Oxalate Toxicity

Oxalates are natural compounds found in many plant foods, especially: spinach, beet greens, Swiss chard, soy, rhubarb, buckwheat, almonds, cashews, peanuts, beets, sweet potatoes, yams, baked potatoes, black tea, and many berries, beans, and legumes, along with… sorry to say… chocolate and carob.

Many of these foods have been touted for decades as healthy and as alternatives to a meat-based diet. Millions of dollars have been spent to promote these “super foods” and any number of specialized blenders to make smoothies. Who doesn’t “know” that salads are good for you? The long-term results, however, show us the dark side of this theory.

Oxalates are more correctly termed “anti-nutrients”. Their purpose is to protect the plants from insects and animals – in other words, a plant self-defense mechanism. In your body they bind to minerals in your digestive tract and reduce the nutrition potential of those minerals, namely calcium, magnesium, and iron.

The terms oxalates and oxalic acid are used interchangeably. For this article, they mean the same thing, although they are slightly different chemical compounds found in the foods mentioned above or created when oxalic acid binds to minerals.

Inundation of oxalate-heavy foods will overload the body’s capacity to excrete the crystals and acid via the digestive process. The body ends up storing the excess oxalates in tissues throughout the system where they, in turn, cause significant harm.

Oxalates can stress any organ and tissue in the body: kidneys, heart, liver, lungs, thyroid, bone marrow, tendons, bladder, vulva, gut wall, mucosal membranes, cells, and more.  

This slow bioaccumulation in the body contributes to a myriad of health conditions that manifest over time: 

• Cellular degeneration and malfunction

• Inflammation and tissue damage

• Gut problems and bloating

• Kidney stones, interstitial cystitis, and cloudy urine

• Chronic pain, muscle aches, and joint pain

• Compromised red and white blood cell function

• Sleep disorder, mood swings, and anxiety

• Eye irritation and blurry vision

• Reduced mineral absorption and nutrient deficiency

• Fatigue, energy crashes, and brain fog

• Hormonal imbalance and autoimmune risk

The impact of oxalates on the body will naturally vary based on the individual’s sensitivity to those foods and other underlying health factors. In the end, all will experience the negative effects, though it may take years for difficult health conditions to show up.

Excess oxalates will continue to accumulate in the body until you allow recovery; so over time, things are only getting worse even if you don’t notice it.

Fortunately, oxalate accumulation and toxicity can be corrected by changing the diet.

Use the charts linked below in References to identify the worst culprits that are currently part of your diet.

It is most important to begin gradually and reduce the volume of these foods over several weeks or months.

Once the body recognizes that it can release the stored oxalates, it starts breaking down the deposits. They will first enter the bloodstream before they make their way to the detoxification outlets, primarily the kidneys.

A high amount released all at once can cause you to feel worse for the duration – a condition known as oxalate dumping. This is not only uncomfortable but it could make you sick. So, stick with a plan for incremental reduction.

• Stop making green smoothies and eat the ingredients instead – you will take in less of them and allow your digestive system to break down the greens.

• Reduce the amount of high oxalate foods and add in lower oxalate foods to fill up your plate – this will be a gentler process to allow your body to adapt.

• Eliminate the high oxalate foods completely after several weeks.

• Continue to adjust from medium to low oxalate foods.

• Stay hydrated throughout the transition to facilitate elimination via the kidneys.

If you can measure it, shoot for less than 50 mg of oxalates per day and see how that works out over the subsequent months. Pay attention to your body and adjust as necessary.

See the book Toxic Superfoods by Sally K. Norton for an in-depth examination of oxalate toxicity and how to correct it.