalia)
Abdominal problems such as constipation or diarrhea
Vitamin or mineral deficiency such as magnesium or vitamin B
Lethargy or problems sleeping
Histamine reactions such as hives
Associated with Oxalate Intolerance:
Do you have any of these conditions?
Vulvar pain syndrome
Cystic fibrosis
Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) or asthma
Chronic kidney stones (medically termed nephrolithiasis)
Thyroid disease or problems such as lupus, cirrhosis, or Wilson’s Syndrome
Connective tissue disease
Autism
Autoimmune issues
Irritable bowel syndrome
Improve Oxalate Related Health Concerns
Man’s diet today has become so far removed from nature that oxalate intolerance is just another health concern to add to the list of medical problems. Here are a few tips to start you on your health journey:
1. Avoid Nuts & Grains: Avoid nut flours and opt for coconut flour and grain free nutrition.
2. Avoid Anti-Biotics if Possible: Use antibiotics only in an emergency situation and never for general health.
3. Rotate Your Produce: Rotate the produce that you eat. Iceberg lettuce and romaine lettuce varieties contain very little oxalate and can add bulk to your salad in combination with spinach and kale.
4. Cook But Don’t Overcook Your Veggies: Blanching, boiling, and sautéing vegetables will reduce oxalate content but if you cook them too long it only reduces the valuable nutrient supply available. Studies have shown that a maximum reduction of only 15% oxalate concentration occurs through cooking
5. Improve Gut Health: Supplement your diet with probiotic foods and supplements to replenish beneficial bacteria that break down oxalate. Examples of fermented foods are yogurt, kefir, cultured vegetables, kombucha (made without black tea), and sauerkraut. A high quality 100 billion CFU Probiotic with lactobacillus acidophilus and Bifidobacterium lactis should be used as well.
6. Boost B6 Levels: Boost your B6 levels and improve methylation status.
7. Optimize Vitamin D Levels: Optimize your vitamin D levels by getting regular sun exposure or supplementing daily.
8. Don’t Take High Dose Vitamin C: Avoid taking more than 2,000 mg of vitamin C daily. Remember, vitamin C can be used to make oxalate.
9. Increase Your Citrate Consumption: Citrate or citric acid will bind to oxalates and help the body to remove them. You find citrates in citrus fruits such as lemons and limes.
10. Use Activated Charcoal: Activated charcoal is a binding agent that will help to reduce oxalate levels in the gut and reduce yeast and bad bacteria that disrupt normal oxalate metabolism. I recommend taking Mg-K citrate with meals and activated charcoal outside of meals.
11. Increase Omega 3 Levels: Use a high quality, purified fish oil that is rich in EPA, DHA and GLA. Aim to get 2+ grams of omega 3’s daily, which has been shown to reduce oxalate levels
12. Hydrate: Be sure to drink plenty of water to dilute the oxalate concentration in the kidneys
Supplements For High Oxalate Levels:.
Magnesium Potassium Citrate: Take 1 capsule with each meal
Vitamin B6: Take 1 capsule 2 times daily (with or without meals)
Activated Charcoal: about 90 mins after meals
Do this for 90 days . Than you can begin adding back the healthy oxalate foods we reduced. This would include sweet potatoes, nuts, raw cacao, beets and spinach and continue on this protocol.
