Low Oxalate Diet

We have selected the following expert medical opinion based on its clarity, reliability and accuracy. Credits: Sourced from The University of Pittsburgh Medical Centre (see below). Please refer to your own medical practitioner for a final perspective, assessment or evaluation.

Overview

Low Oxalate Diet May Help Prevent Kidney Stones. Kidney stones are a common disorder of the urinary tract.

Kidney stones are pieces of stone-like material that form on the walls of the kidney. They are caused by a buildup of minerals in urine.

Most stones are so small that they pass through the urinary system without pain. However, a large enough stone can cause extreme pain or urinary blockage. This is very painful, and requires treatment or surgery.

In the United States, about 1 million people get kidney stones every year. Stones usually affect people between the ages of 20 and 40. They affect men more often than women. You may also be at risk if you have a family history of kidney stones.

Some people have kidney stones made from calcium oxalate (OX-uh-layt). For these people cutting back on high-oxalate foods and salt may help prevent kidney stones.

On a low oxalate diet, you should limit your oxalate to 40 to 50 mg each day.

Oxalate is found in many foods.

The following lists will help you avoid foods high in oxalate. They will help you eat foods low in oxalate. This may help prevent kidney stones.

Be sure to drink plenty of fluids. People likely to get kidney stones should drink 8 to 13 cups of fluid each day.

Your body may turn extra vitamin C into oxalate. Avoid high doses of vitamin C supplements (more than 2,000 mg of vitamin C per day).

In the following lists, food and drink serving sizes are 3.5 ounces (100 grams), unless otherwise noted.

Avoid these High-oxalate Foods and Drinks

High-oxalate foods have more than 10 mg of oxalate per serving.

Drinks

• Dark or "robust" beer
• Black tea
• Chocolate milk
• Cocoa
• Juice made from high oxalate fruits (see below for high oxalate fruits)
• Instant coffee
• Hot chocolate
• Ovaltine
• Soy drinks

Dairy

• Chocolate milk
• Soy cheese
• Soy milk
• Soy yoghurt

Meat

• None

Fruit

• Blackberries
• Blueberries
• Carambola
• Concord grapes
• Currents
• Drewberries
• Lime peel
• Orange peel
• Raspberries
• Rhubarb
• Canned strawberries
• Tamarillo
• Elderberries
• Figs
• Fruit cocktail
• Gooseberry
• Kiwis
• Lemon peel
• Tangerines

Fats, Nuts, Seeds

• Nuts
• Nut berries
• Sesame seeds
• Tahini
• Soy nuts

Starch 

• Amaranth
• Buckwheat
• Cereal (bran or high fibre)
• Crisp bread (rye or wheat)
• Fruit cake
• Grits
• Pretzels
• Taro
• Wheat bran
• Wheat germ
• Whole wheat bread
• Whole wheat flour

Vegetables

• Beans (baked, green, dried, kedney)
• Beets
• Beet greens
• Beet root
• Carrots
• Celery
• Chicory
• Collards
• Dandelion greens
• Eggplant
• Escarole
• Kale
• Leeks
• Okra
• Olives
• Parsley
• Peppers (chili and green)
• Pokeweed
• Sweet potato
• Swiss chard
• Zucchini
• Potatoes (baked, boiled, fried)
• Rutabaga
• Spinach
• Summer squash

Condiments

• Black pepper (more than 1 tsp.)
• Marmalade
• Soy sauce

Miscellaneous

• Chocolate
• Parsley

Limit these Moderate-oxalate Foods and Drinks

You should have no more than two or three servings of these foods per day. Moderate-oxalate foods have 2 to10 mg of oxalate per serving.

Drinks

• Draft beer
• Carrot juice
• Brewed coffee
• Cranberry juice
• Grape juice
• Guinness draft beer
• Orange juice
• Rosehip tea
• Tomato juice
• Twining's black currant tea

Dairy

• Yoghurt

Meat

• Liver
• Sardines

Fruit

• Apples
• Applesauce
• Apricots
• Coconut
• Cranberries
• Mandarin orange
• Orange
• Fresh peaches
• Fresh pear
• Pineapples
• Purple and Damson Plums
• Prunes
• Fresh strawberries

Fats, Nuts, Seeds

• Flaxseed
• Sunflower seeds

Starch

• Bagels
• Brown rice
• Cornmeal
• Corn starch
• Corn tortilla
• Fig cookie
• Oatmeal
• Ravioli (no sauce)
• Spaghetti in red sauce
• Sponge cake
• Cinnamon Pop tart
• White bread

Vegetables

• Artichoke
• Asparagus
• Broccoli
• Brussel sprouts
• Carrots (canned)
• Corn
• Fennel
• Lettuce
• Iima beans
• Mustard greens
• Onions
• Parsnip
• Canned peas
• Tomato
• Tomato soup
• Turnips
• Vegetable soup
• Watercres

Miscellaneous

• Ginger
• Malt
• Potato chips (less than 3.5 oz)
• Stawberry jam/preserves
• Thyme

Enjoy these Low-oxalate Foods and Drinks

Eat as much of these low-oxalate foods as you like. Low-oxalate foods have less than 2mg of oxalate per serving.

Drinks

• Apple cider
• Apple juice
• Apricot nectar
• Bottled beer
• Buttermilk
• Cherry juice
• Cola
• Grapefruit juice
• Green tea
• Herbal teas (see below)
• Lemonade
• Lemon juice
• Limeade
• Lime juice
• Milk
• Oolong tea
• Pineapple juice
• Wine

Herbal Teas

• Celestial Seasoning (Sleepytime, Peppermint, Wild Forest Blackberry, Mandarin Orange Spice, Cinnamon, Apple Spice)
• R.C. Bigelow (Cranberry Apple, Red Raspberry, I Love Lemon, Orange and Spic, Mint Medley, Sweet Dreams)
• Thomas J. Lipton (Gentle Orange, Lemon Soothe, Chamomile flowers, Stinging Nettle) 

Dairy

• Cheese
• Buttermilk
• Milk

Meat

• Bacon 
• Beef
• Corned beef
• Fish (except sardines)
• Ham
• Lamb
• Lean meats
• Pork
• Poultry
• Shellfish

Fruit

• Avocados
• Bananas
• Cherries (bing and sour)
• Grapefruit
• Grapes (red and green)
• Huckleberries
• Kumquat
• Litchi/Lychee
• Mangoes
• Melons
• Nectarines
• Papaya
• Passion fruit
• Canned peaches
• Canned pears
• Green and yellow plums
• Raisins (1/4 cup)

Fats, Nuts, Seeds

• Butter
• Margarine
• Mayonnaise
• Salad dressing
• Vegetable oil

Starches

• Barley
• Cereals (corn or rice)
• Cheerios
• Chicken noodle soup
• Egg noodles
• English muffin
• Graham crackers
• Macaroni
• Pasta (plain)
• White rice
• Wild rice

Vegetables

• Cabbage 
• Cauliflower
• Chives
• Cucumber
• Endive
• Kohlrabi
• Mushrooms
• Peas
• Radishes
• Water Chestnut

Condiments

• Basil
• Cinnamon
• Corn syrup
• Dijon mustard
• Dill
• Honey
• Imitation vanilla extract
• Jelly made from low oxalate fruits
• Ketchup (1 Tbsp.)
• Maple syrup
• Nutmeg
• Oregano
• Peppermint
• Sage
• Sugar
• Vinegar
• White pepper

Miscellaneous

• Gelatin (unflavored)
• Hard candy
• Jell-O
• Lemon balm
• Lemon juice
• Lime juice

About the source

UPMC

The University of Pittsburgh Medical Centre (UPMC) is an integrated global non-profit health enterprise that is closely affiliated with its academic partner, the University of Pittsburgh. It is considered a leading American healthcare provider, as its flagship facilities have ranked in US News & World Report "Honour Roll" of the approximately 15 to 20 best hospitals in America for over 15 years.

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