One approach people with gut problems often look into is low oxalate foods. Many believe oxalates are toxic to humans, and it’s best to remove them from your diet as much as possible.
The problem is, this is an entirely too myopic view of oxalates and how we are exposed to them. Furthermore, it doesn’t take into account that we have mechanisms in place to deal with them. It also ignores the fact that you make more oxalate than you eat.
That’s not to say that oxalate in and of itself is something you need in your diet. In fact, you don’t need it at all.
But, foods higher in oxalate tend to be highly nutritious and associated with better health. So going low oxalate may cause you to unintentionally eat an inferior diet.
That’s why today’s video blog is a comprehensive overview of oxalates. The goal here is to help you understand what oxalates are, how you’re exposed to them, how you remove them, and how restrictive dieting can make you more sensitive to them.
Why focusing on low oxalate foods may not be the best approach
On the surface, a low oxalate diet makes sense for many people. For example, the most common type of kidney stone is made from calcium oxalate. This depends on many factors, but reducing oxalate exposure is a good idea for these people.
There is also some evidence that calcium oxalate crystals can form elsewhere in the body. And some people note feeling better on a low oxalate diet.
But this doesn’t mean consuming oxalate in their diet is the problem. It means that their oxalate exposure may be high, and that their internal milieu is permissive for stone formation. They may absorb too much, make too much, or not eliminate them well.
And as is the case with other long-term restriction diets, avoiding them may actually make you worse off in the long run. Dozens of members of your microbiome can break oxalate down, and the best way to keep them there is to eat oxalate.
We covered that in a blog you can check out here.
Check out today’s comprehensive video on oxalates
In today’s video we help you understand why worrying about dietary oxalates is something you probably don’t need to do. Even if you suspect you have a problem with oxalates, dietary oxalates may not be the culprit.
A lot of times, it can be your gut health, your metabolism, or even hidden problems in a restriction diet that affect oxalate exposure. This could be common in a host of popular diets, but we take a specific look at Low Carb Paleo, Low FODMAP, and Vegan diets.
Today’s video includes:
(00:00) Overview- What are oxalates and why can they become problematic
(5:41) Problems with a long-term low oxalate diet
(13:26) Endogenous oxalate production
(20:36) Oxalate absorption from the gut
(28:29) Elimination of oxalate
(33:47) How oxalate crystals are formed
(40:44) Type 2 diabetes, fatty liver, and oxalate problems
(46:07) How elimination diets like Paleo and Vegan create oxalate issues
(54:14) Properly addressing and preventing oxalate issues
Check out today’s video, and if you like it, please subscribe to our channel. And feel free to share and like it on social media.
Enjoy!
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https://hackyourgut.com/product/the-ultimate-gut-health-bundle/
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