Leafy Greens & Oxalates

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Leafy Greens & Oxalates

29 Jan 2022

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In his Optimum Nutrient Recommendations, Dr Greger says:

Calcium: At least 600 mg daily via calcium-rich plant foods—preferably low-oxalate dark green leafy vegetables, which includes all greens except spinach, chard, and beet greens (all very healthy foods, but not good calcium sources due to their oxalate content).

Why does Dr Greger dissuade consumption of high-oxalate leafy greens like spinach, chard and beet greens? [He doesn't ask us to eliminate them completely; he prefers that most of our leafy greens intake should be from low-oxalate leafy greens]

Articles at NutritionFacts:

(2015) What are the hazards of oxalates? by Joseph Gonzales is an excellent read with many details. An excerpt:

"I have become concerned enough about kidney stone risk that anyone who eats cups a day (as they should!) of dark green leafy vegetables should probably stick to low-oxalate greens (i.e. basically any greens other than spinach, swiss chard, and beet greens). Video forthcoming, but just wanted to give everyone a heads up."
What about the oxalic acid in beets? This short Q&A article is also insightful.

Videos at NutritionFacts:

(2019) Oxalates in Spinach and Kidney Stones: Should We Be Concerned?

(5 mins) Transcript. Dr Greger's summary: "Even though dietary oxalates may have a limited effect on kidney stone risk in most people, there are some predisposing factors that can put anyone at risk."

(2019) Kidney Stones and Spinach, Chard, and Beet Greens: Don't Eat Too Much

(5 mins) Transcript. Dr Greger's summary: "Given their oxalate content, how much is too much spinach, chard, beet greens, chaga mushroom powder, almonds, cashews, star fruit, and instant tea?"

Dr Klaper

(5 mins, 2020) Eating Leafy Greens - Should We Be Concerned About Oxalates?

YouTube video summary:

Dr. Klaper shares why it is so important to eat nutrition-packed leafy greens as part of a whole food plant-based diet. He shares that not all greens are created equal and we should take care when eating some oxalate-rich greens too often.

Leafy Greens from Other Parts of the World

Do we have high-oxalate leafy greens other than spinach, chard and beet greens? Yes, many more leafy greens from various parts of the world have high oxalates. For example:

Oxalates in some Indian green leafy vegetables by M Radek & G P Savage, International Journal of Food Sciences and Nutrition, May 2008; 59(3): 246-260.

Abstract: The soluble and total oxalate contents of 11 leafy vegetables grown in India were determined. Spinach, purple and green amaranth and colocasia contained high levels of total oxalates, which ranged from 5,138.0937.6 mg/100 g dry matter up to 12,576.19107.9 mg/100 g dry matter. Seven other leafy vegetables (curry, drumstick, shepu, fenugreek, coriander, radish and onion stalks) contained only insoluble oxalate, which ranged from 209.095.0 mg/100 g dry matter to 2,774.9918.4 mg/100 g dry matter.
Oxalate Content of Egyptian Grown Fruits and Vegetables and Daily Common Herbs by Aly Abdel-Moemin, J Food Research, Vol 3, No 3 (2014) (PDF).

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