Of all the vegetables available for the low carb regimen, Spinach is by far my preferred one. Mainly because, for whatever reason, I seem to have much more energy during my cardio running if I had some Spinach for dinner the evening before.

I’ve read that though Spinach is low in calories, but is high in oxalates. Therefore it shouldn't be eaten more than twice a week. Is there any validity to this? Any views on this issue?

Also, on another note, I was perusing the Supermarket this afternoon and noticed something that looks like low carb bread. I didn’t see any bread labeled as such, but this one was whole-wheat which each slice having only 40 calories, 18 carbs, and 7 fiber for a net carb of only 11. I’m not sure what low carb bread stats are, but this one certainly seemed pretty low on all scales—both carbs and calories. Any views on this?

Hi Frederick,

I'm not "expert" enough to advise regarding the spinach except to tell you that I also enjoy it and have it several times a week. After all there's not too many veggies out there for us and this one is so versitile.

As for the low carb bread, Nature's Own Low Carb Bread is new and has net carb count of 5 gr. per slice. It's in most grocery stores now for about $2 a loaf. Not bad, and it tastes like bread too. It is wheat so if you're looking for a white bread you may be disappointed. My only complaint is that I'm actually afraid I'll like it too much! I did have 2 slices toasted on night with a very thin layer of peanut butter on it. It was heaven and I didn't kick myself out of ketosis.

Looking forward to hearing more on the spinach issue too.

I eat a lot of spinach too.

10 oz. of raw spinach has approximately 10 times the nutrients - all the nutrients - that a medium apple has. So when anyone starts with the fruit argument, there's your comeback!

Anyway, there are some who maintain that spinach should never be cooked because this will change the oxalic acid into oxalic acid crystals. And the crystals are what bind to iron, calcium, etc., rendering it unabsorbable and possibly causing kidney stones. Oxalic acid is more concentrated in the stems and the pinkish part of the roots. Much of the baby spinach we have now that is sold pre-washed in bags doesn't have that teeth squeaking quality that indicates a large percentage of oxalic acid.

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.

What I find interesting is that the foods high in oxalic acid seem to contain lots of the minerals that they are purported to bind to:

1/2 cup regular tofu
Calcium 434.000 mg
Magnesium 37.200 mg
Potassium 150.040 mg

1 cup (240 mL) raw spinach
Calcium 29.700 mg
Magnesium 23.700 mg
Potassium 167.400 mg

1 oz. (28 g) shelled almonds
Calcium 82.499 mg
Magnesium 77.679 mg
Potassium 198.167 mg

This leads me to believe that the plants have created their own "consumer safety" mechanism. I'm not an expert in this so it's only a hunch.

Kale and rapini are admirable vegetables that can be used cooked in the same way as spinach.

I suppose like everything else about seeking health through low-carbing, balance is the key!

Karen

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Interesting. When I left the doctor after having had a kidney stone, I was told to increase my consumption of cranberries and cranberry juice, in order to decrease the likelihood of reoccurance. I'm given to understand that this is a fairly common practice.

Hmmm.

Hmmm is right!

Cranberry juice is usually used for urinary tract infections.

I found this:

Incidentally, while cranberry juice may help prevent bladder infections, it does not prevent kidney stones, as some people believe. Lemonade, however, is helpful in preventing kidney stones, along with more water.

A patient who's had one kidney stone has a 40 to 50 percent chance of developing a second. Drinking lemonade and water reduce the risk of subsequent stones down to about 5 percent, according to Dr. Roach.

"The citrate in lemonade inhibits kidney stone formation," he said. "I have my patients who have had kidney stones drink two glasses a day, one in the morning and one at night. They should also drink more water. Ninety percent of kidney stones are due to dehydration. Patients often do not drink enough to make the two quarts of urine a day necessary to prevent kidney stones."

And then this from St. Michael's Hospital

Is cranberry juice good for my kidney's?

Cranberry juice is effective for treating bladder (urinary tract) infections. However, cranberry juice is high in oxalate, sugar, and low in potassium. Therefore, if you have a history of kidney stones (calcium oxalate stones), drinking cranberry juice may increase your chances of having more kidney stones. If you have kidney disease, it may be possible to have limited amounts of cranberry juice in your diet.

And then this :

Cranberry juice, on the other hand, decreased the urinary pH, suggesting that it may help to treat certain other types of kidney stones or urinary tract infections (UTIs), which affect more than half of women in the US, according to at least one survey. UTI symptoms can be mild, such as a frequent urge to urinate and pain on urination, or more severe, such as high fever, pain and blood in the urine.

Hmmm. After doing a search, the general consensus seems to be that It's not good for kidney stones.

But it's interesting to find out what may cause kidney stones. So, if you didn't drink enough water and consumed too much coffee and chocolate, you would be a good candidate!

Karen

Um. That would be me.

My coffee consumption borders on insane. That's just about the only thing on the verboten list that I've not been able to give up. Oh, I'm down to 12 - 20 oz. brewed or four shots a day, but I'm just not where I can give it up entirely.

And I was one of those who would drink twice as much milk as water on any given day. I would go for weeks where the only liquids I had were coffee, ice tea or milk, and little to no water at all.

Amazing how that one change can make a difference.

I eat spinach mostly every day because of the vitamins. I pour boiling water on it and then eat it after it cools. I never new about the acid. Is this okay? Please let me know.

red

Hey I eat spinach alot too. I mix it fresh with my salads. Maybe 10 leaves or so. Then at lunch alot of times I simmer spinach(a good hand full) with butter, shrimp, a little garlic and chives. Is that okay?

At this point, I’m wondering about the same thing as you are Red.

Ever since I started on this diet, I’ve been eating Spinach with dinner almost every night. I just hope we haven’t unwittingly put ourselves on the low carb/high oxalate diet?

Yeah, the only beverages I consumed were Coke and coffee.

Ain't it the truth!

Karen

I eat spinach often but not every day. Usually about twice a week. Tonight I'll be having a spinach salad with bacon bits. Yum!
I think it's like everything else, moderation in all things. If you had it three times a day that might be too much. I suggest you try a few different veggies just for the variety.