What is Oxalic Acid?
Oxalic acid is a naturally occurring component of tea,
chocolate, beer, soybeans, wheat germ, some fruits and vegetables,
and is especially high in spinach and other dark leaf greens.
Oxalic acid is usually excreted in urine as a harmless by-product
of digestion and assimilation, however it can also combine with
minerals, and particularly with calcium, to form oxalates. These
oxalates are salt crystals that can be irritating to human tissue
and can contribute to the formation of kidney and bladder stones.
This is especially a concern for those who have kidney or bladder
problems or those with an inability to properly absorb fat.
Black teas contain the most oxalic acid, with most herbal teas
and green teas containing the least. Generally, teas with less than
2 mg oxalic acid per serving are considered acceptable for those
people who must follow a strict low oxalate diet.
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