How to Neutralize Oxylates in the Diet

Oxalates are an ester of oxalic acid found in many common foods such as dark leafy greens, broccoli, coffee, tea, peanuts and oranges. While they are not harmful to most people, sometimes doctors recommend that patients who have vulvodynia or problems with calcium-oxalate kidney stones adhere to a low oxalate diet in order to help alleviate symptoms of their disorders. Neutralizing oxalates in the diet mostly involves eliminating sources of oxalate and in the case of vulvodynia, taking calcium supplements.

Step 1

Make an appointment to meet with your physician at least one week in advance. You will need time to record your eating habits before your appointment.

Step 2

Record everything that you eat for at least one week prior to meeting with your doctor. Remember not to leave out snacks or nibbles of things you enjoy throughout the day.

Step 3

Print a list of high oxalate foods from the Internet and highlight any foods in your food diary that appear on the list.

Step 4

Bring your food diary and the list of high oxalate foods to your doctor’s office when you go for your appointment.

Step 5

Discuss your food log with your physician and determine which higher oxalate foods should be entirely eliminated from your regular diet. If you have vulvodynia, ask your doctor about calcium supplementation. Your particular condition, stage of the disease and your body type may determine the dosage and type of calcium you take. Calcium pills help neutralize oxalate in the diet by binding with oxalate. The binding of these two agents can create calcium oxalate kidney stones in those prone to them, so most doctors will not prescribe this combination to kidney stone patients.

Follow your doctor’s diet and supplementation recommendations, and schedule a repeat visit after you have been following your diet for a while. Your doctor can conduct lab work and an examination in order to determine the effectiveness of your new diet.