Reduced Oxalates for Kidney Stone Prevention

[windrose]

My wife has recently had a rather large stone removed that was a threat to her life as she has only one kidney.
The doctors are saying to reduce oxalate rich foods but being vegan this is proving difficult.
We are asking for suggestions and recipes that may enable her to maintain her veganism.

 

[Lou]

a kidney stone prevention diet is very compatible with veganism. You just have to keep in mind that it is more than just the oxalates.

Here is a good article on prevention.

Six Easy Ways to Prevent Kidney Stones

Did you know 1 in 10 people will have a kidney stone in their lifetime? Kidney stone rates are rising. Learn the facts and myths to stay stone free.

www.kidney.org

 

[windrose]

a kidney stone prevention diet is very compatible with veganism. You just have to keep in mind that it is more than just the oxalates.

Here is a good article on prevention.

Six Easy Ways to Prevent Kidney Stones

Did you know 1 in 10 people will have a kidney stone in their lifetime? Kidney stone rates are rising. Learn the facts and myths to stay stone free.

www.kidney.org

Thanks for the attachment article but we have read that one.
The fact that most of the foods we have taken as being healthy (spinach, Kale, Rhubarb, potatoes almonds, coco, beets, nuts, wheat bran) are all exceptionally high in Oxalates.

 

[Lou]

Thanks for the attachment article but we have read that one.
The fact that most of the foods we have taken as being healthy (spinach, Kale, Rhubarb, potatoes almonds, coco, beets, nuts, wheat bran) are all exceptionally high in Oxalates.

Yes. but that does not mean you cannot eat them. A kidney stone prevention diet is not just about oxalates. Point #2 in that article. Plus you can moderate their intake and also mitigate the consequences by eating calcium and oxalate food together.

 

[windrose]

and what calcium sources might you suggest?

 

[Lou]

Most days I get 90% of my calcium requirement from 2 glasses of soymilk. I tend to go way over 100% of the RDA on most days, too. So you might not want to drink 2 glasses.

 

[silva]

Flashback Friday: How to Prevent and Treat Kidney Stones with Diet | NutritionFacts.org

Interventional studies support the population data that animal protein consumption appears to markedly increase the risk of kidney stones. Decreasing animal protein and sodium intake appears more effective in treating calcium oxalate and uric acid kidney stones (nephrolithiasis) than restricting...

nutritionfacts.org

kidney stones | Health Topics | NutritionFacts.org

nutritionfacts.org

Animal products have a far different nutritional profile than plant sources.

What's so bad is how inadequate physician education is, and how much more linked to pharmacuticals they are. If she can see a registared dietician (RN!) that would be a bonus! Or a doctor versed in lifestyle medicine with a lean towards plant based nutrition.

 

[windrose]

We are now in consultation with a Vegan Dietician!

 

[Lou]

Flashback Friday: How to Prevent and Treat Kidney Stones with Diet | NutritionFacts.org

Interventional studies support the population data that animal protein consumption appears to markedly increase the risk of kidney stones. Decreasing animal protein and sodium intake appears more effective in treating calcium oxalate and uric acid kidney stones (nephrolithiasis) than restricting...

nutritionfacts.org

kidney stones | Health Topics | NutritionFacts.org

nutritionfacts.org

Animal products have a far different nutritional profile than plant sources.

What's so bad is how inadequate physician education is, and how much more linked to pharmacuticals they are. If she can see a registared dietician (RN!) that would be a bonus! Or a doctor versed in lifestyle medicine with a lean towards plant based nutrition.

Good stuff. I detect some parallels with what researchers are saying about gout and purines. The healthy foods that are high in purines are also full of other good things. Eliminating them might more detrimental than beneficial.

 

[David3]

My wife has recently had a rather large stone removed that was a threat to her life as she has only one kidney.
The doctors are saying to reduce oxalate rich foods but being vegan this is proving difficult.
We are asking for suggestions and recipes that may enable her to maintain her veganism.

Hi Windrose,

As Lou has detailed, properly-planned vegetarian diets can help to protect kidney health. The National Kidney Foundation states that vegetarian diets are a healthy option:

Maintaining a Vegetarian Diet with Kidney Disease

A vegetarian diet can be safe and beneficial for kidney disease patients with careful planning. Focus on managing protein, sodium, potassium, and phosphorus intake.

www.kidney.org

What is a Plant-Based Diet, and Is It Good For Your Kidneys?

Plant-based diets focus on whole grains, fruits, and veggies, and may benefit kidney health. They can help manage weight, blood pressure, and diabetes.

www.kidney.org

Because your wife is experiencing kidney disease, it might be a good idea to plan her vegan diet with the help of a Registered Dietitian who specializes in kidney disease and in vegetarian nutrition. In the United States, you can find local RDs through the website of the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics (the world's largest association of Registered Dietitians). Just click on the red "Find An Expert" button in the upper-right corner of their website: Eatright.org - Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics. On that website, you can select from RDs that have the needed kidney and vegan specializations. Or, your physician can refer you to a dietitian.

On a personal note, my (meat-eating) father began suffering from kidney stones in his 30s. I'm in my early 50s, I've been a vegan for 29 years, and I've never had a kidney stone.
.

 

[Hog]

@ Windrose - I wish I had something comforting to say. I just said a prayer for you.

@ I like all of your posts. I just got tired of constantly giving you a thumbs up. You must read 10 hours a day. I wish I was as informed as you.

 

[shyvas]

Drinking 2-3 litres of fluids such as water and infusions can prevent kidney stones. A lot of people don't stay hydrated and this can cause
health problems including kidney stones.

 

[windrose]

Most days I get 90% of my calcium requirement from 2 glasses of soymilk. I tend to go way over 100% of the RDA on most days, too. So you might not want to drink 2 glasses.

I have tried to explain to her that combining the oxalate rich food with calcium rich food would be the best solution but she is the one who has just went through the stone removal and the pain associated so it is hard to reason.

 

[beforewisdom]

Avoid vegetable juicing, particularly the oxalate vegetables like spinach and beets.

 

[David3]

I have tried to explain to her that combining the oxalate rich food with calcium rich food would be the best solution but she is the one who has just went through the stone removal and the pain associated so it is hard to reason.

Please consider having her talk with a registered dietitian. It might help that almost all RDs are women(?)

 

[silva]

Please consider having her talk with a registered dietitian. It might help that almost all RDs are women(?)

We are now in consultation with a Vegan Dietician!

 

[SuicideBlonde]

Besides the foods cut back or out of drinking tea.

 

[edde]

There are several types of kidney stones. One is a genetically rare kind. Another is related to urinary infection. And the others are majorly a result of calcium and oxalate.

There is a vivid relationship between animal protein intake and the formation of kidney stones. When lots of animal produce is consumed, particularly dairy, the concentration of calcium and oxalate in urine increases sharply, within hours. Therefore, resolving such a problem is simply a matter of shifting your diet away from animal protein foods to a whole-meal plant-based diet.

While some vegan foods are high in calcium and oxalate, do not avoid them wholly. Studies have revealed that a more vegetarian diet, which is fiber-rich but less energy-rich, reduces the risk of stone. Also whole vegan foods contain plenty of antioxidants that prevent kidney stone formation that is initiated by free radicals, especially sun rays that are radioactive.

As you have seen, kidney stones is not only a result of eating foods high in calcium and oxalate. Urinary infection, genes and even sun rays are also culprits. But the greatest defence is to eat lots of plant produce that has not been overly refined.

 

[beforewisdom]

I received a treatment plan yesterday (for an unrelated issue ) that asked me to lower the oxalate intake in my diet for 6 weeks.

I found this useful oxalate counter site

Oxalate Content of 750+ Foods

Oxalate (oxalic acid) content of 750+ foods with numbers from university and government sources.

oxalate.org

Susan Owen, an oxalate expert, has a fairly fact based and disciplined Facebook group about living on low oxalate diets with a lot of useful documents

“Trying Low Oxalates”

I also found this useful kidney stone group

Reddit - Dive into anything

www.reddit.com

Playing with the oxalate counting site and sundry food charts on the Internet I was able to figure out some significant vegan choices for reducing oxalate:

1. Use mung beans, black eyed peas, and lentils for protein instead of soy, pinto/black/navy/northern and other beans

2. Use butternut squash for a complex carb energy sources instead of yams, potatoes, and other whole grains.

3. Brown rice has lower ( not low ) oxalate than other whole grains and can fit nicely into a vegan low oxalate diet if you choose lower oxalate food from other food groups.

4. Flax seeds are low oxalate, chia seeds are not.

 

[David3]

As you have seen, kidney stones is not only a result of eating foods high in calcium and oxalate.

Edde, the National Kidney Foundation makes this statement regarding dietary calcium:

"Calcium is Not the Enemy. But it tends to get a bad rap! Most likely due to its name and composition, many are under the impression that calcium is the main culprit in calcium-oxalate stones. "I still see patients who wonder why they are getting recurring stones despite cutting down on their calcium intake," said Dr. Jhagroo. "I've even had patients say that their doctors told them to reduce their calcium intake." A diet low in calcium actually increases one's risk of developing kidney stones.
Instead: Don't reduce the calcium. Work to cut back on the sodium in your diet and to pair calcium-rich foods with oxalate-rich foods."

Link: 6 Easy Ways to Prevent Kidney Stones
.