KenDBerryMD - 7 High Oxalate Foods (Are You Sensitive?)

Short Summary

Main recommendation: If you have symptoms such as chronic inflammation, kidney stones, or other conditions listed in the video, try a 90-day trial of a very low or oxalate-free diet, such as the "Triple B and E" diet (beef, butter, and eggs). The speaker says oxalate sensitivity varies widely, so trial and error is needed to find your own tolerance level.

Key Points

• Excess oxalates may trigger pain or inflammation in different parts of the body, including burning sensations, eye and skin irritation, irritated mucous membranes, and calcium oxalate (kidney) stones.
• The speaker lists conditions that may improve on a very low or oxalate-free diet, including autism spectrum disorders, chronic candida, chronic fatigue, COPD, asthma, cystic fibrosis, fibromyalgia, hormonal imbalances, insomnia, joint pain, kidney stones, thyroid disease, and chronic bladder, vaginal, or perineal inflammation.
• Oxalate tolerance follows a normal distribution curve: some people are barely affected by high intake, while others are highly sensitive to small amounts.
• Dr. Berry cites renal physiology research suggesting 100 to 200 milligrams of oxalates per day is probably safe for most people, though he notes highly sensitive individuals may need less.
• The video names seven common foods high in oxalates, ranked from least to most, with spinach at the top.

Details Worth Noting

Concrete instructions:

• Dr. Berry recommends that if you have the listed conditions, or chronic inflammation with elevated inflammation markers and no clear cause, you try a diet that is very low in oxalate or oxalate-free for at least 90 days.

• The "Triple B and E" diet (beef, butter, and eggs) is described as oxalate-free and suitable for this trial.

• Dr. Berry suggests avoiding the high and very high oxalate foods on the linked list; if you are highly sensitive, also avoid medium and possibly low oxalate foods, sticking to very low or oxalate-free foods.

• Be cautious with daily smoothies or green drinks, since liquid intake of high-oxalate ingredients counts toward your total.

• The seven foods listed, with oxalate amounts, from number 7 to number 1:

  • 7. Raisin bran: 46 mg per 1 cup of cereal
  • 6. Navy beans: 76 mg per 1/2 cup
  • 5. Beets: 76 mg per 1/2 cup
  • 4. Corn grits (and anything made of corn): 97 mg per 1 cup
  • 3. Baked potato with skin: 97 mg per medium potato
  • 2. Almonds: 122 mg per 1 ounce
  • 1. Spinach: 755 mg per 1/2 cup

• The speaker says beet greens, rhubarb leaves, and poke salad leaves have caused problems for people who ate too many.

• The speaker says every person has a sensitivity threshold above which oxalates cause issues.

Bottom Line

Oxalate sensitivity is highly individual, so a time-limited low-oxalate trial is a practical way to test whether symptoms improve; the speaker presents this as his view, not as professional medical advice.