Why spinach might give you kidney stones (and how to eat it safely)
Oxalate in Foods: Extraction Conditions, Analytical Methods, Occurrence, and Health Implications
Not medical advice. For informational purposes only. Always consult a healthcare professional. Terms
Some veggies like spinach and rhubarb have a chemical called oxalate that can form stones in your kidneys—but only the soluble kind. Eating calcium with them helps block it, boiling them washes some away, and your gut bacteria can even eat it. But if you're healthy, eating these foods won't cause serious illness.
Surprising Findings
Dietary oxalate doesn’t cause systemic oxalosis—even in people who eat tons of spinach.
Most people assume eating high-oxalate foods leads to organ damage, but the study says this only happens in people with kidney failure or rare genetic diseases.
Practical Takeaways
If you’re prone to kidney stones: boil spinach, eat it with dairy or calcium-rich foods, and avoid raw smoothies with large amounts of spinach or rhubarb.
Not medical advice. For informational purposes only. Always consult a healthcare professional. Terms
Some veggies like spinach and rhubarb have a chemical called oxalate that can form stones in your kidneys—but only the soluble kind. Eating calcium with them helps block it, boiling them washes some away, and your gut bacteria can even eat it. But if you're healthy, eating these foods won't cause serious illness.
Surprising Findings
Dietary oxalate doesn’t cause systemic oxalosis—even in people who eat tons of spinach.
Most people assume eating high-oxalate foods leads to organ damage, but the study says this only happens in people with kidney failure or rare genetic diseases.
Practical Takeaways
If you’re prone to kidney stones: boil spinach, eat it with dairy or calcium-rich foods, and avoid raw smoothies with large amounts of spinach or rhubarb.
Publication
Journal
Foods
Year
2023
Authors
Neuza Salgado, M. Silva, M. Figueira, H. Costa, T. Albuquerque
Related Content
Claims (3)
Foods like spinach and rhubarb have a lot of a substance called oxalate, and if you eat them, your body might pass more oxalate in your urine — especially if you're someone who’s more likely to be affected by it.
Eating certain veggies like spinach and rhubarb can put a lot of oxalate into your body, and if you're prone to kidney stones, this might make you pass more oxalate in your urine and increase your chance of getting stones.
When people have serious kidney problems or a rare inherited condition, their bodies can build up harmful crystals that damage organs—but eating foods high in oxalate won’t cause this in healthy people.