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.
jharris could have been more helpful even though she kindly gave Wajahat a good resource. Just a few example of what to avoid, depending upon the type of kidney stone, such as spinach, tomato sauce and beets are a start, with safer examples of sunflower seed butters, light green like head lettuce for salads, onions, and a few other wonderful food examples are more uplifting for most people.
Is there a single list of low o slate foods and protein sources for vegans?
Hi Jennifer,
I have a list of safe oxalate foods here:https://kidneystonediet.com/resources/
As far as low oxalate and high protein for vegans, I will add it to my list. But for now, you can google high protein veggies and compare them to the oxalate list link I gave you. Also, depending on your muscle mass and activity level the average women only needs 50 – 60 grams of protein per day. Despite what the fitness industry might tell you-
jill
Thanks for all these informative and helpful subjects. But, you should also explain how to reduce the amount of oxalates in the food. I have seen somewhere that we can soak the seeds, nuts and even vegetables in order to reducing the anti-nutritients. Apple cider vinegar also may help to reduce the oxalates.
Hi Chantal,
Once you take away the highest oxalate foods, and there are not many (go here for a chart with the highest ones:https://kidneystonediet.com/resources/) you need not worry about soaking or cooking. The biggest issue is that people don’t get enough calcium in their diet and this causes oxalate to get reabsorbed back into the body. Lower your highest oxalate foods, limit portion of the higher ones, and get your calcium.
Best, Jill
Hi there,
After my 8th kidney stone the Urologist I was seeing advised me to cut back on animal protein consumption. I cannot seem to find any support for this. Would this be more prepared meats such as sausage, cold cuts with high sodium??
Thanks
Rick
Hi Rick,
Too much animal protein can increase your risk for uric acid stones and calcium oxalate stones. Here is an article on this site to verifies this:https://kidneystones.uchicago.edu/chapter-seven-uric-acid-stones/
Best, Jill
I have read that potassium citrate supplementation is good for reducing any possible stones. Is this true? I’ve also seen the suggestion to drink tablespoon or two of lemon juice in the water to Help break down any oxalate deposits. Is there any truth to these assertions?
Hi Paul, calcium oxalate does not dissolve in human kidneys. Potassium citrate has a role in calcium stone prevention, but there are a lot of details. Here is my best article on prevention of such stones. Lemons are silly, if you need citrate, you need the right amount on a constant basis, if not, you do not need citrate. Regards, Fred Coe
For a 5 year old with cerebral folate deficiency and subsequently cannot have dairy and must supplement with calcium malate (adverse reactions to citrate form), what is the best course of action to avoid high oxalates? Urine OAT and a stone profile have shown high oxalates, as well as high urine calcium from Quest after supplementing with calcium . Start avoiding foods and risk nutrient deficiencies; start using too much rice or the same foods and risk food sensitivities or increased arsenic from rice. “Specs” in her urine suspected by MD to be oxalate crystals. Mother going insane from dietary concerns and limitations . Any suggestions???
Hi Dina, The best approach is to use the supplements with his larger meals, so calcium is present when oxalate is present. The calcium will reduce oxalate absorption. The urine oxalate rose from a cause other than the calcium malate; take a look at the oxalate food lists, and see what is was. It is easy to limit oxalate without limiting diet very much. Regards, Fred Coe
Hello, whomever prepared the detailed excel document under “useful table of oxalate foods” did a great job. This probably took a long time to create and it is greatly appreciated. i am not sure when was the document created, so my question is do you know how accurate the information is ? Was it verified and modified according to a later research ? thank you, Eytan
Hi Eytan, The lists arose at Harvard, and were curated by Professor Ross Holmes who is an expert in this topic. He brought it up to date a few years ago. Food oxalate measurements are sparsely funded, and we have most of what we want, so things do not change very fast. Good question, though. Fred
In your list of top 177 high oxalate foods you have walnuts : 1 cup or 7 nuts. Is that a typo? should it be 1 oz?
Hi Jennifer,
Stay away from Walnuts, they are high. It’s not a misprint. Maybe they were super big walnuts? And if you do indulge here and there with a small amount make sure you are drinking some beverage with calcium in it.
Best, Jill
Hi, excelent post! Thanks! I wanted to know what should i do if my urine lab is normal but i still have kidney stones. The thing is i dont know why! If they are formed by calcium, oxalate or uric acid. I dont know which list should i follow. I notice a relation with hormonal changes. Is my imagination? thanks!
Hi sofia, You need to figure out what your treatment should be. This article is my best for orientation and organizing your evaluation. It will take you to the right treatments. Regards, Fred Coe
I’ve been a stone former with my first attack 30 years ago with attacks on a regular basis since then (I’m now 60). I’ve had a number of them blasted but my latest stone 2yrs ago was 1.5cm. I get checked yearly for them. They attempted to blast it but it was unsuccessful and I ended up in the hospital for two weeks, eventually had it lasered, stents…that’s another “unique” experience especially if you’re male. Anyway my surgeon after reviewing my diet etc etc told me the specific foods that I should eliminate or cut back on but he also said that the most important things to stop the formation of stones was 1) dietary calcium with meals 2) lots of water and 3) a daily glass of orange juice. My diet rarely included calcium or orange juice and I have to force myself to drink water. So long story short I cut back (didn’t completely eliminate) on my fav foods like bran buds etc but I increased my milk consumption with meals, increased my daily water intake and I have a glass of orange juice daily. That was 2 yrs ago. I’m happy to say that I haven’t had any debilitating stones that required anything invasive. I still pass smaller stones (more like gravel) every couple of months but 3-5mm is much more manageable than 1.5cm!! I now plan however to reduce those nastier food items even more to see if that will reduce the gravel even further. Great article.
Hi James, You are still passing gravel and your treatment may or may not aim directly at their cause. You do not mention what your stones are, I presume calcium oxalate, but that is a guess. Here is a good introduction to be sure you have been fully evaluated and treatment is pointed right. Your physician is certainly on track in general, here is an article showing the basis for the food suggestions. Regards, Fred Coe
Hello, can you please tell me the score regarding pearl Barley. I have looked at loads of sites, some of which say Barley is ok and others not but I cant find any definitive info on pearl barley. Many Thanks. Glen. 😊
Glen,
This will address all your questions. Please go to my site at kidneystonediet.com. I talk all about oxalate and what to do if a food is not on the list and why we choose the Harvard list. Stop looking at all the lists bc you will go nuts! Start here for everything you need – all free-
kidneystonediet.com/start
Best, Jill
Like so many lists on the Internet’s from casual bloggers to supposedly highly respected institutions this list has instances where in one part of the article foods are on the list of foods to avoid but then another part of the article they are listed as a good option . OK so I’m referring to here is for orange juice and grapefruit juice. Early on in the article it says that these are very high in oxalates later on in the article it says these are very good to have for breakfast. I don’t know why it’s so difficult to put together a list of foods that are high in oxalates. And I don’t understand why they are concerned about oxalates is that they will cause kidney stones. I have been researching on the purported effect oxalates have on your brain, your gut, and psychiatric disorders. Do you have Any information along those lines that you’ve come across in your research on oxalates and it’s effects on brain tissue and nervous system.
Hi P Mart, Usually it is all about amounts. Oranges do have oxalate, but most people do not eat that many oranges so as to cause stones. A reasonable approach is 200 mg /d or less oxalate. But more important, many people with calcium oxalate stones do not have a problem with diet oxalate at all. As for oxalate causing brain disorders I know of no evidence at all apart from the rare diseases in which massive oxalate production from genetic mutations overwhelm renal excretion – these rare diseases are obvious clinically and have treatments. In those with important kidney disease and loss of kidney function, oxalate can be systemically damaging. For the overwhelming majority of people, the blood oxalate levels of 1 -2 micromole/liter of blood have no consequences. Keep in mind oxalic acid has no metabolic pathway – it is a dead end. If new data show differently, I will put it up here, but it has to be reliable data, and pertinent to humans. Regards, Fred Coe
Hi, Sorry, me again
I noticed last week on a couple of sites that Shredded Wheat and Weetabix were recommended on a few of sites in the UK. Not sure if you have these products in US but essentially they’re 95% wholegrain, which I’m guessing are a definite no-no as far as kidney stone prevention is concerned.
Hi Jill,
Sorry if already posted but i’m not sure if I sent this correctly.
Oatmeal I understand has zero oxalate whereas wholegrain cereals are high in oxalate. However, i’m struggling to understand something. The following website https://tastessence.com/porridge-vs-oatmeal, states,
“Oats used for making oatmeal are derived from ground oat groats with bran removed. Porridge, on the other hand is made from cracked but whole oats. Oats used for porridge can also be steel cut or steamed and rolled”
Ok I get that
But then this site https://www.bda.uk.com/resource/wholegrains.html says,
“A huge variety of cereal crops are grown for food throughout the world including wheat, rye, barley, oats and rice. Grains are the seeds of these cereal plants. The entire grain or ‘wholegrain’ is made up of ‘three’ elements:
a fibre-rich outer layer – the bran
a nutrient-packed inner part – the germ; and
a central starchy part – the endosperm.
During the milling process, the bran and the germ are often removed to give a ‘whiter’ cereal ”
Which suggests that even with the bran removed you are still left with the germ and the endosperm which still appears to be defined as a wholegrain! but I thought wholegrains were bad!
Is it sufficient for the bran only to be removed for the remaining constituents i.e. the germ and the endosperm to be regarded as ‘Oatmeal’ and therefore have zero oxalate or does the germ need to be removed as well?
I hope you can help me as it appears that oatmeal is the only cereal I can eat
Many thanks
Glen
Hello,
I am a 68 y/o male. I just had my first kidney stone pulverized earlier this year. The stone was a cal-ox stone and formed in the year to year and a half prior to removal. Like Glen, I have done a lot of reading. I am not trying to contest anything you have said, but I do need some clarification.
A study I read on line suggests that boiling foods for 5 – 8 minutes can leach out as much as 65% of the oxalate in a given food. (ever see what happens to broccoli boiled for more than 10 seconds? No thank) But the potato, is there any truth to this? I can boil a potato and be almost as happy.
I didn’t read much in here about the difference between soluble and insoluble oxalates. How do these differences play in your lists?
Oils? Because of the superior health and heat handling qualities to any other oil, I switched to Avocado oil in my cooking and salad dressing. Do I need to discontinue the use of plant based cooking oils and switch strictly to butter?
Oils, in one form or another appear in most all meals. Peanut oil, Olive oil, Avocado oil, Palm oil, Coconut oil, are names of the most popular. How much of these oils is too much?
I’ll stop here, but the list goes on and on.
Thank you
Dennis
Hi Dennis, I did not explore cooking on food oxalate, so I cannot really respond well. But I do always make the point that in calcium oxalate stone formers diet oxalate is just one factor and often not the most important one. I wrote the linked article to emphasize the need to get fully evaluated and treat what is abnormal. Often urine oxalate is the least important risk factor vs. let us say urine volume, citrate, or calcium excretion. Oils have no appreciable oxalate as it is a polar molecule not easily dissolved in lipids. Regards, Fred Coe
Good Day. Thanks for the great website.
Question: Is it dangerous for a Stone Former to take 1,000mg of Turmeric in capsule form daily due to the high oxalate level in Turmeric?
I have a herniated disc and have been told by a good friend that also suffers from a long-time disc issue that a daily turmeric capsule of 1,000mg has greatly reduced her ongoing pain.
Safe or not safe for me?
Thank you.
Hi James, I found a reasonable paper giving turmeric as having about 20 mg oxalate/gram. So you are getting 20 mg extra a day, which is not alarming. Take the pill with meals that contain calcium, and absorption of oxalate will be much reduced. Regards, Fred Coe
Are corn nuts considered to be high in oxalates ?
Hi Marie,
Have them here and there. They are not the healthiest, either way.
Jill
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, , flax seed, and oat bran are popular and safe.
About corn products, how can they be high and safe at the same time?
Hi Michael,
Depends on the concentration of each product.
jill
Hi, I have chocolate milk every morning with extra calcium fortified milk and I’d like to have some hot chocolate this winter. Can’t the milk cancel out the oxalate in the cocoa as well as the oxalate in the ovaltine for my chocolate milk?
Hi Kathy, It can, and enjoy your chocolate milk and your Ovaltine. Fred
Thanks!! I’m running out of things to eat because I also have gallstones. I’M confused as to why all of a sudden after menopause I started making kidney stones and now I apparently have a -3 number in my spine for osteoporosis when I’ve always exercised my whole life. I started lifting weights again after I found out but now I’m wondering if I have one of those full system problems. I weigh 112 and I’m 5’4″ and 60yrs. old. I also get gallbladder attacks at least once or twice a year. FUN!! but I’ve learned to be really careful with high fat foods.
Hi Kathy, A weakness of the site engine is that I cannot easily find your first comment and my answer – it is not on the oxalate diet article or on the obvious one about stones in middle age. Given your stones began in middle age, you may indeed have a systemic cause and here is my article on the subject. Regards, Fred Coe
It seems eating plants is not as healthy as we are taught to believe. All plants have anti-nutrients in them, so why would we call them healthy at all? Why wouldn’t you just eat foods than contain all the nutrients you need without toxins??? Just because we tolerate a food for a while, doesn’t make it healthy. You may like broccoli, but you don’t NEED broccoli. And who, if anyone, actually likes kale or spinach… yuk! You can get all the nutrients you need without the toxins from animals. Sound radical? If you think about it, our NON animal diet is radical when you think about what people have been eating for the last millennium. Need more info, I suggest you watch this podcast. It could change (or even save) your life. https://sallyknorton.com/interviews-talks/#Carnivore
Hello, I’ll make this short and sweet. I have been a chronic kidney stone former since 1979 when I passed my first stone at the age of 18. I’m now getting ready to turn 60 and I’ve passed hundreds and hundreds of stones throughout the years. To further complicate matters, I also have Celiac Disease and I’m Lactose Intolerant so balancing any type of diet has been a near impossibility for me. Any suggestions?
Hi Brett, Given Celiac Disease, 24 hour urine studies are of the highest importance, as is the composition of your kidney stones. If this were a routine medical question I would guess high urine oxalate from the GI disease, or uric acid stones from too low a urine pH. I would be sure my evaluation was complete – here is my best on this – and see if the findings link to Celiac disease. Alternatively you may have two diseases; accelerated stone disease like yours is not rare, and not so hard to treat. The article can be downloaded as a PDF – though long ago, I still see this kind of patient not rarely. Regards, Fred Coe
HI. Thanks for all the great information. For about a year, I have been eating more cheese to increase my calcium intake. I concentrate on the lower salt cheeses. At the same time, these cheeses seem to be high in saturated fat. Any concerns on this. Thx much.
Hi W, I answered this and my computer blanked before I sent it out – but perhaps it did get send, so pardon if there are two. There are saturated fats in cheeses, but milk fats are perhaps less worrisome than those from meats, and the amounts are relatively small. Even so, ask your personal physicians. I admit to mild skepticism about the fat/heart story because it was so contaminated by Big Sugar paying off scientists at Harvard and elsewhere to deflect blame for heart attacks off of sugar. Ansel Keys, a major force in this, was proven a liar. Regards, Fred Coe
Thank you for this extremely helpful information. I have been very frustrated by the conflicting reference ranges published by what seem to be respected and reliable sources of the oxalate content of foods.
I recently had a urine Organic Acids Test and found that I have a systemic overgrowth of Candida; not a surprise. The last time I took an antibiotic I got thrush.
I also had 1.5 times the reference rang of oxalates in my urine. The practitioner who ordered the test advised me to go on a low oxalate diet because “oxalates feed the yeast”. At the same time I am taking an anti- fungal to treat the yeast
I have never had a kidney stone. My question deals with soluble and insoluble oxalates. It seems insoluble oxalates are the problem for stone formers, but I suspect soluble oxalates are my problem. I’m just not sure if or how that matters. I would greatly appreciate any insight.
Just a caveat; I was living on collard, turnip, spinach, radish, and Swiss chard greens I pick up weekly from my local CSA. Also apples and peanut butter. Now I only eat the turnip and radish roots, and you have confirmed what I suspected; the organic apples I love are really not my problem. Unfortunately we recently harvested 300 pounds of sweet potatoes which are now forbidden for me. I also ate lots of nuts every day as well as pumpkin and sunflower seeds roasted with a bit of tamari. Miso soup was a favorite way to eat the roots and greens.
I welcome any suggestions or thoughts you may have. Thank you once again.
Hi Sandra,
We in the stone world are not focused on parcing the two out. Patients are overwhelmed enough. We keep them away from the highest oxalate foods (which are not that many) and also educate them on getting enough calcium which we need for bones anyway. I have worked with many people that have had oxalate levels over 100. After one session with me they can get it down to under 30 as long as they have no other med conditions that are in the way as well. Look at my site too for more info: kidneystonediet.com/start
Best, Jill
Hi I’m a stone maker. Since my earliest recollection 1989. Every 18-36 months. I’m so tried trying not to get stone and still do. Thanks for the up date info.
Hi Mary, Prevention is a lot more than our oxalate list. Take a look at a more comprehensive article. Fred
I use to pass stone every month. Someone told me to get off of iced tea. I did and the stones stopped. I have told others about the tea, they stopped drinking it and their stones stopped as well. A doctor will never tell you about this – at least the ones I have asked.
Hi John,
Ice tea can have lots of oxalate and along with not getting enough calicum and other elements of the kidney stone diet, stones may form. Glad you lowered your tea consumption.
Jill
Do u have a list to pint out of low and high oxylate foods
Thank you
Hi Janet, The article you post on has a short pair of graphs with the high oxalate foods highlighted. All of the other foods on the entire list – also printable – are relatively low in oxalate. Regards, Fred Coe
Hi,
Thank you for this very thorough information. I read it a couple years ago, and was doing well, until I had other medical issues that disrupted my diet. I also didn’t hear you when you talked about calcium. The other day my side was puffing up and hurting, and I went on a binge of Haagen-daz icecream bars (vanilla) and made a quesadilla for dinner, and low and behold the next day it had calmed down to almost nothing. the light went on, I googled, and here I am again, having my suspicions confirmed. I am salt sensitive, thanks to a Naproxen allergic reaction, so was staying away from cheese, but I found this low-salt cheese. I’m so glad I can actively, knowingly, control this thing. Figuring out I am fructose intolerant, this and, finally, allergic to alliums, it took me a while to balance it all out, but I am beginning to feel like myself again!
Thank you, again
Hi Gertrude,
Glad you are feeling better,
Jill
I have checked out the Harvard Oxalate List that you have mentioned on your site and it’s great to find a relatively extensive list. I am curious how often it’s updated since there have been a variety of new foods that have been introduced recently (ie; plant-based milks, sprouted grains products, etc.)?
Hi Shameer,
They do not update it. For foods you want to know if safe or not I have given out this advice for decades and it has never come back to haunt me, “eat those unlisted foods once or twice a week, in normal portions and get your daily calcium needs met.”
Best, Jill
Thanks for your balanced insight into this subject. I have seen various postings referencing this list and struggle to understand some of the information presented. Why are corn grits and cornmeal listed as very high, while nearly every other form of corn is low? Including cornbread, which is made of mostly cornmeal? Tacos are listed as high…how is something so varied in contents and form reduced to a single item? Lentil soup is listed as very high, but some references place lentils as a low in oxalate and a good substitute for replacing animal protein to reduce that potential source of kidney stones. Your thoughts about this are appreciated.
Hi John,
Many times it is the concentration of the food that matters. Please learn more details about the oxalate list by going to the link below. I have a whole explanation on the Harvard list and HOW to use it so that everything makes more sense. Stone prevention is so much more than just oxalate. Go here: kidneystonediet.com/start
Best, Jill
Why is oxalate low in orange juice but high in orange fruit?
Hi Geoffrey,
It is more concentrated in the orange and the pith is counted.
Best, Jill
i read that cooking spinach removed (or at least reduced) oxylates, more than raw – can you comment on this
Hi g,
We advise against eating spinach. It is just too high in oxalate.
Best, Jill
I am completely overwhelmed. Not only have I just been restricted from oxalates due to a long history of kidney stones, but now I’ve also been told no meat due to uric acid in the composition of the stones. I also have gluten intolerance, diverticular disease, chronic gastritis, lactose intolerance, a sensitivity to sodium, and watching sugar content due to pre-diabetes. With all of these issues, my menu was already small and now has become incredibly smaller. Due to so many gluten free products having soy, it seems that there isn’t much left for me to eat and to feel full. At this point, I am about to lose my mind and I truly need help!
Hi Laura,
I got you! There is still so much to eat once you learn HOW. Start here: kidneystonediet.com/start
Best, Jill
Just wondering what one eats when they have kidney stones (the last one passed was 12 mm )and non-alcolholic fatty liver disease, and carotid artery calcium. I feel like what is on one list to eat is on another list not to eat… I feel like all I can have is water and coffee. lol PS. All my blood and urine tests come back in low/normal rage for all of these every time. Fatty liver and carotid artery calcium found on CTs. I take no medications ever, not even for pain. Please help me.
Hi AD,
I spend most of my day bring foods BACK into kidney stone formers’ diet. It takes a little bit of education but so simple once you learn how to eat lots of healthy fruits and veggies and still maintain lower oxalate. Come here to start. kidneystonediet.com/start
Best, Jill
Can you tell me if macadamia nuts are low oxalate?
Thank you, Christine Balyeat
Hi Christine,
Because it is in the nut family we can be pretty sure they are high. Proceed with caution and remember, much more to the kidney stone diet than just oxalate. Read about it here:https://kidneystonediet.com/what-is-the-kidney-stone-diet/
Jill
Thank you Jill!
Your website has been so helpful to me!
Best regards,
Christine Balyeat
I was made to eat a high fibre diet because of chronic health complications, but then I did and just got kidney stones for the first time. I’m trying to figure out how to match high fibre, with low oxalate (and add to that lactose intolerance, and an ensuing attempt at veganism). There’s so much conflicting info online. I appreciate all the info you’re providing – but even in your materials I sometimes get confused. For example you list avocado as an option on the downloadable grocery list you provide, but then the food list you link to says its levels are high. Am I missing something? Thanks.
Hi Roger,
Please come to my site at kidneystonediet.com. I am well versed in helping patients put it all together.
Best, Jill
I have multiple stones in both kidneys and last April I had to have one removed because it was too large to pass. My doctor recommended that I take magnesium glycinate — taking those would help prevent stones from forming. I recently purchased a bottle and I did not realize until after having about 1/2 the bottle and taking a closer look at the back label that the 200 mg per capsule also contains 30 mg of a magnesium-rich plants blend that includes; organic spinach leaf, Swiss chard leaf, okra fruit, quinoa, black bean, pumpkin seed, sunflower seed and flaxseed. I’m now afraid to take them — thinking that all of that blend of all of those that are high in oxalates, even in this small capsule form left me wondering if I’m actually causing more harm to myself. What would be the proportion of oxalates and should I just avoid this brand and look for some other form of magnesium glycinate?
Thank you for your help.
Hi Mima,
Because it has not been studied, when cannot be sure. Perhaps you might want to find another brand that has no high oxalate ingredients.
Best, Jill
I read lemons are good in breaking the stones. But, your article says they’re high in Oxylate…..confusing…
Hi Venkat,
The peel of lemons are high in oxalate. Lemons will NOT break up stones. They can help increase your citrate a tiny bit, but that is about it.
Jill
1st of all congrats for answering people concerns & for your great job!👏👏👏
I had kidney stones in April 2020, and today I feel the same initial symptoms 😥.
I begin almost every day w/ a glass of warm water & then I drink a cup of lemon water and then I use the *lemon peels* to make a tea (usually with other peels – mostly banana, watermelon, pineapple, garlic & onion)… because I try to be ecological & not to waste).
I also add Moringa & lemongrass)
I loved you work, but reading this about the oxalate in lemon peel, my doubt is if I drink 1 cup of this tea every day (and there are many lemon peels in this tea, because I make the lemon water for the rest of the family too) is this bad for kidney stones or just if I ate the lemon peels?
Hi Daniel, If you are continuing to make stones, I would be sure to recheck 24 hour urine stone risk – lemon is only a way to raise urine citrate, and not always the best one. Take a look at a good overview of stone prevention and be sure you have been evaluated fully and that your treatment is having the needed effects on stone risk. Regards, Fred Coe
Hi, I’m waiting for my yesterday’s post to be published +& hopefully answered 🙏), since I’m with the symptoms already. Thank you
Hi Daniel, I answered for Jill. Fred
How did you guys come up with barley flour having 32mg of oxalates when Harvard 2008 has barley malt flour at o mg per cup and FAO Bangladesh 2014 has raw barley 100 g edible portion of fresh weight 2 grams? I am very confused now and dont know whether to eat it or not.
Hi Bob, barley flour and barley malt flour are different products. Our lists are the Harvard lists that have been updated and curated by Professor Ross Holmes. Raw barley is of course quite different from flour made from it. I should point out that diet oxalate is only one of many factors affecting calcium oxalate stones, so be sure your testing and treatment are comprehensive. Regards Fred Coe
Hello. In the last 6 months I have had 3 stool test done through Biome, thryve and Biomesight. All 3 have indicated a real problem with oxalates, lacto and Bifido levels low as well as pretty much no oxalobacter. Not long ago I was supplementing 10,000 mg vitamin C per day and eating alot of high oxalate foods. My symptoms are more consistent with IBS/LPR(silent reflux) bloating on right side , ascending colon and inhale discomfort when taking a deep inhale, chronic nasal and ear congestion , coughing up mucous after eating and upon waking, sore throat. Does any of this sound to you like oxalate symptoms? Thanx!
Hi Darren, I have overwhelming skepticism about the oxalate molecule affecting the internal milieu and causing disease apart from what happens in kidney failure or the very rare conditions in which oxalate production is massively increased. Even in those conditions oxalate causes disease by crystallizing as calcium oxalate, not by itself as an ion. So I do not believe much evidence supports the existence of oxalate mediated symptoms in colon or respiratory systems despite a lot of writing on the subject. Regards, Fred Coe
Is brown rice okay to consume?
Hi Dee,
Brown rice can be on the higher side. For your free oxalate list that you can also put on your phone and use like an app come here: kidneystonediet.com/start
Best, jill
Can you kindly advise how to manage taking oxalate meal along with calcium meal ? it is like portion 1:1 ?
For instance, if I ate 1/2 cup of Walnuts, would half cup of Yogurt will help in this case to provide enough Calcium?
Hi Mushreq, if you use calcium, like yogurt, with your nuts you will reduce oxalate absorption, so that is a good strategy. Regards, Fred Coe
I have had kidney stones since 1987. Why I have not got serious about oxalates and diet I really don’t know. So now, I am getting with it. I find your articles and list to be the most reliable. My problem is, with all of the sites is “What is the latest data and opinions”? It would be good if you would put a date on articles and lists. As best I can tell on your stuff was last updated in 2020. Which is great. Is this correct? Anyway thank you for the straight forward presentation. I will be following your lists and advice as best I can.
Hi J, Dates are a good idea. Thanks, Fred
Vitamin C supplements and stone formation vs natural vit. C. intake from fruits/vegatables. I read that “too much” vit. C can contribute to stone formation. I’ve been hospitalized several times for stones, but only learned about oxalates and diet this las go around in summer, 2019. Since then, I’ve been strenuous in trying to keep to about 50-60 mg of oxalate per day as best I can estimate, drink liquids, had 24-hr urine output testing that showed very low problems compared to norms (male in his 70s). But I also am taking multi-vitamin supplements per eye-doctor recommendations (AREDS-2) for macular degeneration prevention (have very early beginnings of this). Also, take a general mult-vitramin supplement, per my primary M.D.’s directive. On average, that adds up to 620 mg per day. So, how much is too much? I use your 20-page list of foods as my guide. My one real weakness is peanutbutter! But I control that, too.
Hi Gene, I presume you are no longer forming stones, so whatever you are doing is fine. But if stones continue, I would hope you will get fully evaluated for cause of stones and be sure your prevention methods control all observed. Regards, Fred Coe
Drink almond milk due to lactose intolerance. Reading that “almond milk is high in oxalates because it is made with almonds.” Did some research : 3.8-4.5 almonds used to make one 8 oz. cup almond milk. This is equivalent to less than 1/4 cup almonds(23 almonds) which means there would be approximately 20 mg of oxalates per 8 ounce cup. Since I drink less than 8 ounces twice a week, this does not seem to be an excessive amount of oxalates. Thought that this might be helpful to those who use almond milk.
Hi Diane, 11 almonds are 122 mg of oxalate – see the second figure in the article you posted on. That is a lot of oxalate. A brief look shows almond milks with as low as 3 – 4 almonds in 8 ounces to much higher – especially if home made. Given about 10 mg/almond, every glass at 4 almonds/glass is 40 mg of oxalate so that is not unreasonable. But there is no calcium to balance that oxalate. Regards, Fred Coe
I had 2 surgerys one in nov which i had 2 kidney stones. one in top of kidney and one in bladder 10mm . One in jan 3 kidney stones baket removal, stent in both of them the one i have know stent is in for 2 months
Hi Vickie, You have had a lot of stones. It is time to figure out why they form and prevent them. Diet oxalate is too narrow a way, you may have lots more wrong than just oxalate. Take a look at how a proper evaluation works and be sure you have had one. Treat everything that is causing the stones. Regards, Fred Coe
Hey I actually just am into a nice diet and I don’t eat meat much so black and pinto beans are my main protein source with some nutritional yeast mixed in as well at lunch in a rice bowl with other veggies. How’s that for a lunch and I really just eat some homemade banana oat cookies and yes we add some peanut butter in! Lol then we have our own homemade veggie burgers made from zucchini base and also do chickpea nuggets! The veggie burgers do have skinless gold organic potatoes tho if that helps. I’ve heard peeling the skin helps a bit. Just wondering your thoughts on that! I’m dairy free too because I truly think it’s just not that healthy. But maybe I’m over thinking that. I’d love a reply from you! It was a good read.
hi Ben,
The kidney stone diet is pretty darn healthy. Glad you enjoy a healthy diet. Make sure you are not overeating high oxalate foods if you are a calcium oxalate stone former. And getting your daily calcium needs met is very important for you bones and stone disease. Come to get your safe oxalate list over at my website; kidneystonediet.com/start
Best, Jill
Is Corn flakes is good in kidney stones
Hi Abhishek,
You can safely eat corn flakes.
jill
Helpful Article
Is there a correlation between high creatinine levels & existing kidney stones?
Why no mention of the option of an active exercise routine (possibly helping to flush the kidney) that may aid in passing a stone to the ureter before it becomes excruciatingly painful ?
Sincerely my second 5mm in 5 years (without curbing my diet other than increased water intake)
Hi Bob, Do you mean serum or urine creatinine. If the former that means reduced kidney function. Could you clarify? Regards, Fred Coe
I don’t see (pearled) barley in your list of oxalate foods in the first paragraph on this webpage. Could you please tell me its oxalate content? UPMC list that my nephrologist gave me lists it as 100 g barley < 2 mg, but there are several of their values in conflict with yours (and Litholink), so I'd like to hear from you-all.
Strawberries: your list is clear that they are low in oxalate. However, Litholink lists them as 100g strawberries = 10 mg oxalate, much higher than yours if I compare same weight. Could you please give me some reassurance as to why I can trust your values (since you came from Litholink)–I haven't had a strawberry in 10 years, and would love to add some to my diet!
Thank you!
hi Cheryl,
I address your concerns over why we choose the Harvard list on youtube come listen!https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hHu5HFrUiGo&t=3s
Best, Jill
I’ve had about a dozen kidney stones over the last 25 or 30 years. I’ve had surgeries, lithotripsy, basket removals and of course stents. I’ve had severe nausea and even passed out from the pain – while under morphine, which I am now allergic to, and am allergic to most pain relievers. With the first stone, they told me to lower my calcium intake and drink more water. With the last two stones, I had a new urologist and he had me do a number of tests to determine the causes and suggested that I lower my oxalate intake. That was three years ago and the first time I’d heard of oxalates. I used this site and a few others to create a grocery list I could live with and haven’t had a stone since. It turns out that the foods I ate prior were a recipe for kidney stones: beets, dried beans, spinach, whole grain everything, lots of bran and brown rice, potatoes, sweet potatoes, tomatoes, nuts – especially almonds, potato chips, chocolate, oranges, raspberries, rhubarb, olives, carrots and parsnips. I eat a lot of squash and cabbage related veggies now. It’s a little boring but I don’t miss the stones.
Hi John,
I spend most of my day helping patients bring veggies and fruits back into their diet. I find that most people restrict too much and this is much more a calcium issue than oxalate once you rid yourself of a couple of high oxalate foods. Come to my site where you can understand better. kidneystonediet.com/start
jill
Thanks for the useful resources. I’m experimenting and limiting oxalates on my own to see if such a diet can eliminate urinary urgency and frequency which I’ve been experiencing on and off over the last 10 months. The medical community has only been interested in doing urine analyses (which all came back negative, but with trace blood) for UTIs and sending me on my way. No one has taken the time to get the root of the problem.
Hi Suzanne,
That is very frustrating. Have you had imaging to see if there is a stone lurking about to cause your symptoms?
jill
Hi there.. this was super helpful and I plan on starting to follow a diet similar to this. I was in the hospital 1/15 with my first stone, just one tiny one they said. The pain subsided but then 2 weeks later I went back to the hospital and was diagnosed with hypokalemia and they said they were unsure if it was a stone or calcification.. When getting a test done 2/9 it was positive for oxalate crystals.. I’m still experiencing slight pain throughout my abdomen and my glucose blood levels have continued to rise now at 120. Do you think this is related to the stones and this diet would help or an unrelated issue?
Hi Shelby, I am not sure. You do not know what the stone is or why it formed. I would advise reading a more general article on what to do at the beginning, get properly evaluated, then make your treatment decision. Take a look, Regards, Fred Coe
I don’t get kidney stones, but I get muscle and joint pain from eating foods/drinks with oxalates. At least, I think that is what is doing it. But what is strange is that I can drink almond milk and eat potatoes without problems. I suspect that “almond milk” really doesn’t have much almond in it. When I drink Silk Original almond milk, the almond taste is so mild I forget it’s there. And I always peal the potatoes and sometimes boil them which also reduces oxalates. I am also starting to wonder if it is different for each person and their individual ability to digest the different forms of oxalate. Maybe due to gut bacteria. All I can say is that I can’t make sense of all these websites with lists of foods to avoid or to eat. I can never completely reconcile the lists with what I experience. And many of these websites contradict each other, which further adds to the confusion.
Hi Jennifer, I am not much help for you, because not convinced the oxalate molecule per se has any effects on people with normal kidneys save for kidney stones or crystal passage. I know that some describe oxalate symptoms, and doubt the reality of their science. Fred