LISTS – AND LISTS
I know you are all looking for THE list. Here is one from a reliable source I have have downloaded on my site to a separate document so it opens with one click.
The reliable source, as it turns out, needed some updating. Dr Ross Holmes, professor, School of Medicine, University of Alabama, was kind enough to review the work of Dr. Michael Liebman who is a professor of Human Nutrition and Food Option at University of Wyoming and determine which food entries on the Harvard list needed changing. We cannot change the original but we have updated our lists accordingly and annotated updates with *** marks. So the lists here are the most recently edited available at present.Fred Coe and I have updates and annotated the list for those with a tendency to perfectionism: Updated table of oxalate foods. Set it at 50% for easier reading. Get yourself acquainted with the lists. They will tell you much of what you need to know. A lot of it will even surprise you. You are not as restricted as you think you are or as you have been told.
A more dramatic list is the 177 high oxalate foods we distilled out of the big list. Here are culprits! Not on this list? Probably not very high in oxalate so far as we know – with perhaps a few exceptions. Note that quantity is critical. For example black pepper is high in oxalate but the amounts used are small enough that total oxalate intake from it is negligible.
Eating a low oxalate diet can be overwhelming and difficult to incorporate into your daily life. I just released a course called The Kidney Stone Prevention Course to help you understand how to implement your physician’s prescribed treatment plans.
LET’S DIVIDE AND CONQUER
FOODS TO WORRY ABOUT
A List of Concerning Foods
We have created two graphs for this article. Of the 177 foods on our master list, many are of concern but can be used in your diet if you control the portion size and how often you use them. There are 30 of them that are worrisome enough to deserve special attention.
Here are the 30. The graph shows mg of oxalate in a common portion. The details of the portions are in the complete list. The foods have in common that all contain at least 40 mg/serving. All other foods for which we have reliable data have less oxalate per serving.
Your budget is about 100 mg/day.
What does this graph mean? Does it mean you can never have chocolate, or a baked potato?
No.
It means if you want to use your whole budget on a treat, do it, but keep track and make sure you do not overspend in any meal or in any one day. Have your baked potato, but maybe share half with your partner. Or, have some hot chocolate but make it with milk because calcium helps reduce oxalate absorption. Eat your cashew nuts, but pay attention to how many. If one handful leads to ten, you cannot have them.
FOODS TO AVOID
The graph to the left is of the very few dangerously high oxalate foods.
There are only six foods, but spinach, being worst of all, has two entries. Be careful of this plot because of its range. It begins at 100 mg/portion and rises to 755 mg/portion in only 7 steps, so the distance from miso soup to spinach is about a 7 fold increase.
Rhubarb and spinach are so high you just cannot eat them. Rice bran is something few will miss, the same for buckwheat groats.
People like almonds but have a hard time controlling portion size. If you can keep it to 11 almonds a day – the portion size that gives 122 mg of oxalate, alright. Otherwise stay away from them.
If you have to eat any of these foods, caution is hardly a strong enough word.
Are you sure you need to eat them?
Why?
WHAT ARE WE SAYING?
We are saying that oxalate is common in foods, and that you have to be careful, but care is a scarce resource. How much care can you give every bite? The graphs say if you eat moderately high oxalate foods – the first graph – be careful.
Watch portions.
If you are eating one of the six dangerously high oxalate foods, stop eating it.
It is too hard to be careful with those six foods. They have too much oxalate for most of you to handle. So, just say no.
WHY BELIEVE OUR DATA?
These data arose from a major effort at the Harvard School of Public Health. A world class expert has curated it twice. Harvard can be wrong and so can Ross Holmes, but both will tend to be wrong less often than the average persons who attempt to put complex data into the public domain. We have always appreciated comments, and if anyone has a peer reviewed publication with different food oxalate levels than ours, we will read the paper and see if it warrants our making a change.
Medical research is endlessly argumentative, and food oxalate is no exception. A recent paper contrasts findings from 6 websites and 2 applications and finds some wide variations. Of the sites, the Harvard site – used here as our reference, and the Wake Forest site – which is a legacy of an outstanding investigative group have most standing with me. Leaf through the comparisons between them in the 4 charts and in the large table at the very end. On the whole differences are modest. The hyperoxaluria and oxalosis list from the paper has been withdrawn from their site.
DO YOU NEED A LIST?
Sure, a list is nice. But we helping you here. Lists can run on to hundreds of foods. The picture is meant for focus. Here are the ones to focus on.
Many of you leave the doctor’s office thinking you will never be able to eat a fruit or vegetable again. If that wasn’t bad enough chocolate and nuts are gone, too. Some of this sadly is true, most of it is not. I am here to bring you good news: Almost everything, high oxalate or not, can be incorporated into your diet safely.
Do you need a low oxalate diet? You may if your stones contain calcium oxalate crystals and your urine oxalate is high enough to pose risk.
If you do need a low oxalate diet, what is your goal? Less than 100 mg of diet oxalate is good; less than 50 mg is ideal.
If you want to read some of the science about urine oxalate and risk of stones and about how we get to the diet oxalate goals, it is summarized at the end of this article.
Here we assume you do need to lower the oxalate in your diet.
CALCIUM FIRST
Low calcium diets can raise urine oxalate, and the solution may be as simple as a proper calcium intake. There is every reason for stone formers to eat 1000 mg of calcium daily to protect their bones. The common hypercalciuria of calcium stone formers puts bones at special risk when diet calcium is low.
Before changing your whole life around, ask yourself if you are avoiding calcium foods. If so, add them back and ask your doctor to check your urine oxalate again. It may fall enough that a low oxalate diet is not necessary.
If low calcium intake is not your problem, and you need a low oxalate diet, here is my take on how to do it.
WHAT IS THE DIET OXALATE GOAL?
Typical diets contain upward of 200 – 300 mg of oxalate. For stone prevention, a reasonable goal is below 100 mg of oxalate daily. An ideal would be about 50 mg daily if that can be accomplished.
To get there, consider the oxalate contents in common serving portions of all of the foods, and make up a plan for yourself.
FRUITS
FRESH
Everyone who comes to me is very unhappy thinking they can never have a berry again. This is Baloney. The only berry that is very high in oxalate is raspberries (look at the list). On the other hand, people do not realize avocado, oranges, dates, and even grapefruit and kiwi are very high and need caution.
This doesn’t mean you can never have these healthy treats. If you incorporate any of these high oxalate fruits into your morning yogurt you can reduce some of the effects of the oxalate content.
Also look at your portion sizes. You really cannot eat a lot at any one time. Dates are not a good bargain: One date is 24 mg!
CANNED OR DRIED
Canned pineapple is a problem.
Dried fruits have to be a worry because the water is taken out, so a ‘portion’ of dried fruit can be gigantic in oxalate content. Figs, pineapple and prunes are standouts. Just think: 1/2 cup of dried pineapple is 30 mg – not a lot of fruit for a lot of oxalate. If you want dried fruit, think about apples, apricots, and cranberry as lower oxalate options.
VEGETABLES
Spinach and rhubarb are standouts; stay away.
Other vegetables you need to be aware of are tomato sauce, turnips, okra, and yams (sweet potatoes) along with beans of different sorts.
I am not in the business of taking healthy foods away from people. But in the cases above you really must limit; there is just too much oxalate and these foods do not pair well with high calcium foods the way fruits can be mixed right into your yogurt or cereal and milk.
Many of you have been told to stay away from all green leafy vegetables. This is not true. Look at the list. There are plenty of salad options still available for you including kale. Even though tomato sauce is high in oxalate (see below) that is because of concentration. A whole medium tomato is only 7 mg and who eats more than one at a time?
Many of the salad vegetables are so low in oxalate they are freebies. Eat what you want.
POTATOES
These are Trouble! I put them into their own separate group even though they are vegetables.
From french fries to baked potatoes they are very high oxalate items. One ounce of potato chips has 21 mg of oxalate and who eats one ounce? Not I. Baked potatoes are terrible. One comes in at just under 100 mg of oxalate. Mixing sour cream into the potato will not help much; one tablespoon of sour cream contains only 14 mg of calcium. One ounce of cheddar cheese contains 200 mg of calcium, which could help, but it increases calories, salt and fat. But all in all, why struggle so hard? Potatoes are not ideal for stone formers.
DAIRY PRODUCTS
They have no oxalate. They are your main source of calcium. Use them. They can add a lot of salt – cheeses – and can be caloric. But they reduce oxalate absorption and preserve your bones.
For a stone former who has to watch salt intake, increase calcium intake, and lower oxalate intake, here is how to do that. You cannot have as much cheese as you want because of the salt. So portion sizes are very important. Yogurt, milk, even ice cream are good bargains – modest sodium and high calcium. These are a great place to add in a wee bit of chocolate – high oxalate foods – for those of you who cannot live without these high oxalate treats.
BREADS AND GRAINS
Some of the basic ingredients to make these foods are very high. White flour and brown rice flour are high in oxalate so everything you make from them will be high.
BREADS
Even so, as far as kidney stones go, breads are mainly alright because of portion size: not that much flour so one slice is 5-8 mg. French toast and New York style bagels top the list at 13 mg for two slices and 40 mg for one bagel – as much as anyone will eat of either food.
PASTA RICE AND GRAINS
Spaghetti, one cup cooked is 11 mg and most of us eat more than one cup.
Buckwheat groats, one cup cooked is 133 mg – I don’t see many of you saying ‘darn it’ or taking to your bed, but beware. Millet and bulger, wheat berries, rice bran, corn grits, and corn meal, these are widely used and are high. If you are using these, be thoughtful.
Here are some low oxalate options in this category: White rice, hummus, corn flour, corn bran, flax seed, and oat bran are popular and safe.
MEAT PRODUCTS
Since oxalate is only found in plant foods, all the meats are safe. Fish, too.
For our vegetarian friends, tofu and veggie burgers are very high.
NUTS AND SEEDS
These are just dangerous for two reasons.
Obviously they are very high in oxalate.
Secondly, I don’t know anybody who just has a few nuts at a time.
Just like chips no one eats one – the whole jar is more like it.
But, for one cup of pumpkin sunflower or flax seeds the highest is only 17 mg of oxalate and none for flax. For those of you who love foods in this category seeds are the better choice and they can be sprinkled on yogurt and ice cream.
SWEET STUFF
I have good news for my chocolate lovers. I know most of you have been sent home with a list and chocolate is high on it. But if you look at the numbers nuts are a lot worse than chocolate. Chocolate can be mixed in with dairy products, too, so as to reduce oxalate absorption.
Even so I do want to point out that half a brownie is on the high side, and who eats one half?
You can still satisfy your sugar craving but pay attention to your portion size.
Keep in mind, however, that sugar loads increase urine calcium loss which increases stone risk, so there are two reasons why this food group can be a problem.
But even without chocolate, you eat a lot of flour when you eat a piece of cake, so cake can be a problem – about 15 mg per piece, like french toast. Pies are half the risk because of their fillings – unless they are chocolate pies!
CRACKERS AND CHIPS
The big enemy here is potato chips. A one ounce serving contains a whopping 21 mg of oxalate. I repeat: A one ounce serving.
Your best bet in this category if you’re looking for something crunchy is corn chips – one ounce is 7 mg, popcorn – one cup is 5 mg, and pretzels, one ounce is 5 mg.
Crackers are OK mainly because they are small and the amount of flour is not that much.
BEVERAGES
PLANT SOURCES
Hot chocolate is the clear loser at 65 mg per cup; carrot juice is the runner up at 27 mg per one cup. Lemonade, tea, tomato juices, rice dream and the like are better but still high. The are 15 – 18 mg per serving. Lemonade – frozen concentrate – is 16 mg per 8 ounces so be careful about this as a source of citrate.
Soy milk, for those of you who prefer it, is not a good option. It is very high at 20 mg per cup. We have no data from standard sources for rice milk, cashew milk, and coconut milk; almonds are high in oxalate so the almond milk product will certainly be high.
Tea is so commonly used, here are the details. If you brew your own tea it is high in oxalate. The longer you steep your tea, the more oxalate it will have in it. If you use a sweetened instant iced tea one cup has 0 mg of oxalate.
Here are some juices that are low in oxalate and better substitutes: Apple juice, apricot juice, orange juice, grapefruit juice, grape juice. For all the lemonade drinkers, diet lemonade is low in oxalate.
Here is something very important: Coffee is oxalate free – almost, 1 mg for a cup (2 mg/cup for decaf). We already told you that coffee drinkers have a reduced stone risk, so lets debunk the coffee myth here: Drink it as you wish.
DAIRY SOURCES
Everything is good except chocolate milk. Even that is only 7 mg a cup for a sweet treat here and there.
ALCOHOL
What tops the list in this category is a can of beer: 4 mg of oxalate. All the rest are low and, frankly, the oxalate in a can of beer comes with a lot of fluid. This is not the problem area for stone formers.
WATER
If I didn’t say this to you I could not sleep well tonight. Water is the clear winner in this whole category. It is free of calories, sugar, and oxalate. Please use it as your main beverage and supplement with the items above.
SPREADS AND SAUCES
Chocolate, miso, peanut butter, and tahini are all high.
SOUPS
Miso soups is extremely high – 111 mg/cup. Lentil soup is high, and so is clam chowder – the potatoes.
BREAKFAST FOODS
This is a dangerous meal if you are a cereal lover. Many cereals are high in oxalate. I am afraid you need to look them up in the list by brand. Unfortunately the healthier cereals are highest in oxalate because they contain more plant based ingredients. Probably having milk in your cereal is wise, but we have no data to show.
Eating a low oxalate diet can be overwhelming and difficult to incorporate into your daily life. I just released a course called The Kidney Stone Prevention Course to help you understand how to implement your physician’s prescribed treatment plans.
HOW DO WE MANAGE ALL THIS?
The first thing you need to do is to learn and remember what are the highest oxalate foods and beverages. Without this in mind it is impossible to shop and cook intelligently. Here is a short list of the highest oxalate foods all in one place.
BREAKFAST
For those of you who love cereal because it is quick and easy check out the list and see if the one you love is high in oxalate. If it is, choose the next best one with lower oxalate. Put milk in the cereal.
Alternatives to cereal that are also quick and easy: Yogurt or cottage cheese and fruit. The only fruits to worry about are raspberries because no one puts oranges on their yogurt. Bananas, peaches, blueberries and strawberries are perfect toppings.
More trouble, but no oxalate, eggs any way at all. Boil a batch on Sunday and have them for the week for breakfast, and snacks, too.
Your breakfast coffee is free and so is your water. For juices use orange, apple, pineapple, grapefruit – all great. If you want tea, don’t steep more than a minute and consider adding milk to it. Green tea is better than black.
LUNCH
Typically you are grabbing a salad or a sandwich for lunch, so what now? Many clients tell me they no longer eat salads because their physicians told them to stop all green leafy vegetables.
I’m bringing salads back to you.
Arugula, iceberg, romaine lettuces, and kale, are fine as your base. Stay away from spinach. Here are good toppings. Cauliflower, corn, cucumber, mushrooms, onions, peas, scallions, squash and zucchini are all fine. Tomatoes are fine, too; it is only the sauce that is high. Broccoli and green pepper are moderately high so watch the portion size.
Sandwiches will cost you between 12 and 16 mg of oxalate depending on the bread you are using – 2 slices. This doesn’t mean you can never have a sandwich, it just means you have to keep track of how much. You can have 50 to 100 mg daily. What goes inside between the two slices of bread is usually cheeses and meats which are oxalate free. So sandwiches are not something to be afraid of.
SUPPER
Beef, chicken and fish are all fine, and those the main courses for most of us. You will run into problems if you are a pasta or potato eater. If you are you need to limit the amount of times you have these foods each week and also the quantity each time you use them. Substitutes are a problem: White rice is a nice substitute for potatoes but there are few others. It is more veggies that have to fill in – very healthy but not as much fun.
Here is a recipe for cauliflower – ‘mashed potatoes’ you will like and even think, sometimes, is the real thing. There are many versions on the web, choose the one that makes you happy but be careful about the ingredients.
There is also quinoa which is not on our lists, but may well be high. A recent scientific article on this plant does not give oxalate contents which suggests they are not reliably known.
I have recently put together a private FB page called THE Kidney Stone Diet. It is a group that helps educate you on your physician prescribed treatment plans. As you can imagine, oxalate comes up in many posts. I moderate it to keep it clinically sound. Come on over and join the discussion!
URINE OXALATE AND RISK OF KIDNEY STONES
I promised you some science – here it is for those interested. It concerns only highlights from the food – urine oxalate research recently performed and seemingly germane to the problem of how stone formers should control oxalate intake.
The most useful data about urine oxalate we have so far is from three cohorts studied by Dr. Gary Curhan. Two are cohorts of nurses one a cohort of physicians. These people have kept track of many aspects of diet and health for decades, and among their records are onset of kidney stones.
As he did for urine calcium, Curhan measured urine oxalate in properly selected subgroups from each cohort, including people who did and did not begin forming stones. From these samples he could calculate the relative risk of new onset of stones in relation to 24 hour urine oxalate excretion.
The two nurse cohorts are red, the physicians – all men – are blue. The dotted line at 1 is the risk threshold: Above that line, risk is present.
The top of each crosshatched bar shows the mean relative risk for each of the five urine oxalate ranges. Clearly the mean goes up as urine oxalate goes up.
But the mean relative risk has a range of uncertainty around it. The bottom of the solid portion of each bar is the lower 95th percentile for that range of uncertainty. When that bottom lies above 1, risk is very likely to be present.
For both the women and men groups, that point is reached between 25 and 30 mg of urine oxalate a day. Therefore one wants to try to get urine oxalate below 30 mg daily and even lower, below 25 mg daily if possible. The average urine oxalate excretion among the women in this study was close – 26 and 28 mg/day for those who did not form stones and just a bit higher for those who did – 28 and 30 mg per day. The men are a problem: 39 and 41 mg/day for those who did not and those who did form stones.
This is not diet oxalate, it is urine oxalate. Urine oxalate is how much the body makes and how much is absorbed from foods. Mostly, we can control only the second part – how much is in the food.
HOW MUCH DIET OXALATE DAILY
All dietary advice depends on having a reasonable goal in mind for oxalate intake. My goal of 50 – 100 mg of oxalate from food daily is not unreasonable given the research that has been done in normal people and stone formers.
Holmes and colleagues found a urine excretion of oxalate of about 10 mg/gm urine creatinine in normal 
people eating a synthetic oxalate free high calcium diet (graph at left). As diet oxalate increased, urine oxalate rose from 0 to 10 mg/2500 kcal/d, urine oxalate rose steeply from 10 to 14 mg/gm urine creatinine. It rose more slowly, from 14 to barely 15 mg/gm urine creatinine as diet oxalate was increased to 50 mg/2500 kcal/d, and more or less at the same slope thereafter so that an increase from 50 mg/2500 kcal/d up to 250 mg/2500 kcal/d increased urine oxalate only from 14 to 18. The closed symbols are whole food the open symbols synthetic diets.
From this work the percent oxalate absorption could be calculated as around 10 – 15% and the contribution of diet oxalate to urine oxalate excretion as around 25 – 40% when intake of oxalate was between 50 and 350 mg/2500 kcal. Therefore one can consider a whole food 1000 mg calcium 50 mg oxalate as a usable low oxalate diet, and a 150 – 250 mg oxalate diet as relatively high.
The balance between diet calcium and diet oxalate does not matter greatly if diet calcium is high. Among normal men and women eating 1000 mg/day of calcium and 750 mg/day of food oxalate, 24 hour urine calcium was about 110 mg/day and oxalate about 44 mg/day.
If the calcium oxalate balance is altered so calcium intake is 400 mg and 20 mg of oxalate at breakfast and lunch, and 200 mg of calcium and 710 mg of oxalate at dinner, as compared with simply 333 mg of calcium and 250 mg of oxalate in all 3 daily meals, urine oxalate is lower after the high calcium low oxalate meals, but only slightly higher after the high oxalate low calcium evening meal than when calcium and oxalate intakes were balanced. This means that when diet calcium is at least 1000 mg daily the balance of calcium to oxalate within any one meal is not likely to affect stone risk.
Seiner and colleagues make clear that stone formers are different from normal people. They divided male and female stone formers into 2 groups of 93 people each, one with urine oxalate above 0.5 mmol (~50 mg) of urine oxalate daily and the other with urine oxalate below 0.4 mmol (~40 mg) daily. They found virtually identical calcium and oxalate intakes: 845 vs. 812 calcium and 101 vs. 130 mg daily of oxalate respectively in the lower and higher urine oxalate groups. But the below 0.4 mmol group excreted only 27 mg of oxalate daily on average, whereas the high oxalate group excreted 64 mg daily. In other words diet was not responsible for the higher urine oxalate excretion, suggesting a difference of oxalate absorption. Those prone to high oxalate excretion seem, therefore, to most need diet modification.
Knight and colleagues found a wide range of oxalate absorption among 38 calcium oxalate stone formers eating a self choice diet. Urine oxalate excretion (vertical axis) varied with percent of diet oxalate absorbed (horizontal axis). The mean absorption centered around 5%; a few outliers absorbed over 15% up to 25%. This supports what Seiner found – some stone formers will have urine oxalate levels very responsive to diet oxalate and sans a research protocol we will not know. This is another good reason to keep diet oxalate low – 50 to 100 mg if possible.
PROTEIN AND GELATIN
Diet protein intake does not affect urine oxalate excretion. In 11 normal people fed a 1000 mg calcium, 51 mg oxalate, 3000 mg sodium fixed diet, varying protein intake from 0.6 to 1.6 gm/kg/day – a very wide range – did not alter urine oxalate appreciably (mean values were 23, 23, and 25 mg daily for the three protein intakes) even though oxalate precursors like glycolate rose markedly (25, 22, and 46, mg daily).
Jello is a source of hydroxyproline which converts to glycolate and oxalate, and oral loading with gelatin can raise urine oxalate. Ten normal people eating a 1000 mg calcium, 150 mg oxalate diet (typical normal level) were fed supplemental gelatin as one quarter of daily protein intake. Urine oxalate was 24 mg daily vs. 17 mg daily when the same diet was supplemented with whey protein – containing little hydroxyproline – as a control. So lots of jello is not an ideal plan for stone formers.
Where does this leave us about how much oxalate is alright for a day. If diet calcium is high, as it should be, at about 1000 mg, then one should try to limit diet oxalate below 100 mg daily. Perhaps this is most important in those patients whose baseline oxalate excretions are higher – in the range of above 40 mg daily.
Eating a low oxalate diet can be overwhelming and difficult to incorporate into your daily life.
For those who need special help, I run an online course: The Kidney Stone Prevention Course to help you understand how to implement your physician’s prescribed treatment plans.
I was taking bone marrow supplements for another condition, but stopped because I was concerned about oxalate content. Do you have any opinion about these supplements? There are several brands, but I was taking Ancestral Supplement brand.
Hi Denise, marrow will not contain oxalate, but does contain a lot of materials that can promote oxalate production by your liver. If you are a stone former, get 24 hour urine testing and see if your urine oxalate is high. I do not know the brands, sorry. Regards, Fred Coe
I have had problems with kidney stones for almost 5 years. I have had 2 operations to remove a 19 mm, and two 10 mm stones in my right kidney and a 17 mm in my left. Less than a year later, they retired, large as life. Had my third surgery. I have been on medication to help not grow them, along with a low oxalate diet. Unfortunately they are back! I have seen many lists, but I use the one listed as I figure it is accurate. My question, what about rolled oats, oat flour, and other types of flours. I am trying to make my own bread, unsuccessfully. What bread do you suggest? White, whole grain, coconut? Also, what do you think about using coconut cream to help reduce kidney stones? I have been reading about this as well. Thanks.
Hi Donna,
Oats are low and my patients do use oat flour to make bread. If you look at the oxalate list we promote and read the article that goes with it you will see that most of you (unless otherwise stated by your physican) can have 100mg/day. Getting your calcium is very important so eat foods that have calcium in them. My point is this: you can have bread, any breads if you get your RDA of calcium and stay within the 100mg/day.
Best, Jill
Thank you for all these information, I have a nodule on the thyroid, and not sure if it was formed because of oxalate or no, but I consume raw baby spinach almost 4 days a week as a green juice with spirulina and bone broth, also I drink almond milk every day with matcha or curcumin golden milk. Do you think these 2 frequently taken food could be the cause of my nodule? (the nodule biopsy is undiagnosed)
Hi Katz, No; oxalate does not and cannot cause thyroid nodules. But so much oxalate can cause kidney stones in some people. Regards, Fred Coe
Have you heard of a new supplement called Nephure?
It’s seeming a bit hoax-like to me. The ingredients on the label are: Maltodextrin (non-GMO corn starch), oxalate decarboxylase enzyme. Thoughts?
Hi Jason,
Yes, we have heard of it. Not a fan of the way they did their studies personally. Also, you still have to be on a low oxalate diet. More importantly, get enough calcium. Keep your money in your pocket.
Best, Jill
I’m concerned about artificial sweeteners. I read that Stevia is quite high so I avoid that, but so many foods now seem to have that in them. What about other artificial sweeteners. What is sucralose ? Any information on sweeteners and oxylates would be very helpful. Thank you. Diana
Hi Diana,
Once processed Stevia has NO oxalate. Enjoy!
Best, Jill
Hello Jill and Fredric, Thank you very much for all you both do. My brother, daughter, myself are stone formers.
I have 2 things I do each day and I’m worried I shouldn’t be:
When I had my stone surgery I was told no tea, green or otherwise- I had been drinking cold-processed; I use a famous brand “L++++n” decaf green, which I place many bags into cold water, unsweetened, refrigerate leaving tea bags in….I drink this all day, as I do not like to drink water, I drink 64oz, less/more depending on the day. Urologist told me to not drink any tea.
I mentioned this to my neurologist, who went onto Hopkins site and said green tea is beneficial for stones, and me since I have autoimmune diseases. I knew about the antiinflammatory autoimmune benefit and that’s why I begin drinking green tea 10 years ago.
so, am I making things worse stone-wise by continuing green tea? And I used to heat the water 1st but read that can kill the good aspect of green tea, so I switched to cold water brew. Should I continue with cold water, if indeed, you say it’s ok to continue green tea.
My 2nd item I do every day that maybe I shouldn’t- I bought a Vitamix 1 yr ago solely to make smoothies and perused your site to find foods I liked that wouldn’t be troublesome. I’d never tried kale before, but decided it would be good for me, so it became one of my ingredients: greek yogurt, kale, frozen fruits- dark cherries, blueberries, pineapple. Flax seeds instead of chia. I have 16-32oz daily.
Am I getting myself into trouble with this smoothie?
I also love to eat Salmon and microwave steamed bagged broccoli, often eating every day. I’m thinking the broccoli is a no no. Maybe switch to cauliflower?
Is there such a thing as too much Salmon? frozen filets from a large shopping warehouse “C++++o”
Thanks!
Tess:)
Hi Tess,
The food and beverages you mention are fine, in normal amounts. Here is a good article that also includes a safe oxalate list derived from the original Harvard list that both Dr. Coe and I use with our patients.https://jillharriscoaching.com/good-oxalate-list/ What happens to patients is they eat large amounts of higher oxalate foods over and over again. Vary your foods up and eat within NORMAL portion amounts.
Best, JIll
Hi Tess,
These two articles might help you:https://jillharriscoaching.com/the-importance-of-portion-control/ and this one,https://jillharriscoaching.com/fad-diets/
Best, Jill
P.s. forgot to ask is the KETO diet good for stone formers?
Tess:)
Hi Tess, It is not beneficial for stone prevention. The kidney stone diet is a far better choice, and accords with US recommendations for healthy eating. Regards, Fred Coe
I am wondering if any milk alternatives are safe for people with oxalate stones? Lactose intolerance makes it impossible to drink dairy/cows milk, and soy and almond aren’t good for stone formers (or at least I’ve read). Any others that would be ok? Thanks!!
Hi Allie,
Flax milk and coconut milk are safe in regards to low oxalate milk alternatives. Here is an article I wrote that includes the safe oxalate foods derived from the original Harvard list.https://jillharriscoaching.com/good-oxalate-list/
Best, Jill
Hi Allie,
Try flax or coconut!
Best, Jill
Is collagen type 1,2 & 3 high in oxylate?
Hi Laurie,
There are reports stating that adding collagen to your diet is not the best for stone patients. Do you need it? I know that it has definitely been “en vogue” lately. Not a fan of many supplements as they can lead to problems. A healthy diet is always a better choice.
Best, Jill
Hi Laurie, I know Jill answered you, and she is correct. I can add that collagen is rich in precursors to oxalate production by the liver, and it is not a good idea to add collagen if you are a stone former. Regards, Fred Coe
Thank you for the article, great read 🙂 Do you have any recommendations for plant based protein powders? Assuming hemp is ok (please correct me if I’m wrong) but any thoughts on pea or brown rice protein powers as an option? Thank you for your thoughts!!
Hi Monique,
I am not a fan of protein powders as I think people over use them. That being said, if you do neet one bc you are not getting enough protein (this is a rare problem), pea protein is ok. But watch the added junk in them. Read this about protein and how to calculate your needs:https://jillharriscoaching.com/how-to-calculate-your-protein-needs/
Best, Jill
Appreciate your comments on legumes: chickpeas and lentils in particular. Also if you can address the benefits of soaking and boiling prior to use.
Any issues with Indian spices?
Hi S Jeffrey,
Have legumes in moderation (once or twice a week) and in normal portion sizes. Also drink a calcium containing beverage with it as legumes tend to be high. Tumeric has been noted as being high. Also use sparingly. I would not trust boiling or soaking to rid oxalate. I would just use these foods in small portions and get your calcium. The problem we are faced with is our portion sizes. Eat smaller portions, get your calcium, and vary your foods. You will be amazed at what this does for you.
Best, Jill
1) Does the insoluble and soluble oxalate value influence amounts that can be ingested? 2) I have a lactose(forever) and fructose intolerance(recent). I had been drinking almond milk exclusively(up to 1 cup a day) but switched to lactose free milk and cottage cheese. I had osteopenia and not osteoporosis, and supplements for decades and Fosamax many years ago(stopped it as density got worse) did not improve bone density. Family doctor noted that parathryroid functioning was not good unless my Vitamin D was at a good level. Can my recent adventure with an oxalate kidney stone be connected to all this?
Hi Judith, Yes – insoluble oxalate is not absorbed. The graph in the article highlights foods high in oxalate that can be absorbed. Almond milk is high in oxalate. This article includes measurement of oxalate in a number of commercial almond milks made in an independent lab as well as evidence of high urine oxalate in three patients from drinking it. A shockingly mediocre and foolish article from the National Kidney Foundation says almond milk contains little or no oxalate and refers to the a government food site, but that link takes you to this list of nutrients in a Coca Cola product. This all goes to show you how poor the web can be about food oxalate. So, stop almond milk. Your physician is referring, I suspect, to serum PTH levels that rise when your vitamin D status falls. Possibly this is just low calcium diet with secondary hyperparathyroidism and perhaps you need more diet calcium. Possibly you have early primary hyperparathyroidism, which would increase your blood calcium. Be sure your fasting blood calcium is normal – below 10.1. Regards, Fred Coe
I just got lab results back that indicate I have a high level of calcium oxalate crystals (3+). (also I can’t eat dairy products — what do I do). I had been trying to eat healthy, with all of the foods that have been listed as very healthy and now find out that most of them are on the avoid or only use very limited amount for people with high oxalate levels. I have been eating lots of nuts, spinach, tons of raspberries (bumper crop in my garden this year), V-8 juice, always whole wheat bread, peanut butter, some yams. So, I have been loading up on high oxalate foods. Could this have made my urine test be way out of wack and maybe I don’t have a big of a problem as it seems? Is this restrictive diet for the rest of my life even if my oxalate numbers come way down?
Hi Mary,
The diet is not as restrictive as you might think. In working with patients I have found that most of the problem is that their portion sizes are just so large. And many of my patients have often come to me dismayed and frustrated as they thought they were doing the right thing eating healthy foods. The problem is the amount of high oxalate healthy foods they were eating. Think about joining my program that will teach you step by step on how to change your diet to one that makes you AND your kidneys happy! Read this article to address “I thought I was eating healthy”…..https://jillharriscoaching.com/did-your-healthy-diet-cause-your-kidney-stone/
Best, Jill
I have been reading conflicting information about Soda. Some sites say it is low, some say high, some say Pepsi is high and Coke is low. It’s maddening researching this toxin! What are your thoughts on Sodas: brown, clear, sugar, high fructose, diet sweeteners? And I’ve also found some sites claim Rye bread is low but others that put it in the same boat as all other breads. How does Rye compare to wheat & white?
Hi Mike,
We don’t want you drinking soda period, for obvious reasons. But. If you decide to “treat” yourself here and there the best ones to choose are the clear ones. I do not have a reliable source on Rye bread, but having a slice here and there would be fine. If you have a 100 mg/day bank you can certainly make room for rye bread. Getting enough calcium is even more important than limiting oxalate. Do both if that is what you need to do.
Best, Jill
I’ve recently started drinking yaupon tea, made from the dried leaves of a holly-type plant native to America and containing caffeine. Is it likely to cause kidney stones, or is it better than regular teas?
Hi Mort,
I do not have valid values for the above tea. I am unsure. When I am unsure I advise my patients to have the questionable product no more than once per day in normal portions and with dairy or non dairy milk to help with oxalate absorption.
Best, Jill
After having 2 kidney stones and many tests, my oxalate levels are extremely high and my doctor put me on some pills and advised me to go on a low oxalate diet. Calcium is not going into my blood which can lead to bone loss and instead is making kidney stones. However, every list I have read has different items of which I shouldn’t eat. One says yes eat potatoes and another says no don’t eat them. I also have GERD and just looking at the list to increase my citric acid levels gives me heartburn! I almost believe that all I will be able to eat for the rest of my life ins macaroni and cheese! Help!
Hi Barb,
Please use the list we advise. Our patients do lower their urine oxalate by using it as a guide (along with our other advice like increasing calcium). Please read this article to understand how to use the Harvard oxalate list:https://jillharriscoaching.com/good-oxalate-list/
The list above will show all the foods you can safely incorporate into your diet. Read the article that goes with it!
Best, Jill
Is pasta noodles okay.
Hi Mark,
You can fit pasta noodles into your low oxalate diet. Overall, I would watch portion size and how many times a week you are eating pasta as it doesn’t have much nutritional benefit for you.
Best, Jill
I have been reading that eating a reduced protein, reduced fat, and low oxalate diet can help dissolve bladder stones. Would you still recommend the same 100 grams of oxalate per day (based on an average 1500-2000 calorie diet) or even less if trying to dissolve a bladder stone?
Hi Sabrina, Are your bladder stones calcium oxalate? Is your urine oxalate high? The diet you mention seems a catchall – low protein for uric acid, low oxalate for calcium oxalate, but what is the actual stone and what is in the urine. Here is a good place to begin reading, as I sense confusion. If the bladder stone is uric acid, diet is without value – you would need alkali, as an example. If the stone was indeed calcium oxalate, you would need more than diet – it is unusual and suggests some important cause I can only guess at here. So your physicians have to figure out what is causing your problem in order to effect a cure. Regards, Fred Coe
Hi there, and thanks for your information. I’m a 55 yo female. I’ve gotten calcium oxalate and calcium phosphate since I was 18 and have tried to maintain a low oxalate diet, higher calcium diet. However, I also now have high cholesterol. The low-cholesterol + low oxalate diets seem to call for very different things, and I’m wondering how I can reconcile the 2? Any thoughts?
Hi Mari, the first step is whether you need a low oxalate diet. Is your 24 hour urine oxalate high = above 25 mg/day? If so, does it remain high with at least 800 mg of diet calcium from food? The kidney stone diet provides an excellent approach for you as it mimics the US diet for healthy people. That diet, and the kidney stone diet, are appropriate for heart disease prevention. Diet cholesterol per se is no longer a target of treatment. Regards, Fred Coe
Thank you.
Is full fat grass fed organic dairy okay or should it be low or fat free due to saturated fat?
Hi Lorraine,
For the kidney stone diet is makes no difference to us. If you have heart issues or cholesterol problems, speak to your doctor about how much saturated fat is ok for you.
Best, Jill
I have had kidney stones removed 3 times now. I am eating for several conditions: oxalytes for calcium stones, blood thinners after valve surgery, and sodium for pre-high blood pressure. I need calcium, and crave for milk which makes me so sick from thick excessive phlegm that I am totally miserable for days afterward. Plus, milk has way too much salt. Are commercial over the counter calcium supplement tablets dangerous to use? If so, what about liquid calcium?
Hi Jane, At least for kidney stones the problem is a lack of cohesion and focus – not your own but in general. Stone prevention begins with the cause and that requires serum and 24 hour urine testing that is orderly and interpreted carefully. Here is a good article about that. You treat what you find. Usually the problem is not oxalate but urine calcium is too high and that is a genetic trait best treated with reduced diet sodium and high diet calcium for bones. If oxalate is a problem the usual reason is low calcium diet. This article on the kidney stone diet deals with all of the issues, and aims at a healthy diet in line with US recommendations. Before frustrating yourself about what appear to be endless and conflicting demands on your food, take a look, read these articles if you wish, and be sure you have been evaluated properly and everyone knows what you are trying to accomplish in order to stop stones. Regards, Fred Coe
When eating anything calcium, is there an ideal time to eat it or is it effective just have cheese and a couple of crackers as a snack and still count towards my daily intake?
Hi Nick, Yes; you eat it with meals that might contain oxalate – the ones with fruits and veggies. Usually that is lunch and dinner. But all the calcium counts toward your bones. Two roles – block oxalate absorption, provide for the bones. Regards, Fred Coe
This is absolutely the most incredible article. I have after the most horrific three years, finally found the reason to my vulvadynia and cystitis. My urethra was so bad at one point that I lost bladder control as a 29 year old. Finally I figured out the issue. I’d love you to write an article on woman an oxalates. Truly sensational article. Thank you.
Hi Shannon,
You can have stevia. The plant is high but once processed has NO oxalate. Sub kale for spinach, I know it is NOT the same thing but removing spinach from your plate is easier than removing a stone from your kidney! I find that many of my patients can eat most foods, but they do have to pay mind to the portion size of what is on their plate. Getting enough calcium is so crucial to stone formation and one can get it by dairy or non dairy products. Flax milk is a good one for instance. Hope this helps,
Jill
Hi, I’m wondering if you can help me re vit C .my naturopath has told me to take it for my lungs as I’ve got emphysema and scarring of lungs . I read that oxalates stick to vit C and wondering if I should take it or leave it. I’m MTHFR TT . And oxalates were high on first urine test. Went really strictly and had an oat test where they had dropped. Haven’t had kidney stones but have osteoarthritis from neck to toes and erosive arthritis in hands that’s very painful . Having trouble with medications I have to grin and bear it and don’t want to exacerbate it anymore than it already is , thankyou for your article. Regard raylee
Hi Raylee, I gather you do not have stones. I wonder why your urine oxalate was measured. Osteoarthritis is not caused by high urine oxalate, and usually low calcium diet is the cause of the high urine oxalate so you might review that aspect of your diet. As for vitamin C in relation to emphysema, I would be sure to consult a pulmonary expert to be sure such a treatment is most ideal. Regards, Fred Coe
Wondering if hemp seeds and cassava flour are high in oxalates?
Thanks for any information you are able to share.
Hi Helen,
Read this article I wrote on what we do when we don’t have a reliable source on the food you are eating.https://jillharriscoaching.com/good-oxalate-list/
Best, Jill
What about the oxalate concentration of the following:
pumpkin seeds, sunflower seeds, apple, nectarine, goji, black and red rice,wholemeal bread with spelt, arugola, valerian salad, salmon, seabass and cod.
Are they safe for oxalate kidney stones subjects ?
Best regards
cp
Hi Paolo,
Use this list by Harvard. How To Eat A Low Oxalate Diet. You will find values there. Also read this article I wrote called the safe oxalate list derived from the Harvard list. It has been very helpful to my patients:https://jillharriscoaching.com/good-oxalate-list/ It will tell you what to do when we don’t have a value for the
food you eat.
Best, Jill
Hello — I developed a very large kidney stone due to a flare-up of sarcoidosis. Does that factor into your recommendations?
Hi Gwen, It may. Sarcoidosis can raise urine calcium, a lot. If so, one needs to treat it, and that is complex. Be sure and get serum and 24 hour urine studies appropriate to stones, and a serum PTH as well – often depressed in sarcoid – so your physicians can sort things out. Regards, Fred Coe
This is a great article, thank you!
I just had the stent taken out for my third round of stone removal procedures in less than 6 years. Clearly, I am a stone former just like my late dad, my younger brother, and at least one paternal aunt. At one time, a 24 hour urine test determined that I get cystine stones, and this last set of stones were calcium oxylate. I also have a cyst growing inside of me on one of my kidneys that just reached 4.4 cm, which I guess is when we have to take a closer look at it. To say I’m a bit worried is a huge understatement. The list of can-do foods are very helpful, but I’m crying on the inside over my beloved spinach, nuts and chocolate (clearly not at the same time). Reducing the can’t-do’s from current diet will involve a total overhaul of my eating patterns and recipes. Is there a good recipe source that can help me make foods high in calcium but low in oxalate, sugars, pirines and sodium? I was considering stevia as a sugar substitute, but apparently it is on the axed list.
A few months ago, numerous kidneys stones popped up. I ended up passing a 5.5 mm stone and my urologist indicated I had several more stones as large as 6 mm in both kidneys. I just completed a urine analysis and was told that my oxalate level is twice would it should be (100 compared to less than 50). I was provided a small list of foods and their oxalate content. Also, my urine calcium content was at the high side of normal (10.5). I don’t know if that is due to diet or the drug Lupron that I’m on to battle prostate cancer. I’m a bit confused by these numbers and whether I should take a calcium supplement or not? I’m reading that calcium will remove from the oxalate from the urine. So, should I take a supplement (calcium). Or, will that make matters worse? Should I see a dietician? All I’ve been told by my urologist is to decrease food consumption high in oxalates.
Hi Kevin,
Please use the list we recommend by Harvard found here:https://kidneystones.uchicago.edu/how-to-eat-a-low-oxalate-diet/. Also this is a bit complicated and many need support more than a pamphlet of low oxalate foods. Think about taking our course found here: jillharriscoaching.com. If your urine calcium is high you could have other dietary issues that is causing the high value. We recommend eating your calcium instead of pills as we don’t absorb pills as well as food.
Best, Jill
Hi, Just this past week had my first 6mm kidney stone. OUCH! Had to have surgery and stent.( stone was 90% calcium oxalate monohydrate, and 10% calcium oxalate dihydrate) For the last year, I have been juicing and eating clean. Is there a juice combo that you would recommend to have each morning. I love my green juice and healthy smoothies and in the last year have lost 50 lbs on an AIP meal plan and I am scared to put that weight back on. HELP! I look forward to hearing from you.
Hi Kim,
I help patients prevent stone and lose weight if they need to. Many people lose weight from dieting but are eating too much healthy food believe it or not and that is what led to the stone. Read this:https://kidneystonediet.com/did-your-healthy-diet-cause-your-kidney-stone/. Think about joining my program that teaches you everything! jillharriscoaching.com
Best, Jill
Jill I love your “list” and have been using it. I was curious if sprouted foods like oats, One Degree Organics, and Ezekiel bread are lower in oxalate.
Hi Lori,
My patients eat all these foods. When we don’t have foods that have been studied by reliable sources please don’t overeat these foods and make sure you are getting your RDA of calcium.
Best, Jill
Hi Jill
Your information was very helpful to me.
Although I don’t have kidney stone disease, I’m just going to reduce oxalate to better absorb minerals.
Thank you
Hi,
I’m new to the low oxalate world but require education now.
Thanks for all the effort and lists. There seems to be so much contradiction out there in “Netland” regarding what is high oxalate and what isn’t. Even on this site, without getting deep into lists, within this information piece I find apparent contradictions (to the average Joe) on my first look, that continues to give me the impression it’s not a well researched, well defined area yet and going to be filled with contradictory advice.
At one point the piece states many people don’t realise oranges and grapefruit are very high in oxalates. Then in another section goes on to list orange juice and grapefruit juice as recommended beverages! I don’t get that. The juice contains the same content, why is it suddenly safe as opposed to the orange before juicing?
It states under the Pasta Rice and Grains heading that Corn Meal is high in oxalate, then in the very next paragraph lists Corn Flour and Corn Bran as good low oxalate alternative! Doesn’t corn bran include the same exterior of the kernel as corn meal plus more? I don’t know, I just got to this site hoping to find some clarity and the first piece I read seems to have some contradictions itself.
I really do appreciate the effort though so if someone could clarify those first instant couple of apparent contradictions before I delve any deeper that would be handy.
Thanks for all the efforts,
G
Hi Grant.
The list we use is from Harvard. Here is a another good article explaining why there are discrepancies in “netland”.https://kidneystonediet.com/good-oxalate-list/
Also, juices and the fruit are very different. The juices are diluted so that lessens oxalate, and the pith is included in the fruits. Corn meal is more concentrated than the other variations.
Hope that helps,
Jill
Hi Nancy,
Perhaps her diet is being restricted too severely. Please check with her doc as far as nutrition goes. As for the lactose intolerance, she can certainly use lactose free milk or flax milk as a substitute for regular milk. Hope this helps, Jill
Hi!
I am eat a lot of “healthy foods” and at the same time high in oxalates. I have had stones and so far I feel them when they have already passed kids and are being expeled. Mine are quite hard and seem to be pointy, so I bleed quite a lot. Havent been able to catch on so that I can analyse it and be on the same side. Can you tell me if there are other ways I can overcome some of the problems?
Thanks
Hi Maria,
Start with this article:https://kidneystones.uchicago.edu/taking-charge-of-your-kidney-stone-prevention/
Best, Jill
My mother is 86 and has had kidney problems most of her life. She is now watching her oxalate consumption but is also further limited to her foods. She cannot tolerate lactose (even with the meds) therefor restricting her food choices even more. As a result, she has very low energy and anemia. Any suggestions you have would be greatly appreciated.
Jill, I have been suffering from Kidney Stones for the last two and a half years. I have passed conservatively well-over 2000 stones in that time. Sometimes as many as 100 or so per urination to as little as a few per week. There was a misdiagnosis (which is another problem in itself), but this also caused me to eat food items that were extremely high in oxalates unwittingly. This was due to me avoiding things that would reduce uric acid levels as that being the “type” of stone that was forming. My uric acid levels were in the normal range, but slightly elevated. Anyways… Now that I have a decent diagnosis of what is actually happening in my body, most was probably accelerated by the wrong diet, it seems you have laid out some really great information here. Here is one example. When I left the new doctor’s office with handfuls of information, I had no target! I now know that I should be shooting for 50-100 mg daily with a target as low as possible to the 50. reading the article and looking at the list has been most helpful, I have not “started” to follow it yet as I am writing this after me finding and reading it. I want to thank you in advance, as you could imagine, the pain has been indescribable! I am looking forward to putting together a diet that I can follow that will aid in the reduction of the stones being produced. I will keep you updated on progress.
Hi Shayne,
That is a very significant history. Here is the safe list I derived from the original Harvard list. Read the article that accompanies it as it will be helpful for you. https://kidneystonediet.com/good-oxalate-list/
Keep me posted-
Jill
Hello..
Thank you so much.. i’m really glad to find this..
I think i just found out why i get another stone recently after 2 years.. because from the last 2 years, my doc doesn’t told me about what food i should avoid. and after reading this.. i realized that i consumed high protein diet with baked potato with skin twice a day for about 2 months, and beside that i’m taking the peanut butter, and other nuts, beans, seeds, & soy product on daily basis, although i had my milk twice a day, yogurt, etc, still doesn’t help
But i wanna ask regarding olive oil, stevia, chia-seed & rolled oat.. how safe is it? does it have a high amount of oxalate too? Because for about 6 months, I change my eating habit to healthy one, and it turns out everything that i thought to be “healthy” is bad for my kidney stone..it’s kinda sad..
Hi Andri,
Here is a good article that speaks of a healthy diet in regards to stones.https://kidneystonediet.com/did-your-healthy-diet-cause-your-kidney-stone/ People overeat healthy foods. Portion is key with everything. Read this too about fad diets:https://kidneystonediet.com/fad-diets/Read this article to so it can help you:https://kidneystonediet.com/good-oxalate-list/
Best, Jill
Hi Jill – Many thanks for this great article and associated resources. In terms of breakfast, I generally have porridge (oatmeal) with low-fat milk. Do I take it from your article that oatmeal is high in oxalates and should be avoided? Thanks, Stuart
Hi Stuart,
You can easily incorporate oatmeal into your day. Get your calcium needs met, eat within portion and you will be great!
Best, Jill
I just passed a kidney stone out a couple of days ago and I am hoping I don’t have any more.
Hi Lisa, I hope so too, but here is how to go about your assessment for cause and proper prevention. Regards, Fred Coe
I have read mixed information on blueberries. In the list, above, it shows that blueberries are low oxalate containg only 2 mg of oxilate value. However I have read other articles that say not to eat to many blueberries as bluerries contain acids which seem to block the absorbtion of calcium. It says if you eat plenty of calcium it wasn;t a big concern. Then I saw other sites that list blueberries as high in oxalates
Hi James,
In our article, we are quite clear about the wide array of info regarding oxalate lists. They vary. Our experience with the Harvard list keeps us loyal to it. My patients eat blueberries without issue. Get your calcium intake, only be weary of the very high oxalate foods (about 5 or 6 of them) and you will be fine.
Best, Jill
Hi Jill, is it possible to balance calcium mg and oxalate mg consumption? Such as being able to eat a medium baked potato with skin and drinking 12 oz of milk with it, so the potato is offset by the milk? My husband had surgery for a large calcium oxalate stone last month and we’re hoping to avoid recurrence of stones. So many healthy foods are high in oxalates, it would be great if combining calcium rich foods within the same meal could create a balance. Thank you!
Hi Cindy,
Eating calcium with high oxalate food is an effective way to lower oxalate absorption. Read these two articles:https://kidneystonediet.com/good-oxalate-list/ and https://kidneystonediet.com/why-you-need-calcium-and-how-to-get-more-of-it/
to help sort everything out I do offer prevention counseling.
Best, Jill
Teriyaki sauce? Yes or no?
Hi Pat,
The teriyaki sauce is very high in sodium. Use it sparingly. Your goal is 1,500 mg/day in sodium. Start looking at labels and read this:https://kidneystones.uchicago.edu/how-to-eat-a-low-salt-diet/
Best, Jill
Seeing this list is very distressing. I’m a vegetarian who is also trying to eat anti-inflammatory. I’m feeling really boxed in by the choices I’m left with.
Hi Al, Firstly be sure you need a low oxalate diet. If urine oxalate is indeed high and high diet calcium fails to reduce it to normal, then the main point of the diet is to avoid the highest oxalate foods – summed up in the graph at the beginning of this article – and merely be careful about amounts of the next 50 or so entries. It is never a problem that will affect your nutrition. Regards, Fred Coe
I just recently passed a kidney stone that tested postive for calcium oxalate & instantly started doing diet homework. My Wife found this site and we’re both reading up. While I love peanuts in the shell I LOVE pistachios & wonder what it’s oxalate levels would be & if I just totally need to stay away from them. 🙁
– On a side note they do make pistachio ice cream 😉
Hi Nathan, the stone has oxalate in it and calcium, too, but just focusing on diet oxalate is likely to fail for prevention. Here is a good place to read about a more efficient approach. Here is a more general view of the same material. Here is a technical and detailed look. Try these out and if they seem reasonable implement their suggestions. They will take you to the right place. Regards, Fred Coe
just a couple of questions is coconut oil a good oil to cook with i use macadamia nut oil or avocado oil but assume they’re both not good choices also i’ve read purple potatoes are healthier than regular (white) potatoes but are they any better or lower in oxalate thanks jerry
Why is grapefruit very high but grapefruit juice very low.
Hi Susan,
This is typically due to the concentration of the product. And perhaps the pith is included in the grapefruit itself.
Jill
Why is it that websites providing information about low and high oxalate foods are so conflicting? One web site states certain foods are acceptable and in the next catagory they claim they are unacceptable! From one website to another there are so many contradictory statements. Examples. Avacados, pineapple, pineapple juice, Pasta, POTATOES! ( if they are are Irish its ok. How do I determine nationalality : ) sugar, Lemonade! (one states, watch the vitamin C. Some state to drink lemonade but no sugar) seafood ie Tuna, Quinoa, Apricots, pears, lettuce and KALE. I have seen all of these listed as low oxalate on one website and then seen them stated as High. What or WHO am I to believe? What is your opinion of herbal treatments such as Canca Piedra and Stone free herbal products.
I have had 3 surgeries for kidney stones. Last year I had one emergency operation where the surgeon removed one stone from my bladder and then left 3 in my Kidney. He left a stint in and expected me to come back for another surgery to remove it. His hospital was 400 miles from where I live! I went to my urologist that is only 200 miles away and then had to go back for the surgery to remove the 3 in my kidney 2 months later. These surgeries left me with little bladder control and drinking 64 oz of water a day keeps me walking between the faucet and the toilet all day. Obviously I have a real bad impression of “experts”.
Please enlighten me.
Hi Stan, We have found the same. Oxalate lists vary. Likewise, I am afraid, the outcomes from urological surgery. This is a university site so it is not so much a matter of ‘experts’ but mostly what we do at places like this, which is to follow the details. We can do this because society pays professors to do it. Our lists arise from scholarship, and that takes a lot of time. Usually low oxalate diet is a minor issue in stone prevention. Here is a good review of the kidney stone diet and how it works. As for your urological issues, I would think you might benefit from a major center whose urologists might be able to help with your bladder. If I knew where you live I could recommend a place for you. Finally, massive fluids might not be the ideal. Here is a good review of overall management, in which fluids are just a part. Regards, Fred Coe
Hi Jill,
This list is great. I’ve been wondering about some foods that are more local to other countries, particularly Mexico. I’ve been trying to find information on nopales (cactus leaf or cactus pad). It’s a very common food in Mexico. Recently as my diet changed I started consuming more of it, but as I research it seems like cacti does have a lot of oxalate according to some studies. Although it does not appear in any table of high oxalates. I’m afraid this may be because it’s not common in the US. The same goes for verdolaga, a type of succulent local plant (also known as common pursley).
In fact, it seems like in general succulents might be a bad idea. Do you know any information on these two plants?
Hi Dan,
I am sorry I have no science on these plants. When that happens I ask my patients to choose these foods once a week and in a normal portion size.
Best, Jill
I currently have stones and my Doctor asked me to literally avoid eating meat, or anything that has protein. What is my alternative?
Hi Gio, I do not understand the advice. For calcium stones, evidence is lacking that meat is a cause. For uric acid stones, one needs extra alkali. I know of no need to stop meat and protein, and every reason to maintain a healthy balanced diet. I imagine your physician actually said to me moderate about protein, and perhaps you took it the extra distance. Here is a reasonable diet for calcium stone prevention, it has all of the food types in it. Regards, Fred Coe
Hi Gio,
One does not have to avoid all meat. Just eat normal amounts of meat. Read this: https://kidneystones.uchicago.edu/does-too-much-protein-increase-stones-or-damage-bones/ And read this to caculate your own protein needs:https://kidneystonediet.com/how-to-calculate-your-protein-needs/
Best, Jill
Hi, I’m very happy to found this page and the informations. On the list I found no microgreens except alfalfa sprouts. What about broccoli, lentils and cress microgreens?
Many thanks
Hi Dovorka,
You can use all of the microgreens within portion. Lentils are higher on the oxalate list so use them in smaller amounts. Know that a low oxalate diet is what everyone wants to talk about but getting enough calcium is even more important as we all have bones that need tending too as well.
Best, Jill