K..whats the deal with oxalates?

(Heather Meyer) #1

Have i missed somthing here? Why is my spinach all of the sudden, a bad thing to eat? I was told due to high doses of oxalates…but what is exactly do oxalates do? How much spinach would i have to be consuming to be affected by this?

(Michael - When reality fails to meet expectations, the problem is not reality.) #2

Speaking of oxalates (and other so-called 'anti-nutrients), Amy Berger here (several years ago):

And here (somewhat more recently):

(KCKO, KCFO) #3

Kidney stones are a highly concerning side effect.

Good news is many of the veggies that are high in it, cooking breaks it down. I personally love all the green leaves.

(Full Metal KETO AF) #4

@collaroygal Oxalates do not cook out or break down. Most plant oxalates aren’t water soluble. Cooking spinach and other greens concentrates the oxalates into a much higher dose compared to the amount you could eat raw. I love the green leaves too, but they’re still a problem if you’re concerned about limiting oxalic acid. Arugula is one green that’s quite low in oxalates. :cowboy_hat_face:

(Edith) #5
#6

I’d suggest listening to any of the interviews with Sally Norton. There are several on youtube that are quite good.

(Bob M) #7

And one of the worst offenders? My friend, very dark chocolate.

(Heather Meyer) #8

:hushed::hushed::hushed::hushed::hushed::sob::sob::sob::sob::sob:Noooooooooooo!!!

(Heather Meyer) #9

thanks!

#10

Sally Norton has had many interesting and eye-opening podcasts, so definitely look into her.

Cocoa, teas (black, green, herbal), spinach, chard, nuts, berries, celery, peppers, zucchini…

I only eat arugula, green lettuce, and mache, these are low in oxalates. Im histamine intolerant, so I have to watch out for oxalates.

(Rebecca 🌸 Frankenfluffy) #11

I had a tendency to eat a lot of raw veg when preparing meals - and one day in our garden glut season I ate a huge amount of raw spinach and Swiss chard. Oh boy! I had no idea why, but my mouth was so irritated and sore - my throat, lips and tongue felt really awful.

I mean, I ate a LOT of it.

And now I’m wondering if it was these oxalates that I’m suddenly hearing a lot about?

(Heather Meyer) #12

Hmmm… thats interesting. One thing i noticed when i eat spinach salad, is the inside of my cheeks and throat get kind of dry and sore… now im wondering if its the same thing? Even my tounge feels a little funny…

(Michael - When reality fails to meet expectations, the problem is not reality.) #13

@PortHardy @KetoSnaps If what you two describe happened to me, that would be the last time ever the stuff touched my lips! The only vegetable I currently eat in any quantity (100-200 grams 4-5 times per week) is bok choy. Although bok choy is a brassica and contains oxalates like all other brassicas, either the amount of oxalates is relatively low and/or I’m not eating enough to cause problems.

(Heather Meyer) #14

im running out of lettuce ideas now that romain is recalled. Icberg is boring IMO…

(Rebecca 🌸 Frankenfluffy) #15

That’s exactly it - a kind of all-pervading dryness! The soreness I mentioned isn’t like an ‘I’ve got a sore throat’ soreness (as in when I’ve got a cold) - but it’s definitely a dryness, and a discomfort.

A small amount of raw spinach or chard doesn’t provoke a reaction - but on this occasion (prepping food while far too hungry) I ate literally handfuls!!!

(Michael - When reality fails to meet expectations, the problem is not reality.) #16

Aside from being a great ‘keto-friendly’ (very low carb) and nutrient dense food, bok choy is about as good as it gets in my opinion. It combines the leaf of lettuce and the stem of celery. A culinary twofer!

(Rebecca 🌸 Frankenfluffy) #17

It’s funny you should say that - I absolutely CRAVE brassicas and whenever I’m preparing cauliflower/broccoli/cabbage etc I will eat tonnes while I’m at it - like the outside leaves, the stalk, plus a load of leaves/‘trees’/florets - and I have absolutely no reaction at all!

Bok choy (which is what I think we call ‘pak choi’ over here in UK) doesn’t provoke the reaction in me either. Or Chinese leaves (Napa cabbage). Those are just fine!

Just spinach and chard.

So maybe it’s not oxalates, but something specific to spinach and chard that’s not in the brassicas?

(Susan) #18

I agree with @amwassil about Bok Choy

@David_Stilley gave me a great way to cook it, and it tastes really nice.

(Michael - When reality fails to meet expectations, the problem is not reality.) #19

Interesting. It certainly is very possible/likely that spinach and chard have something in addition to oxalates causing your reaction. Or maybe they just contain a higher concentration of it than other brassicas.

Yes, pak choy and bok choy are the same thing. I also like napa (siu choy), but it has more carbs and less nutrients than bok choy. When I homesteaded in the Yukon, one of our most successful vegetables was broccoli and we ate it virtually daily from mid-July until the end of Oct. Mostly raw with mayo. I don’t remember experiencing any problem with it.

(traci simpson) #20

Just read this:

Animal protein. Limit beef, pork, eggs, cheese, and fish, because they may raise your chances of most types of kidney stones.

we’d all have kidney stones now wouldn’t we?