Questions posted in the The Urology Forum have been answered by urologists from Henry Ford Health System and by Dr. Kevin Pho.

Question Title: Comprehensive information on oxalate levels in foods?

Forum: The Urology Forum
Topic: Kidney/Urinary Stones

I have bee suffering from calcium-oxalate stone formation since the age of 18, and have been using dietary modifications to help prevent stone formation, with a reasonable degree of success. I have always been dissatisfied, however, with the information available on oxalate levels in common foods. It has been vague at best. For example, most lists cite tea as an ultra-high oxalate item, though it does not differentiate between black, caffeinated teas and herbal teas. I have noticed that all foods high in caffeine (coffee, chocolate, tea, etc.) are all oxalate culprits, and have deduced from this that herbal, non-caffeinated teas might be safe for consumption, provided they do not contain other problem ingredients, such as berries. Also, along these same lines, is decaffeinated coffee safer than regular?
My question is this: is there any reliable, more exhaustive and comprehensive source of oxalate measurements in various foods that is available to patients such as myself so that we can make the necessary dietary adjustments without limiting our food options to such an extreme degree?

Thank you for your help.

-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Dear Michael,

In general, any patient that has recurrent calcium oxalate stones should be fully evaluated with a complete metabolic workup by a urologist or nephrologist specializing in stone disease management. An abnormality in the person’s metabolism can be identified in about 95 % of people with stone disease.This means that for the vast majority of patients, therapy can be specifically directed at their particular metabolic abnormality. As you probably know, the single most important thing any stone former can do is to drink large amounts of water. This applies to every type of stone and has been demonstrated in many studies to be important.
Since you know that you are a calcium oxalate stone former, reducing oxalate in your diet is a reasonable first step. Most urologists have an extensive dietary data sheet for stone forms. However, a comprehensive list is available from the Kidney Foundation. Also, many local dietitians should have this information. I would strongly encourage you to seek the attention of a urologist specializing in stone disease to have a full medical evaluation. You seem highly motivated and would likely do well with an directed medical approach. This information is provided for general medical education purposes only. Please consult your physician for diagnostic and treatment options pertaining to your specific medical condition. More individualized care is available at the Henry Ford Hospital and its satellites (1 800 653 6568).

HFHS M.D.-KR
*keyword : stones
Related Communities
Chlamydia
Kidney Disease & Disorders
Ostomy
Urology

 

[The Urology Forum]      [The Urology Forum Archives]