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From:	Jeff Novick, MS, RD, LD, LN (novick.vegsource.com)
Subject:	Re: another question about spinach
Date:	June 11, 2008 at 11:13 am PST

In Reply to: another question about spinach posted by laura dl. on June 11, 2008 at 10:36 am:

Many common foods contain oxalic acid including carambola, parsley, amaranth, spinach, chard, beets, most nuts, most berries, and beans.

And, it is true that oxalic acid may interfere with the absorption of calcium in some foods, and so some foods, like spinach would not be a reliable source.

However, many other plant foods are excellent source sof calcium. These include Water Cress, Bok Choy, Turnip greens, Arugula, Collared Greens, Parsley, Mustard Greens, Chinese Broccoli, Beet Greens and
Broccoli Raab.

However, there may also be some benefit to oxalic acid.

At the NAVS conference last summer, Dr Milton Mills discussed this issue. It was his view that some of the binding of calcium by the oxalate's was not all negative but had some positive aspect to it, as he said this is part of the mechanism by which calcium helps lower colon cancer risk.

He sent me the following comments when I asked him about this recently..

"In addition to the potential benefit of bound calcium in the colon, there is also evidence to suggest that people who habitually consume "high" oxalate foods can adapt to the presence of these compounds and improve their absorption of
calcium despite their oxalate's."

In Health
Jeff

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