Introduction –
Leafy greens and plant foods are known to contain an anti-nutrient called oxalate or oxalic acid, an organic compound which is obtained from a healthy diet. You can intake it from foods including vegetables, fruits, leafy greens, cocoa, seeds, nuts and others. It is usually bound to minerals in plants to form oxalate. It can bind minerals to form compounds like calcium oxalate and iron oxalate. In this blog we are going to tell you the Health Benefits Of Oxalic Acid, so read this full blog to get the complete information. For sensitive people, high-oxalate diets have been connected to an increased risk of kidney stones. Sometimes, calcium and small amounts of oxalate bind to form crystals and stones. When oxalic acidis high and urine volume is low then stone and crystal formation is possible in individuals. When a stone is large then it may cause nausea, severe pain and blood in the urine.
Foods high in oxalic acid –
High oxalate foods include:
Spinach:
Contains many vitamins and minerals but also high in oxalates.
Soy Products:
Excellent sources of protein and other nutrients.
Almonds:
Concentrated with a range of vitamins and minerals.
Potatoes:
High levels of nutrients like fiber, vitamin C and B vitamins.
Beets:
Excellent source of nutrients like folate and manganese.
Navy Beans:
Add a high amount of protein, fiber and other nutrients to any meal.
Raspberries
Dates
Health Benefits of Oxalic Acid –
People say that adding low oxalate foods in the diet is always for the internal health and overall benefits. Diets that are rich in oxalic acid can have various negative effects on your body and adding small amounts of oxalic acid to your body may help in the following ways:
Oxalic acid in vegetables and fruits:
Found in various vegetables (celery, spinach, carrot, cucumber, broccoli etc.) in a very minimal amount; you can add oxalic acid to your diet for various health benefits.Limit it and follow only the small amounts regularly. Doctors suggest taking celery juice on an empty stomach in the morning as it works as a purifier for the toxins in your stomach. If you are looking for oxalic acid benefits, add oxalic acid in small amounts instead of completely restricting it.
Oxalic acid in nuts and seeds:
Packed with nutrients; nuts like almonds, cashews and others can work effectively for your health benefits. If you are quite healthy then add nuts and seeds containing oxalic acid to your diet without any hesitation.Seeds (pumpkin, flax, watermelon seeds) are considered the safest options as they have a lower amount of oxalic acids.
Side-effects of excessive oxalic acids –
Excess intake of oxalic acidcan negatively affectthe human body. Calcium and oxalate bind together to form calcium oxalate crystals in the urinary tract and may contribute to kidney stones that are very dangerous for your body health. It usually occurs when your urine volume is lower compared to the amount of oxalate in your urinary tract. The symptoms may include nausea, pain and even blood in the urine. People are advised to have diets with a low amount of oxalic acid. Doctors suggest kidney stones patients not to add a higher amount of oxalic acid in their diet. It is important that they add foods that have a low amount of oxalic acid after consulting their doctors.
Related: A Guide to Becosules Capsules
Low-Oxalate Alternatives –
Add the given low-oxalate alternatives to your diet:
- Kale and Boc Choy
- Cashews, Peanuts, and Walnuts
- Pumpkin and Sunflower Seeds
- Sweet Potatoes
- Broccoli
- Kidney Beans
- Blueberries and Blackberries
- Dried Figs
How to reduce the oxalic acid in the body?
- It is suggested to eat oxalic acid foods with calcium-containing foods including milk, yogurt and other dairy products. It will be highly helpful to reduce the risk of kidney stone formation.
- Studies reported that several cooking methods help lower the oxalic acid content of vegetables. Boiling and steaming significantly reduce oxalic acid in vegetables with a high content of the compound in the body.
- Stone formation includes other factors that do play a part. Medical and health care professionals agree that drinking 2.5 liters or more of water a day is vital in order to maintain light-colored urine that in turn, decreases your risk of stones. Also, squeezing lemon juice into water helps boost the citrate levels in the urine and may protect against calcium oxalate stones.
- Before minimizing intake of leafy greens, nuts, cabbageand buckwheat; it is good to eliminate junk food, packaged food and micro-waved food. Also, try to reduce the consumption of white sugar and white flour.
- Limit sodium and sugar intake which may contribute to kidney stones at high levels.
Related: Health Benefits Of Oxalates
How can you flush oxalates out of your body?
For flushing out oxalates, it is important that you drink plenty of water. It will help your body to flush oxalates out. Try to limit the intake of sodium and sugar which contributes to kidney stones at high levels. It is recommended to consume regular amounts of vitamin C.
Is Oxalic Acid Bad For Your Kidneys?
There are various foods which are high in oxalates are rich in many other nutrients. Leafy greens and legumes are highly beneficial to your health but oxalates bind to calcium, they can increase the risk of kidney stones in few people.
Why oxalic acid used for in the body?
The compound, oxalic acid is required for the formation of uracil and orotic acid in the body. Orotic acid is a component of RNA which is common to all cells in the human metabolism.
Final words –
Plant-based diets are really effective in keeping your body internally healthy due to the presence of the most useful anti-nutrient known as oxalic acid. Derived from plants and leafy vegetables, oxalate (oxalic acid) can also be extracted from fruits, nuts, cocoa and seeds.In order to naturally produce oxalate, these acids bind with minerals and form calcium. Doctors always suggest taking a diet with low oxalic acid to minimize the various side effects on the human body. In last, I hope this blog sufficient enough to provide the complete information about Health Benefits Of Oxalic Acid.
