Comments on: Is the Low Oxalate Diet Healthy?

By: Barbara

Barbara — Mon, 08 Sep 2014 17:57:44 +0000

On the Autism Oxalate website, their list has Lemons as Very Low, Lemon Juice as Low, and Lemon Peel as High. If there are these differences for just one fruit, how can I trust that any of the other information is correct? A whole lemon cannot be Very Low if the juice and peel are rated at Low and High.

By: Heidi

Heidi — Wed, 07 Aug 2013 01:26:24 +0000

Hi, Jeane.
I can tell by the anger in your post that you are in a state of grief over being told to give up yet another group of foods for your health. Hopefully, you don’t suffer from oxalate toxicity and can find healing another way. If you do suffer from oxalate toxicity, however, the only way you will truly feel better is to follow a low oxalate diet until you detox your system (some people can add back more oxalate once they’ve regained their health.) If this is the case for you, I hope you can work through your anger and grief and find healing with the low oxalate diet.

By: Jeanne

Jeanne — Tue, 06 Aug 2013 00:49:48 +0000

Yes, this article is all well and good but don’t expect me to be turning cartwheels over a low oxalate diet anytime soon or using annoying terminology like “this is an adventure!” I just started eating primal and have no problem avoiding grains and wheat, but you are also supposed to avoid legumes as well. Then add in the “autoimmune protocol” (hypothyroid over here) which removes potatoes and eggs. Eggs, you know, the low oxalate food. Oh, and dairy. Yeah, that whoooole other group of low oxalate foods. And so since I can’t have regular potatoes and frankly need to get carbs from something other than squash, well, sweet potatoes. Uh nope, sorry, high oxalate! Oh, you say, don’t worry you can have delicious fruits like pineapple. Sorry, pineapple allergy. Well, wait a minute, you can always get carbs from healthy veggies like our lower oxalate cauliflower, broccoli and cabbage. Um, wait, they are goitrigenic! Sorry, out of luck! Oh, unless you boil everything! Yay! A boiled pile of mush! Eat up!

By: Heidi

Heidi — Sun, 21 Jul 2013 02:40:21 +0000

Hi, David.
The next best ways to find out oxalate content information are to join the Trying Low Oxalates Facebook page and ask about specific foods you are concerned about, to join the VP Foundation and buy all the back copies of the newsletter (It was only 5$ for all the back copies last time I checked), or from the Autism Oxalate Project’s website.
Hope one of these works for you.

By: David

David — Tue, 09 Jul 2013 20:49:09 +0000

I’m sure the information at the Yahoo! Groups is great, but Yahoo! and I don’t mix. I have endless password and sign-in headaches with them. I gave up trying to use their e-mail, and want nothing more to do with them. What other solid sources of oxalate info do you have?

By: Heidi

Heidi — Fri, 05 Jul 2013 19:49:49 +0000

Hi, David. You're not alone. Most doctors and many websites are using outdated oxalate lists that use oxalate levels from old testing methods from as early as the 1930's. These lists are not accurate. For example, blue berries are low oxalate and strawberries are lower medium oxalate. Both are perfectly fine to eat on a low oxalate diet. If you would like a free up-to-date list you need to join the Trying Low Oxalates Yahoo Group. This list compiles oxalate values from two non-profit groups that are actively testing oxalate levels of foods - The Vulvar Pain Foundation and the Autism Oxalate Project, plus some recent values from the scientific literature. I can't publish the list here because of copyright issues and because it is massive (quite comprehensive for whole foods and plenty of commercial foods also). But I can report oxalate values for some ingredients in my recipes and for the foods I review. All of my values come from the master list and were from the most up-to-date list on the day I published my post. A few of these may be slightly out of date now, and off by a few mg. oxalate. But if it's a huge change I go back and fix or up-date the posts as soon as possible.

By: David

David — Fri, 05 Jul 2013 12:06:55 +0000

Wow! Am I confused! My doctor, well as the numerous food oxalate level lists that I downloaded, all tell me that many of the things that you say are low in oxalates are high in them and to be avoided–stuff like flaxseed oil, bananas, all berries, and more. What’s a guy to do? It doesn’t help that I’m not the most creative person when it comes to planning meals and grocery lists, either.

By: Heidi

Heidi — Fri, 08 Feb 2013 20:27:24 +0000

Thank you, Helen. Glad to hear you are already seeing results!

By: helen sena

helen sena — Fri, 08 Feb 2013 13:14:40 +0000

Hi, just stumbled on your website and you have answered so many of my questions(like can you get enough protein on a low oxalate diet if you eat primarily vegetables). Thank you for the much needed information. My gyno just put me on the low oxalate diet and I have seen improvement after 2 weeks. I will continue to access your website. You really provide an important service to women like me. Best Regards, Helen

By: Heidi

Heidi — Wed, 03 Oct 2012 02:52:36 +0000

Oxalate is a toxin and causes pain, inflammation and energy metabolism problems such as fatigue and trouble concentrating when oxalate is absorbed in high quantities. Many if not most people’s bodies do a pretty good job of keeping the oxalate in the gut where it can pass out without harm. (Although it may cause some gut irritation/inflammation if you have a sensitive gut.) But some people absorb way too much oxalate through their gut and into their bloodstream, usually due to poor intestinal function. Many doctors believe that people who have autoimmune diseases like RA, undoubtedly have poor intestinal function and/or leaky guts, so it is quite common to find people with both oxalate issues and autoimmune diseases. The big question to ask is what causes the leaky gut and intestinal malfunction in the first place, and that could be hard to pin down. Gluten is an obvious choice. Other grains can be just as irritating, however, as can dairy or legumes or nightshade vegetables for some people. An autoimmune-Paleo diet is designed to heal the gut and help heal the symptoms of autoimmune diseases. GAPS also heals the gut. Both are grain-free and gluten-free. Adding low oxalate may also help (I’m on a low-oxalate Paleo diet). Oxalate can be stored in the joints and surrounding tissues, so some people with arthritis often report feeling much better within weeks or months of starting a low oxalate diet, although others who eventually have a good result can take longer. It depends on how much oxalate you have stored in your tissues (which will determine in part how long it takes to detoxify your system through the dumping process). It also depends on whether you truly have an oxalate problem to begin with.

So this is my very long answer to your question which really is “it depends.” If you have a leaky gut and/or poor intestinal function (which is likely), then high oxalate foods could be causing a lot of inflammation in your body. Oxalate is very inflammatory once it gets into your tissues. If you have rock-solid digestion (unlikely), then most of the oxalate never reaches a place in your body where it will cause inflammation.

Hope this helps. And good luck! I’m sure switching to a natural, whole foods diet will help no matter what else you decide to do.

Heidi