mjl – Chew Digest

How a High-Oxalate Diet Changes Gut Bacteria and Affects the Body

Recent research shows that eating a lot of oxalates—compounds found in foods like spinach, beets, and almonds—can change the types of bacteria in your gut. These changes can affect important body processes like how we handle inflammation, cholesterol, blood pressure, and even how we clear waste like oxalates from our system.

Two gut bacteria are especially affected: Ruminococcaceae_UCG-014 and Parasutterella. Normally, Ruminococcaceae_UCG-014 helps prevent oxalate buildup, while Parasutterella can contribute to problems if it grows too much. A high-oxalate diet lowers Ruminococcaceae_UCG-014 and increases Parasutterella.

This imbalance can lead to hyperoxaluria, a condition where too much oxalate builds up in the urine, which can cause kidney stones and other health problems. But the good news is that a fecal matter transplant (FMT)—a procedure that replaces bad gut bacteria with good ones—can reverse this. Interestingly, the FMT doesn’t work by increasing bacteria that break down oxalates. Instead, it strengthens the gut lining and improves transport proteins in the gut that help remove oxalate from the body.

What Else Changes?

In just 15 days of eating a high-oxalate diet, mice showed signs of leaky gut and metabolic problems. Their intestines became inflamed and damaged. They also had less of a substance called 2-hydroxycinnamic acid, which helps the body make salicylates—natural anti-inflammatory compounds. This could explain why some people develop salicylate sensitivity while eating a high-oxalate or carnivore diet.

People on a carnivore diet should note that hydroxyproline (a protein building block found in collagen-rich animal foods) also increased oxalate levels in this study. That might explain ongoing oxalate issues some carnivores face.

Sulfur and L-Cysteine Handling

Parasutterella loves to consume L-cysteine, a sulfur-containing amino acid. L-cysteine is essential for managing blood sugar, reducing inflammation, and making glutathione, the body’s main detox chemical. If Parasutterella grows too much, it might lower L-cysteine levels, which could contribute to diabetes, weight gain, and even sulfur sensitivities. However, some balance is needed because L-cysteine can also help prevent calcium oxalate buildup.

Oxalate Transport and Blood Pressure

The gut uses special transport proteins (called SLC transporters) to get rid of oxalate. After FMT, more oxalate left through the feces instead of urine, showing that transporter activity had improved. Parasutterella makes a compound called succinate, which can affect how these transporters work. Succinate helps balance oxalate and citrate, a chemical that helps prevent kidney stones. Too much succinate, however, may increase blood pressure by interfering with how transporters work.

Cholesterol and Bile Acids

Parasutterella also influences cholesterol and bile acid levels. Some studies show it helps lower LDL (bad) cholesterol, especially when people eat resistant starches like cooked and cooled potatoes. It also helps regulate bile acids, which are needed to digest fats and remove cholesterol from the body. Parasutterella seems to reduce harmful bile acids while encouraging the body to make more of the helpful ones. This balance helps the liver stay healthy and may reduce the risk of fatty liver disease or liver damage.

Aromatic Amino Acids

Parasutterella also plays a role in handling aromatic amino acids like tyrosine and tryptophan. These amino acids are important for making brain chemicals like dopamine and serotonin. In the study, more Parasutterella was linked to less of a harmful byproduct called p-cresol, and more of helpful compounds like N-hydroxy-L-tyrosine (a dopamine precursor) and ethylphenol (which may fight fungal infections).

The Bottom Line

This study shows that eating a lot of oxalates changes the gut in major ways—lowering good bacteria like Ruminococcaceae_UCG-014 and increasing bacteria like Parasutterella. These shifts affect much more than oxalate levels. They influence inflammation, gut health, blood pressure, cholesterol, and even mental well-being. A low-oxalate diet might help restore balance, especially in people struggling with oxalate-related health problems.

https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC11776474/
https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC9037427/
https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC6776049/

Aging…Why Are We Failing?

Aging. Why are we failing so miserably to achieve our full potential of 122+ years? Why is it that we are currently, as a species, only achieving around 75 years? Let that sink in. This is a universal problem. Yes, there are some exceptions to this average. Outliers that only make it into their forties and some that make it into their nineties and a few that will join the club of centenarians.

There will always be the problem of genetics that will prevent a small number of newborns to lack certain physical traits that prevent them from living a full, unhindered lifespan and that is unfortunate. But for the rest that are born with all of their functionality intact and working properly, they are still, on average, failing miserably to achieve our full potential.

Over the last 8 years, I have spent much time, reading, researching, contemplating, and experimenting with all manner of different life practices to improve my own individual odds to appreciate a status that places me on the upper end of the outlier scale landing me somewhere above one-hundred years of age before I begin the next step of whatever it is that we call the afterlife.

Sleep, hydration, nutriment, and movement, in my opinion, appear to be at the top of the list of things that we have control over that can tip the scales in our favor. Direct environment is another key driver that will also determine the outcome of our existence. Our direct environment, which the outside of our body comes into contact with throughout our entire existence, covers a whopping 1,200 square feet. However, we only ever see about 22 square feet of it while the majority, the other 1,178 square feet starts at our lips and ends at our anus.

That means that what we call our skin, the part we can easily touch, on what most people refer to as the outside of their body, only makes up about 1.67% of our body’s total surface area. The rest of the body is not directly exposed to the outside world, aside from the sinuses and the lungs. The actual entrance into our body lies within the small intestine, where the food we put in our mouth passes through the tight junctions of the epithelial lining of our small intestine, which enters our portal vein, headed for its first stop, the liver, for further processing.

What are the environmental factors that negatively impact our bodies, hindering our ability to reach our full potential?

Time is our most valuable asset. It is our bank account that we spend from to purchase the things we need or want. We can do that in a number of ways, however, the most common these days is to simply work for others in what we call a job where we exchange our time for fiat currency to trade with others for the time(work) we don’t want to do, like hunting or farming for our daily bread, the clothes we wear, and the place we lay our head.

At this juncture, you are probably wondering when I will get to what I believe is the hurdle that is keeping us from achieving more than merely aging more gracefully. I want to age better, and I’m sure I’m not the only one. Being a universal problem that, for the most part, we are all, as a species experiencing, it would be nice if there were only one thing that could be adjusted to fix the problem. That is likely not the case, however, it is not outside of the realm of possibility. And even if there are many factors that lead to a diminished outcome, there will be one factor that shows up to the proverbial party more than any others. And that is the factor that I have been looking for. The factor that we can knock out first. Then we can continue working our way down the list solving for all of the other factors that will eventually leave us with the ability to make it to an unhindered 122+ years.

To be continued…

Soft Tissue Calcifications

Oxalic acid has a very strong affinity for calcium, forming calcium oxalate—a salt that is highly insoluble in water. The solubility product constant (Ksp) for calcium oxalate monohydrate is around 2.3 × 10⁻⁹, indicating that even small amounts of oxalic acid and calcium ions in solution will readily precipitate out as crystals. This high affinity is a major reason calcium oxalate is the most common component of kidney stones and why oxalate tends to deposit in tissues when calcium is present and oxalate clearance is impaired.

Calcium is normally present in several tissues, primarily where it plays structural or regulatory roles. About 99% of the body’s calcium is stored in bones and teeth, providing strength and rigidity. The remaining 1% is found in soft tissues and body fluids, where it supports critical functions. Normal soft tissue reservoirs include:

-Blood plasma and interstitial fluid (as ionized calcium and bound forms)
-Muscle tissue (especially within the sarcoplasmic reticulum, regulating contraction)
-Nerve tissue (for neurotransmitter release)
-Endocrine tissues (e.g., parathyroid glands for calcium sensing)
-Mitochondria (in many cells, where calcium regulates metabolism)

Calcium is essential, but its accumulation outside controlled compartments (e.g., as crystals in soft tissues) is abnormal.

There are dozens of distinct disorders—genetic, metabolic, infectious, autoimmune, and toxic—that can lead to soft tissue calcification throughout the body. These fall broadly into two categories: dystrophic calcification (where calcium deposits in damaged tissues despite normal blood calcium levels) and metastatic calcification (from elevated calcium/phosphate levels). Examples include:

-Chronic kidney disease
-Hyperparathyroidism
-Sarcoidosis
-Systemic sclerosis
-Dermatomyositis
-Tumoral calcinosis
-Idiopathic basal ganglia calcification
-Calciphylaxis
-Vitamin D toxicity
-Mitochondrial disorders
-Genetic phosphate metabolism disorders (e.g., ENPP1, ABCC6 mutations)

The actual number of recognized conditions likely exceeds 50, with overlapping mechanisms involving phosphate dysregulation, tissue damage, or crystal deposition.

Soft tissue calcification can result from a wide array of disorders, encompassing genetic, metabolic, autoimmune, infectious, neoplastic, and iatrogenic causes. These conditions can affect various body regions, including muscles, skin, joints, internal organs, glands, and brain tissues. Below is an extensive list of over 50 disorders and conditions associated with soft tissue calcification:

1. Genetic and Hereditary Disorders

-Pseudoxanthoma Elasticum (PXE)
-Generalized Arterial Calcification of Infancy (GACI)
-Arterial Calcification due to Deficiency of CD73 (ACDC)
-Fibrodysplasia Ossificans Progressiva (FOP)
-Osteogenesis Imperfecta
-Ehlers-Danlos Syndrome
-Marfan Syndrome
-Loeys-Dietz Syndrome
-Alkaptonuria
-Mucopolysaccharidoses (e.g., Hurler, Hunter syndromes)
-Primary Familial Brain Calcification (Fahr’s Disease)
-Idiopathic Basal Ganglia Calcification
-Congenital Contractural Arachnodactyly (Beals Syndrome)
-Stickler Syndrome
-Hypermobility Spectrum Disorders

2. Metabolic and Endocrine Disorders

-Chronic Kidney Disease (CKD)
-Secondary Hyperparathyroidism
-Primary Hyperparathyroidism
-Vitamin D Toxicity
-Milk-Alkali Syndrome
-Tumoral Calcinosis
-Hyperphosphatemia
-Hypophosphatasia
-Diabetes Mellitus (leading to Mönckeberg’s Arteriosclerosis)
-Wilson’s Disease

3. Autoimmune and Connective Tissue Diseases

-Systemic Sclerosis (Scleroderma)
-Dermatomyositis
-Polymyositis
-Systemic Lupus Erythematosus (SLE)
-Mixed Connective Tissue Disease (MCTD)
-Rheumatoid Arthritis
-Sjögren’s Syndrome
-CREST Syndrome (a subset of systemic sclerosis)

4. Infectious Diseases

-Cysticercosis
-Tuberculosis (leading to caseous necrosis and calcification)
-Congenital Toxoplasmosis
-Cytomegalovirus (CMV) Infection
-Rubella
-Schistosomiasis

5. Neoplastic Conditions

-Osteosarcoma (primary or metastatic)
-Synovial Osteochondromatosis
-Calcifying Epithelial Odontogenic Tumor
-Pilomatricoma
-Calcifying Fibrous Tumor

6. Vascular and Cardiovascular Disorders

-Atherosclerosis
-Monckeberg’s Arteriosclerosis
-Calciphylaxis
-Chronic Venous Insufficiency
-Phleboliths (calcified venous thrombi)

7. Neurological Disorders

-Primary Familial Brain Calcification (Fahr’s Disease)
-Idiopathic Basal Ganglia Calcification
-Neurocysticercosis

8. Trauma and Iatrogenic Causes

-Myositis Ossificans (post-traumatic)
-Heterotopic Ossification (post-surgical or post-injury)
-Injection Granulomas
-Iatrogenic Calcinosis Cutis (e.g., from calcium-containing IV infusions)

9. Idiopathic and Miscellaneous Conditions

-Idiopathic Scrotal Calcinosis
-Subepidermal Calcified Nodule
-Osteoma Cutis
-Calcific Tendinitis
-Diffuse Idiopathic Skeletal Hyperostosis (DISH)
-Calcinosis Cutis (various subtypes)

This compilation underscores the diverse etiologies and systemic nature of soft tissue calcification.

Oxalate Impact Summary

Oxalate Summary:
– Oxalates are compounds that come from oxalic acid and exist as acids or crystals, either soluble or insoluble.
– Oxalates can bind to positively charged elements like calcium, magnesium, and iron, forming crystals.
– Ingesting excessive oxalates can lead to kidney stones and crystal deposits in various body tissues.
– Oxalates are found in certain foods, including dark leafy greens (spinach, chard, beet greens), nuts (almonds, cashews, peanuts), non-gluten grains (buckwheat, quinoa), beans (black beans, white beans), sweet potatoes, chocolate, raspberries, kiwi, star fruit, and more.
– Oxalates are associated with inflammation, oxidative stress, and chronic health issues.
– Consuming large amounts of vitamin C, including through IV supplementation, can lead to oxalate crystal deposits.
– Avoiding high-oxalate foods can help reduce the risk of health problems associated with oxalate accumulation. Oxalates can cause fatigue and brain fog.
– High oxalate diet can damage gut and immune system.
– Reducing oxalates in food prep is food specific.
– Soaking nuts for 24 hours can reduce phytates but increase oxalic acid.
– Oxalate crystals irritate gut, don’t usually get absorbed into blood.

Low oxalate:
– Animal foods like meat and liver have low oxalate content.
– Low oxalate plant foods include lettuces, cabbage family vegetables, melons, cucumbers, winter squashes, white rice.

Symptoms:
– Oxalate-related symptoms: arthritis, headaches, skin issues, fungal infections, neural inflammation.
– Symptoms can arise during oxalate elimination as body clears stored crystals.
– Energy exhaustion during clearing is normal; healing can be a complex process.

Cycles of oxalate release can be observed and managed over time.

Oxalate poisoning can lead to various symptoms:
– Aches, joint pains, and muscle tension
– Migraines, headaches, and fibromyalgia-like pain
– Sleep disturbances and nighttime arousal
– Urinary tract and pelvic issues, including pain
– Blood cell problems, like low white blood cell counts
– Oxalates can contribute to fibrosis and scar tissue
– Oxalic acid interferes with cell functions and signaling
– Eliminating high oxalate foods can alleviate symptoms
– inclusion of some carbohydrates, such as sweet potatoes, can balance and temporarily reduce the rate of oxalate excretion.
– Different individuals respond differently to oxalates, so listen to your body

Kidney Stones & Estrogen:
– Estrogen is generally protective against kidney stones.
– Menopausal women are at higher risk of kidney stone formation when clearing oxalates.

Balancing pH and Citric Acid:
– Maintaining alkalinity in the body helps prevent kidney stone formation.
– Low citric acid levels in urine increase kidney stone risk.
– Alkalizing agents like lemon juice, potassium citrate, and mineral baths can help.

Research and Support:
– Medical research focuses on kidney stone prevention.
– Personalized approaches are necessary due to individual variations.
– Experiment with different mineral supplements and baths to find what works.

Healing and Mitochondria:
– Reducing oxalate consumption can support mitochondrial health.
– Adequate minerals, vitamins, and hydration are essential for cellular energy.
– B-vitamins and minerals like thiamine help improve mitochondrial function.

Mineral Bathing:
– Mineral baths, like epsom salts and sea salt, can aid in mineral replenishment.
– Potassium bicarbonate, baking soda, and boron may be beneficial.
– Gradually increasing bath frequency and duration can provide benefits.

– Mineral baths can be beneficial, especially for children who may not take supplements.
– Applying minerals through the skin can be effective for absorption.

Gut health:
– Claims of specific bacteria healing the gut and eliminating oxalate issues are often oversimplified.
– Gut health is complex, and restoring it to a perfect state is challenging due to the diversity of microorganisms needed.
– No single probiotic or bacteria can solve all gut-related problems.
– Historical evidence shows that oxalates from foods have caused health issues long before modern lifestyles.
– The kidney literature suggests that urine containing 25 milligrams or less of oxalate is considered normal.
– Our body produces about 12 milligrams of oxalate daily; dietary intake must stay within that limit.
– Good gut health allows absorption of 10-15% of dietary oxalates, making a daily intake of 150-200 milligrams reasonable.
– Leaky gut or certain health conditions may reduce tolerance to 50 milligrams of oxalate daily.
– Normal oxalate diet is 100-200 milligrams, while many popular foods exceed this limit.
– Adjust your oxalate intake based on gut health, avoid overconsumption, and consider consulting for personalized guidance.

LOTLR: The Why

As many of you are aware, I have been on a journey for some time now to better understand aging and how we can live a fuller life on our way to the final curtain call.

That road has had a lot of ups and downs, potholes and speedbumps, twists and turns, and a few hiccups along the way.

Clearly, there are a lot of factoral mechanisms at play in the equation of life, but alas, I believe that I ‘MAY’ have, and say this with great reservation for being wrong, found the x factor I have been looking for.

You see, mankind as a whole has been failing to make it much past eighty years of age with any consistency of practice. And yet we seemingly have the ability to make it to one hundred twenty years.

So why such an amazingly universal failure rate? Is it at all possible that there could be one universal unseen factor(x) in the equation of life that could be a prime mover or barrier preventing us from completing a fullness of years?

After many years of study, I’ve reached a point where I have found a factor(x). As I try to look around and see if there is something that fits in the equation, unlocking the door, if you will, I keep finding myself facing that same factor(x).

I am completely aware that I could be wrong, and I heartily welcome correction. However, this factor(x), as a key, is working in the door that has remained locked to me for a very long time. And I’ve spent many years looking for this answer.

As I’ve previously mentioned, several factors make up the equation of aging. I believe there are four main factors that we can adjust for that are under our control aside from genetics and geographic location: Optimal sleep, optimal hydration, optimal movement, and optimal nutrition. Each of these is dependent on the other to keep our machine(body) running efficiently. And I believe the x factor I keep mentioning is making one of these lifestyle factors run out of balance is affecting the overall performance of the human vehicle and our life’s journey to a long, healthy, and robust end well beyond one hundred years of healthy aging.

That x factor is oxalate, whether endogenously produced or exogenously procured in our diet. In my estimation, it is the gunk that is fouling our body, keeping it from appreciating a full life. It is slipping under the diagnostic radar like a thief in the night, robbing us of our most valuable asset: time.

I invite you to join me on this journey as I continue writing about it on my blog. I will also post it here on FB for you all to read, as I did this morning with Day 001 posted below.

I am sharing this with all of you freely because I want to see people be free of that which ails them. I would hate to think we all have a familiar(common) foe that manifests itself in many different ways, expressing itself in various places throughout the body because of our biochemical individuality.

I want to see all of us live a longer, healthier life. I don’t want to keep this to myself. I want you all to grow older with me but in a better place with a better body that makes life and our body a more enjoyable place to live. There is little worse than living out a miserably painful existence in a body that is fraught with various and myriad expressions of dis-ease.

Life on the LO(low oxalate) Road: Day 001

On September 26, 2018, Chew Digest was born. It was born out of a life of recovery that began on June 01, 2016. The first thing I removed from my life of toxicity was alcohol. Eventually, I removed caffeine and nicotine. And somewhere in between, in late 2017, I quit eating junk food, fast foods, and processed foods. I basically removed anything with a food label that had an ingredient list. Just good home-prepared/cooked foods using whole ingredients. The foundation for what I would later discover is called a whole-food diet.

That first iteration of a whole-food diet resulted in some pretty massive detox or die-off symptoms. What is called a Herxheimer reaction (Jarisch-Herxheimer reaction) is a temporary inflammatory response that occurs when the body rapidly kills off a large number of pathogens (bacteria, fungi, parasites, or other toxins), leading to a surge of endotoxins or cellular debris into the bloodstream. However, it can also occur during detoxification processes such as fasting, oxalate dumping, or significant dietary shifts (e.g., keto/carnivore adaptation).

It was one hell of a ride for a good six months before my body started finding balance again. A roller coaster of ups, downs, emotions, and extreme weight loss. I got down to 132.5lbs. It’s not a good look at almost six feet.

At that point, I understood very little about the inner workings of the human body, but I decided I wanted to better understand what had been happening and how I could prevent my life from ever finding itself back in that bad place that could have very well wrecked my life had I not made changes. So, I started reading and self-education, which has led me to where I am today.

What followed was a little over five years of many skin problems that, at some points, were rather scary. It’s not that my dietary changes triggered these problems, it is, as I understand it, what what allowed my body to continue purging from itself what had been going wrong under the hood(epidermis) for quite some time. My body had simply been walling off what it perceived to be a threat to its homeostasis. I would later come to understand that this is a common mechanism in our body’s bag of tricks to maintain homeostasis when it encounters something that it is having trouble processing out. It simply walls it off and forgets about it.

You may be wondering what those skin problems were. I certainly didn’t know what it was, and it wasn’t until a couple of years into my journey of recovery that someone put a name on it. A rather scary name, at which point I decided to involve a practitioner of Western medicine to get their input, and they confirmed what I had been made aware of just weeks earlier. He had a suggestion of how I should approach it according to the standard of practice. However, I had a different idea. I wanted to keep treating it as I had been on my own. Even now, I look back and think I was a little cavalier in my own handling of it, but I’ve come through it, and it is no longer a problem, and I did so without any external interventions.

To be continued…

Systemic Sub-Clinical Oxalosis

Systemic oxalosis occurs when oxalate accumulates beyond the kidneys, leading to widespread deposition of calcium oxalate crystals in soft tissues, bones, blood vessels, and organs. This condition is most severe in advanced kidney disease, where oxalate clearance is impaired.

Manifestations of Systemic Oxalosis

Renal: Worsening kidney failure, interstitial fibrosis, nephrocalcinosis
Cardiovascular: Vascular calcifications, hypertension, heart failure
Skeletal: Bone pain, fractures, osteomalacia due to oxalate deposits in bones
Dermatological: Skin ulcers, subcutaneous nodules
Neurological: Peripheral neuropathy, cognitive impairments
Gastrointestinal: Malabsorption, diarrhea, inflammation

Illnesses Resulting from Oxalosis

Chronic kidney disease (CKD) and eventual end-stage renal disease (ESRD)
Oxalate arthropathy (joint inflammation from crystal deposition)
Cardiac arrhythmias due to calcium dysregulation
Gastrointestinal disturbances and chronic inflammation
Systemic inflammation and oxidative stress-related diseases

Long-Term Effects of Sub-Clinical Oxalosis/Hyperoxaluria

Progressive Kidney Damage: Even without overt kidney stones, chronic hyperoxaluria can contribute to gradual renal decline.
Microvascular Damage: Persistent oxalate exposure may contribute to endothelial dysfunction, increasing cardiovascular risk.
Soft Tissue Ossification: Low-grade crystal deposition may drive dystrophic calcifications, similar to age-related atherosclerosis.
Chronic Inflammation & Oxidative Stress: Systemic low-level oxalate accumulation could contribute to conditions like neurodegeneration, metabolic dysfunction, and chronic fatigue.
Increased Risk of Osteopenia/Osteoporosis: Oxalate binding to calcium reduces bioavailability, potentially weakening bones over time.

Even at subclinical levels, persistent oxalate burden may accelerate aging processes and degenerative disease progression.

I Can’t Tell You What to Eat

You need to figure that out for yourself. Your body is unique to you and there are no one-size-fits-all when it comes to dietary intake.

Everyone at some point in their life will likely run into a health problem that makes them reconsider what it is that they are putting in their shopping cart and mouth. And that can be a big and bumpy learning curve. Not just learning what to buy, but for some, how to prepare what they are going to be eating and for some, actually having to cook.

What I can tell you is that it is more important to stop eating the things that have led you to look for answers in the first place. Oh, and just stop eating things that things that have ingredient labels. Simply buy the individual ingredients yourself and make something wonderful, something out of whole foods.

Veganism…A Cash Cow

Is eating a vegan(whole-food/plant-based) diet actually good for you?

Is it sustainable for a lifetime? Is it something that could be done on a large scale and affordably if it weren’t for the luxuries afforded to you by the Industrial Revolution and relatively modern technologies like refrigeration and food distribution technologies like container ships, refrigerated containers, refrigerated grocery stores and their supply chains made possible by a vast and modern highway network? There are no more seasonal foods, because we are no longer bound by seasons because of our modern distribution practices. You want seasonal fruits every day of the year? No problem. It’s always sunny somewhere and we’ve got the means to not be limited by seasons.

Then, there is the intervention of man with his desire to make plant-based foods larger and more tasty through selective and cross-breeding, and a more recent version of that historical practice is called genetic modification. It’s the same game but a slightly different playing board. No one likes eating foods that are unpalatable, and so the result is that the plants we have to eat today are not the ones that Mother Nature created but are of man-made origin. Yet, we still label it natural when it is far from natural. The majority of it is Frankenfood.

Then, there is the issue of seasonality and availability that I briefly touched on above. We can get virtually any kind of plant-based foods we want 365 days a year. There are no seasons anymore when it comes to plant-based foods. Is this natural? No it is not, yet it gives people the impression that this kind of diet is sustainable and perfectly feasible. I personally do not believe that our bodies were ever intended to eat according to luxury but of necessity. And the fact that our body can adapt to all manner of foods, plant-based or animal-based or anywhere in between, should be enough to show the folly of diets that are hyperfocused on a narrow part of a broad spectrum of all food sources that would have been previously available on a rotational basis throughout any given year.

We are opportunistic omnivores and don’t let anyone fool you into believing anything else. Though I can say this with 100% certainty, I am pretty sure that since the dawn of man, however long ago that was, we have likely always been creatures that have been much less prone to dietary fads and patterns afforded to us by modern luxury and marketing.

For those of you who have more time to read, I have more in my head I want to share about this topic. I’ve been thinking lately about the marketing that we don’t see happening behind the scenes that may be playing into our differing opinions about what is good/right to eat and what is not.

Follow the dollar to find the motive. -Me

In a quest to better understand what drives modern narratives about dietary intake, I figured a good place to find answers would be to follow the dollar. What kinds of food make more money and how fast you can get it to market would be a good place to start.

When I started meditating on two popular dietary extremes that are popular today, whole-food/plant-based, what most refer to as veganism and carnivorism, a popular version of a ketogenic diet are what first came to mind. Both have cult-like followings and both are diametrically opposed to the other. And influencers on both sides of that divide think the other side is nuts and going to die from their food choices. I am a centrist that goes both ways depending on what goals I have in front of me. I see the benefits that not just these two, but many in between and regularly shift my diet according to what my body tells me it needs. I don’t allow someone else’s ideologies get in the way of what my body tells me. I let my body lead. My body knows what it needs better than anyone else or the book they are selling on Facebook and it is my job to listen and provide.

Zero Oxalate(low oxalate) Diet

It’s extremely difficult to create a zero-oxalate diet using only whole, unprocessed foods. Oxalate is present in many plant-based foods, even in small amounts. However, we can create a list of foods that are generally considered very low in oxalate and are whole and unprocessed:

Animal-Based Foods (Naturally Zero Oxalate):

Beef (lean cuts)
Chicken (skinless)
Pork (lean cuts)
Fish (various types, e.g., cod, salmon, tuna)
Eggs
Lamb
Turkey

Dairy (Naturally Zero Oxalate):

Milk (cow, goat)
Yogurt (plain, unsweetened)
Cheese (various types, e.g., cheddar, mozzarella, Swiss)

Very Low Oxalate Fruits (Limited):

Mango (in moderation)
Papaya (in moderation)

Very Low Oxalate Vegetables (Limited):

Mushrooms (button, cremini)
Onions
Cauliflower (in moderation)
Cabbage (in moderation)

Very Low Oxalate Grains (Limited):

White Rice (basmati, long-grain)

Other Very Low Oxalate Foods:

Olive Oil
Butter
Salt
Pepper
Honey (in moderation)
Maple Syrup (in moderation)

Important Considerations:

“Zero Oxalate” is Nearly Impossible: Trace amounts of oxalate might still be present in some foods.
Variety is Limited: This list is very restrictive, and long-term adherence could lead to nutrient deficiencies.
Individual Tolerance: Oxalate sensitivity varies. Some people may tolerate small amounts of oxalate-containing foods.
Hydration: Drinking plenty of water is crucial for kidney health, even on a low-oxalate diet.
Professional Guidance: It is absolutely essential to consult with a doctor or registered dietitian before starting a zero-oxalate or extremely low-oxalate diet. They can help you create a balanced eating plan that meets your nutritional needs and addresses any underlying health conditions.
Cooking Methods: Boiling vegetables can reduce oxalate content, but this is not always sufficient for a truly zero-oxalate approach.

This list provides a starting point, but professional guidance is critical for a safe and effective dietary approach.