Neutralizing Oxalates: The Importance of Minimizing Risks and Strategies for a Balanced Diet

One of the most effective strategies for neutralizing oxalates in your diet is to combine oxalate-rich foods with calcium-rich foods. When you combine these two types of foods, the calcium binds with the oxalates in your gut before they have a chance to crystallize. Some examples of calcium-rich foods include cheese, milk, yogurt, and tofu, so incorporating these foods into your diet when eating high-oxalate foods is a good practice.

Another way to neutralize oxalates is by cooking them. Cooking oxalate-rich foods, such as spinach or Swiss chard, reduces their oxalate content and makes them less likely to cause problems. For example, boiling spinach for at least 10 minutes can reduce the oxalate content by up to 30%! However, it’s important not to overcook foods, as this could reduce their nutritional value.

It’s also important to maintain a healthy and balanced diet if you want to minimize the risks of oxalate intake. This means limiting your intake of high-oxalate foods such as spinach, rhubarb, beets, almonds, and peanuts. While these foods can be part of a balanced diet, consuming them in large quantities can increase your risk of health issues.