Oxalation
Before I start, I want to clarify that not everyone has a problem with oxalation but some people do and it is an important problem. That is where the theory of bioindividuality is so important. This is all fact and not opinion.
There was a blog that was being passed around on oxalation that had all the green juicers in an uproar. Too much of almost anything can be a bad thing. It is funny, we want everyone to be open to the truth of what is and is not healthy. However, when an article like this comes up, the first things we want to do is discount it and doubt any truths that might be in it.
I think the problem with this article is that it wanted to throw the baby out with the bath water. To say that all green drinks are unhealthy was just silly. We have studied and learned that not all diets are right for all people. Same here. You can still have your green drink just change to a low oxalate veggie if you have a problem with oxalates. It pays to keep an open mind and keep on learning because there sure is a lot to know.
Oxalates include some leafy greens, berries, fruits and vegetables high in vitamin C, some nuts and seeds, coffee, tea and chocolate. That is why it is important to have a nice variety of foods in your diet and not be extreme in any one thing.
Oxalate is a molecule that, under certain circumstances, links up with calcium and crystallizes. It is important to eat a low oxalate diet if you suffer from kidney stones, fibromyalgia, inflammation, or have had part of your intestine removed. A food is considered high in oxalates when it has more than 10 mg of the compound per serving.
Some of the foods high in oxalate include, spinach, green beans, rhubarb, kidney beans, soy, sweet potatoes, strawberries, raspberries, tangerines and kiwis. Meat and dairy do not have oxalate.
There are a lot of lists available on the Internet. Unless you are prone to kidney stones, fibromyalgia, chronic inflammation or have an intestine removed. I would suggest eating a balanced diet and not worrying about what is high in oxalates. For some, eating a balanced diet means not living on greens and nuts alone.
I think this is a perfect lesson in not going overboard in any style of eating. Too much of a good thing is not always more goodness.
Sources
http://img2.timg.co.il/
http://www.uwhealth.org/
http://www.canadianmedicaljournal.ca/
http://www.whfoods.com/
http://www.livestrong.com/
http://www.mayoclinic.com/
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