IBS, leaky gut, SIBO and oxalates.
Have you tried many diets, supplements and treatments for your gut issues, yet you still struggle with your symptoms? Do you have IBS, IBD , SIBO, leaky gut, diarrhoea or bloating?
Oxalates, the crystals that can form anywhere in your body including your gut, may be to blame. Oxalates, if not removed efficiently by your gut bacteria / flora, can cause inflammation and irritation to the gut. If you have leaky gut or candida you will be more sensitive to oxalates in foods and these crystals will accumulate more. Kidney stones are the most well known problem related to oxalates. They can affect your joints, muscles, eyes, liver and thyroid and cause inflammation throughout the whole body.
What are these oxalates?
Oxalates are a molecule (with no nutritional value) that is found in many healthy foods including most nuts and seeds, black beans, kidney beans, spinach, carrots, buckwheat, rye and potatoes.
These crystals care meant to be removed through the bacteria in our gut. But if this balance of bacteria is disturbed – for example after food poisoning, gastro, antibiotic use or poor diet, then the body doesn’t do a very god job of this and the oxalates build up in the body and wreak havoc!
Why do plants contain oxalates?
‘ Plants use oxalate to protect themselves from infection or from being eaten. Oxalate crystals can tear up the “teeth” of the bugs that eat them, and the bugs will stop and leave the plant alone! That’s why oxalate is a good protection for plants that taste good to bugs, but they are a secret surprise for larger creatures who don’t detect oxalate when they eat high oxalate foods, and who lack the ability to sense its toxicity and lack the means to protect themselves from oxalate’s effects.’ (1)
If you are eating lots of nuts and greens and adding raw cacoa to smoothies , then you are getting a HUGE oxalate overload.
Some of the high oxalate foods you may like to avoid are –
- Beetroot
- Carrot
- Brussel sprouts
- Celery
- Okra
- Potatoes
- Spinach
- Sweet potatoes
- Almonds
- Peanuts
- Cashews
- Sesame seeds
- Black beans
- Navy beans
- Wheat
- Rye
- Buckwheat
- Millet
- Figs
- Blackberries
- Raspberries
- Kiwi
There or other foods such as FODMAPS and Histamines that also may need to be taken into consideration when helping to heal your gut issues. If you have parasites, candida or a bacterial overgrowth including SIBO (small intestinal bacterial overgrowth), leaky gut then you will most probably need to take natural supplements to rectify these issues.
Note – If you decide to try this out, please cut down these foods slowly to avoid a ‘ dumping ‘ reaction, where the body releases stored oxalates and can make your symptoms temporarily worse. Please contact me for support with this or if you would like a consultation to work on your gut issues. In clinic I use live and dried blood analysis to find out the state of your health and whether you have parasites, leaky gut or candida.
For more information on oxalates, check you this website – http://lowoxalate.info/index.html
1 – http://lowoxalate.info/index.html
