almond skin toxicity and other oxalic acid foods

[Guest guest]

On 1/4/07, Shirish Bhate < shirishbhate wrote:

Dear Ysha

Happy and healthy 2007.

I send you some notings on Almonds through an attached file. I

recommend to all pregnant moms and lactating mothers the soaked

almonds. The skins are generally not removed after soaking. But when

the paste is to be boiled with milk, skins are removed.

The reference to oxalet is not attached, since i do not

recollect where i read it. perhaps google will give you the lead to

oxalet in almond skin. In India, generally all seeds where soaked and

later made into paste, subsequent boiling with milk etc require skin

to be removed, skin has acids which cause milk to curdle. Where we

need building (Kapha enhancing) property is needed, acids should be

remove. growth can occur only in alkaline environment offered by milk,

where acids become enemies. hence pitta (acidic) can be reduced by

using milk, ghee etc. Earth already exists in seed, by absorption of

water, Kapha is complete.

Hence almonds go in receipes where children have to grow in

muscle density and strength.

 

I sent the file, so that if you wish it can be stored on the

group website if OK.

Dr Bhate

 

Dear Dr. Bhate;

Thank you for your good wishes and for sharing this diverse collection

of info on almonds. It has been posted in the files general section.

I believe what you are calling oxalet is same as oxalic acid - do you

know? Hmm, the web seems to define the substances oxalate and oxalic

acid as below:

from

http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/entrez/query.fcgi?cmd=Retrieve & db=PubMed & list_uids=1\

5311007 & dopt=Abstract

Chai W, Liebman M. - Department of Human Nutrition, University of

Wyoming, Laramie, WY 82071, USA. Abstracts from the abstract -

 

PURPOSE: Oxalate bioavailability is an important determinant of

whether the consumption of a particular food is a high risk in

individuals predisposed to kidney stones. We estimated and compared

oxalate absorption from a high oxalate containing legume (black beans)

and a high oxalate containing nut (almonds). RESULTS: Average oxalate

absorption from the 2 almond treatments (5.9%) using the oxalate load

method was significantly higher than that from the 2 black bean

treatments (1.8%) during the 24-hour post-oxalate load collection

period. In contrast, C2-oxalic acid absorption from the almond (7.9%)

and black bean (8.6%) treatments did not significantly differ.

CONCLUSIONS: The higher oxalate absorption from almonds than from

black beans suggests that the relative amount of soluble and insoluble

oxalate in food has an important role in the determination of oxalate

absorption.

 

Best I can tell, oxalate load method may be an external source of the

chemical trying to compare, but I don't really understand all this

talk in great detail, only that one may want to take care. Apparently

calcium absorption is also at issue - this is a good summary article

here - http://www.cloudnet.com/~djeans/Asides/OxalicAcid.htm, pasted

below:

Oxalic acid occurs naturally in quite a large number of plants. The

human body also synthesizes oxalic acid from ascorbic acid (Vitamin

C). Oxalic acid may combine with calcium, iron, sodium, magnesium, or

potassium to form less soluble salts known as oxalates. Oxalates also

occur naturally in plants.

 

Since oxalic acid binds with important nutrients, making them

inaccessible to the body, regular consumption of large amounts of

foods high in oxalic acid over a period of weeks to months may result

in nutrient deficiencies, most notably of calcium.

 

Oxalic acid is a strong acid, and is irritating to tissue all by

itself. Extremely high doses are fatal. Oxalates, on the other hand,

form tiny little insoluble crystals with sharp edges, which are also

irritating to tissue. So, high levels of oxalic acid/oxalates in the

diet lead to irritation of the digestive system, and particularly of

the stomach and kidneys. They may also contribute to the formation of

kidney stones (the most common form of kidney stone is composed of

calcium oxalate).

 

Foods containing these chemicals may be consumed in moderation.

However, if you suffer from kidney disease, kidney stones, rheumatoid

arthritis, or gout, it is usually recommended that you avoid foods

that are high in oxalates or oxalic acid. Foods generally found on the

list include: chocolate, cocoa, coffee, most berries (especially

strawberries and cranberries), most nuts (especially peanuts), beans,

beets, bell peppers, black pepper, parsley, rhubarb, spinach, swiss

chard, summer squash, sweet potatoes, and tea.

 

Plant foods with high concentrations of oxalic acid (over 200 ppm)

include (but are not limited to): lamb's-quarter, buckwheat, star

fruit, black pepper, purslane, poppy seeds, rhubarb, tea, spinach,

plantains, cocoa and chocolate, ginger, almonds, cashews, garden

sorrel, mustard greens, bell peppers, sweet potatoes, soybeans,

tomatillos, beets and beet greens, oats, pumpkin, cabbage, green

beans, mango, eggplant, tomatoes, lentils, and parsnips.

 

Info for the preceding paragraph comes from the ARS Phytochemical

Database

 

Eat foods containing oxalic acid in moderation. Oxalic acid interferes

with calcium absorption. Foods containing oxalic acid include almonds,

beet greens, cashews, chard, kale, rhubarb and spinach.

 

Warm Regards;

Ysha

[Guest guest]

Eat foods containing oxalic acid in moderation. Oxalic acid interferes

with calcium absorption. Foods containing oxalic acid include almonds,

beet greens, cashews, chard, kale, rhubarb and spinach.

 

Oxalic acid/oxalates are neutralized by cooking the greens and soaking

the nuts!

[Carmen Martinez]

Milk is an acidic food, not alkaline.

Oxalic acid is just in significant amounts on spinach, chard and beet greens, thought when cooking the acid is broken down and do not interfere to absorb the calcium in other foods...