We’ve all heard
nutritionists and scientists – myself included! – discuss at length the
numerous benefits that leafy greens have on your health. From power-packed spinach to fat-fighting greens,
adding leafy greens to your diet can give your health and well-being a huge
boost.
However, we don’t hear
much about the not-so-healthy compound that occurs naturally in leafy
greens – oxalates.
To a certain level, oxalates are not rare or harmful to our bodies unless
we happen to be sensitive to them. For the most part, issues only begin to
arise when oxalates build up from the overconsumption of oxalate-rich
foods.
At high
levels, oxalates, or oxalic acid, limit the absorption of calcium,
iron,
and magnesium
in the digestive tract. Simply put, they prevent your body from getting the
most benefit from those essential minerals. Your kidneys may also suffer,
as oxalate build-up has been linked to the
formation of harmful and painful kidney stones. In fact, calcium oxalate
stones account for anywhere from 75%
to 86% of all stones
formed.
One study measured the oxalate levels in
some common leafy greens and other fruits and vegetables. Based on their
findings, the top ten raw foods with the highest oxalate content (mean
milligrams per 100 grams) are:
If you suffer from
kidney stones, it may be best to avoid these foods with high levels of
oxalates. However, for the rest of us, there are ways to reap the benefits
of high-oxalate vegetables without causing unhealthy oxalate build-up in
the body.
Specifically, how you
prepare your vegetables plays a dramatic role in the concentration of
oxalates. The oxalate amounts listed above can be lowered simply by
blanching your vegetables. To blanch vegetables, cook in a pot of
boiling water for 4-6 minutes and submerge into ice water immediately after
cooking.
Two studies compared the
oxalate content of blanched vegetables to their raw counterparts with
encouraging results: the oxalate content of the raw vegetables studied
(spinach, beetroot, celeriac, and parsnip) was reduced by 30-40% when
blanched.
While blanching was
the most effective cooking method found, the studies also showed that
pressure cooking and open pan cooking also reduced the oxalate content in
the vegetables, although to lesser amounts. Drying vegetables had the
opposite effect – the oxalate content of dried spinach was almost triple
that of raw spinach!
Don’t let a fear of
oxalates prevent you from eating the full spectrum of fruits and vegetables
daily! There are a multitude of benefits to be gained from colorful
vegetables. It’s simply important to be a smart cook and to eat a variety
of foods – if you’re eating lots of veggies that you know are high in
oxalates, try out one of the cooking methods mentioned above to minimize
the risk of overloading your body with the compound. Your kidneys will
thank you!
And, don't forget to
check with your healthcare practitioner if you have specific questions
about your sensitivity to oxalates.
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