<<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).

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