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Date: | Thu, 19 Jul 2007 16:17:00 -0500 |
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<<Disclaimer: Verify this information before applying it to your situation.>>
Gladys, Thanks for the excuse to research oxalates today
instead of grading organic chemistry quizzes. I had much
more fun with this :)
General facts about oxalate in the body:
Oxalate is an organic compound (two carbon atoms each of
which is bound to two oxygen atoms) that is found in many
foods, and is also a byproduct of some metabolic
processes.
Oxalate is abundant in plant foods (fruits, vegetables,
and grains).
Proteins, including gluten, and carbohydrates are
metabolized down to oxalates.
Oxalates (existing in the blood as oxalic acid) are
ordinarily filtered by the kidneys into the urine, and
eliminated from the body.
Oxalate is an anion that binds to calcium to form calcium
oxalate.
Oxalates are oxidants, and as such can cause oxidative
damage to the body if they are not properly eliminated.
Roughly 80% of the kidney stones in patients in the United
States are made of calcium oxalate.
A low-oxalate diet is often prescribed for people who have
increased levels of oxalic acid in their urine or who have
a history of forming kidney stones.
A low oxalate diet is not always effective in reducing
urinary oxalic acid levels.
Researchers have discovered that consumption of only
certain oxalate-containing foods is likely to
significantly increase urinary oxalate.
If the concentration of oxalates in the urine is too high,
microscopic crystals can form in the bladder (some cases
of “vulvodynia” have been described as a complication
involving microscopic oxalate crystals that irritate the
nerves in the urethra).
Visit the Celiac Web Page at Http://www.enabling.org/ia/celiac/index.html
Archives are at: Http://Listserv.icors.org/SCRIPTS/WA-ICORS.EXE?LIST=CELIAC
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