Oxalate Toxicity: What you need to know

Oxalates are organic acids that are found in many plant foods, such as spinach, kale, beet greens, rhubarb, nuts, chocolate, tea, and coffee. They are also produced in our body as a by-product of metabolism. Oxalates can bind to minerals, such as calcium and iron, and form crystals that can be excreted in the urine or stool.

However, when oxalates accumulate in high levels in the body, they can cause oxalate toxicity. Oxalate toxicity can damage various organs and tissues, such as the kidneys, mitochondria, nervous system, connective tissue, and immune system. Oxalate toxicity can also impair the absorption of important nutrients and increase the risk of kidney stones.

Who is at risk of Oxalate Toxicity?

Some people are more prone to oxalate toxicity than others. These include:

• People with kidney stones: About 75% of kidney stones are made of calcium oxalate. If you have a history of kidney stones or a family history of kidney stones, you should limit your intake of oxalate-rich foods.
• People with hyperoxaluria or oxalosis: These are rare genetic disorders that affect the enzymes that break down or transport oxalates out of the cells. People with these conditions have very high levels of oxalates in their urine or blood and can develop kidney failure or other complications.
• People with metabolic disorders: Some conditions that affect the metabolism of other substances can also increase the production or absorption of oxalates. These include vitamin B6 deficiency, inflammatory bowel disease, leaky gut syndrome, obesity, diabetes, and thyroid problems .

How to reduce Oxalate intake from green smoothies

When you blend fruits and vegetables, you break down their cell walls and release their contents into the liquid. This makes the nutrients more bioavailable and easier to digest. However, this also makes the oxalates more soluble and easier to absorb into the bloodstream.

Also when you drink green smoothies, you consume more fruits and vegetables than you would normally eat in their whole form. This means that you ingest more oxalates than you would otherwise. For example, one cup of raw spinach contains about 656 mg of oxalates, but one cup of spinach juice contains about 1,260 mg of oxalates. That’s almost double the amount!

Furthermore, some people drink green smoothies on an empty stomach or as a meal replacement. This can increase the absorption of oxalates even more because there is no other food to buffer or dilute them in the digestive tract.

If you are at risk of oxalate toxicity or want to prevent it from happening, you should be careful about what you put in your green smoothies. Here are some tips to help you reduce your oxalate intake from green smoothies:

• Choose low-oxalate greens: Not all greens are high in oxalates. Some low-oxalate greens that you can use in your green smoothies are lettuce, cabbage, bok choy, watercress, arugula, cilantro, parsley, and basil.
• Rotate your greens: Even if you use low-oxalate greens in your green smoothies, you should not eat the same ones every day. Rotating your greens can help you avoid overloading your body with oxalates and also provide you with a variety of nutrients.
• Add calcium-rich foods: Calcium can bind to oxalates in the digestive tract and prevent them from being absorbed into the bloodstream. Adding calcium-rich foods to your green smoothies can help you lower your oxalate levels. Some calcium-rich foods that you can use in your green smoothies are yogurt, kefir, milk, cheese, tofu, almonds, sesame seeds, and chia seeds.
• Drink plenty of water: Water can help you flush out excess oxalates from your kidneys and prevent them from forming crystals or stones. Drinking plenty of water throughout the day can help you stay hydrated and avoid oxalate toxicity.

If you want to enjoy a delicious and nutritious green smoothie without worrying about oxalates, try our Easy Green protein smoothie blend. It has Spirulina, a blue-green algae, that is free of oxalic acid and high in vitamins, minerals, and nutrients. Spirulina can also help you detoxify your body from heavy metals and toxins in a gentle way. It is bulked up with South American superfoods like Activated Maca, Lucuma, Acerol & Sacha Inchi along with Freeze-dried Lemon and other functional ingredients.