Soaking most grains does seem to reduce oxalate content. Some of the soluble oxalate dissolves in the water and is thrown away with the soaking water. It’s the same principle as boiling greens or carrots to reduce oxalate content. For soaking (or boiling) to be effective the grain (vegetable) must have soluble oxalate. If the grain’s oxalate is mostly insoluble, soaking won’t help. Many people in the low oxalate community soak brown rice overnight. Then you cook it like pasta (in a lot of boiling water) and strain away the water. This can reduce the oxalate levels by as much as 40% (Uncle Ben’s GF brown rice has about 3.8 mg. oxalate when you cook it this way). I keep hoping to write a post about this . . .

When powdered stevia was first tested many years ago, they found it high in oxalate. Since then Stevia has been retested numerous times and the new, reliable testing results have liquid stevia (sweet leaf, stevia clear brand) as only O.17 mg. oxalate per teaspoon. Just in the last year we’ve learned that Now brand Organic Stevia Powder (“better stevia”) as 0 mg. oxalate. I personally believe that the first test was not inaccurate, but reflects how two different companies process the leaf into a powdered form. For that reason I only recommend that you use the brand that was actually tested if you wish to use Stevia.

If you want a an up-to-date, comprehensive list of the oxalate values of food try joining the Trying Low Oxalates Yahoo Group or the Trying Low Oxalates Facebook Group. These two sites are moderated by the autism oxalate project and they keep a compilation of all reliable oxalate testing results from the last 20 years or so. The folks on these two sites are very helpful and friendly, too!