Should we be more cautious?
These days, everyone has likely heard someone talking about the health benefits of eating a plant-based diet. There are many science-backed claims to suggest that many people benefit – in the short term at least, from a plant-based diet. But as with all conclusions drawn from current science – we have only just begun to scratch the surface of where the science will eventually lead us.
Many of our Primal Meats customers have come to us because they have tried to follow a plant-based diet for a range of very good reasons; ethics, environmental concerns or in an attempt to be healthy. Sadly in many cases, the strict diet has led to deterioration not an improvement in their health.
We are just beginning to understand that every person is unique in their capacity to digest and absorb nutrition from their food. This is not simply due to individual genetic variations and which genes are switched on or off, but in larger part by the make-up of an individual’s gut microbiome. The gut microbiome is a huge piece of the puzzle when it comes to what diet works best for an individual and the research in this area will show us in time how we can optimise our digestion and nutrient absorption.
We cover some of the potential health issues that emerge from eliminating animal food in the video below but something that hasn’t received much attention is the issues that can be caused by the plant-based compound oxalic acid.
Oxalic acid
Anyone that has suffered the awful pain and organ damage of kidney stones, is painfully familiar with the effects of this compound. Oxalic acid is the compound that leads to the formation of calcium oxalate crystals that form kidney stones and can cause recurrent urinary tract infections too.
Whilst Doctors advise people who suffer from kidney stones to follow a low oxalate diet – being more aware of oxalic acid and oxalates may benefit all of us.
Oxalic acid on its own is harmless – but when it binds to calcium it forms calcium oxalate nanocrystals. These crystals take a formation, known as raphides (1) or to be more scientific – prismatic monoclinic crystals – which are basically mini needles. By the time these crystal structures have grown large enough to form stones, they will have already been irritating the tissues in which they are present for some time.
Some other conditions that may be associated with these oxalate crystals include:
- problems related to inflammation
- auto-immunity
- mitochondrial dysfunction
- mineral balance
- Issues with connective tissue
- urinary tract issues
- poor gut function
Oxalic acid can harm glandular, connective and neurological function and the function of the tissues of excretion, particularly the kidneys and bladder (2)
These crystals, if allowed to form in the body, cause a lot of destruction and the body’s best defence is to excrete them quickly via the kidneys into the urine.
The body is very good at removing these calcium oxalates when they are produced in normal amounts and when a person’s physiology is working as it should, but the problem arises when too much oxalic acid is consumed, or when too many oxalate crystals are absorbed through the gut lining or form in the body.
Humans have evolved to eat a diverse seasonal diet – this has a powerful protective effect because seasonal food is only available for brief periods. This seasonality of food prevents us from consuming any particular plant in excess and prevents our bodies from getting overloaded.
Our modern-day lifestyle however is out of sync with seasonality – especially plant-based diets. We can now import certain plant foods all year round, as well as grow many indoors.
Whilst spinach would grow slowly, if at all through the winter in the UK, now people can eat copious amounts of spinach every day of the year and add it to their ‘healthy’ smoothies, along with loads of other superfood powders that can be very high in oxalic acid too.
Spinach is just one example of foods that are high in oxalic acid – there are many more healthy plant foods, such as chard and even green and black tea that contain high levels.
We certainly need to look further into the potential implications of a diet high in oxalic acid for otherwise healthy people. But regardless of what the science reveals about the potential pitfalls of high oxalic acid diets, the advice that I offer remains unchanged.
We should be eating a diverse, fresh, seasonal diet, grown the way nature intended, in or on healthy soil. It is seasonal diversity that allows us to moderate our diet and protects us from excessive consumption of compounds.
For those that have followed a plant-based diet for a long time and that have suffered from kidney stones or other chronic health issues – it may be worthwhile researching the effects of a build-up of calcium oxalate crystals and seeking out professional nutritional support to help your body cleanse them from your system.
References:
- https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3951349/
- https://www.urologyofva.net/articles/category/healthy-living/3740469/11/13/2019/the-damaging-effects-of-oxalates-on-the-human-body
Related posts
The Power of Muscle
Primal meats working to help the Maasai in Kenya.
Carnivore diet
Let’s talk fish
Lamb, Celeriac and Mint Bone Broth
Get primal – eat wild game meat.
Regenerative Agriculture, the Solution to Climate Change.
Nutrition Beyond Measurables
Digital Addiction
Regenerative Agriculture, the Solution to Climate Change
The Truth About Saturated Fats in Your Diet: Debunking Dietary Beliefs
Primal Living is energy-efficient living
Veganuary or Regenuary?
Carbon Wash
Protection or resilience?
What is Complexity?
Regenerating Our Lives
Antibiotics – What have they done for our health?
Livestock: On our plates or eating at our table? A new analysis of the feed/food debate.
Responsible Foraging
Vaca Vieja
The Big Wide World Of Primal Living
Grass-fed: Are our expectations always met?
Slow Cooking Meat – The Hidden Health Benefits Of Cheaper Cuts.
Fast ‘slow food’
Chris Kresser on Why You Should Eat Meat
Is eating meat bad for you?
(AIP) Paleo Meatballs with Gravy and Cranberry Sauce
Is it just a lot of hot air? – The beef and methane debate
Primal Living
Fermented Foods
Regenerative Agriculture
Grass-fed meat – so much more than a source of omega-3.
Regenerative Agriculture, the Solution to Climate Change.
Humans are wired to be socially connected.
Wild about wild game
Immunity and Connection
The number one issue today in health, food and farming.
Is your terrain healthy?
Is ‘Vegan’ a Dirty Word?
Grass fed meat health claims
Farm Profile: Meet Rhiwlas Farm
Healthy Teeth, Healthy Heart
Human Health and the Microbiome
Is it environmentally sustainable to eat meat?
Chicken Bone Broth
Your Immune System is Not Alone in Facing Viral Infections
New Improved Methane Methodology.
Report; ‘Soil health: a national security profile’
Why would I want to eat like a cave man – they died young!
Livestock are not the global warming enemy.
Primal Promise
Farm Profile: Meet Northfield Farm
Maybe we should worship the sun after all?
Are you a livestock farmer looking for a long term solution that will reduce fertiliser costs?
Primal Meats: A Review of 2018
The EAT-Lancet Report:
Is eating meat bad for your health?
Primal Nomads
Farm Profile: Meet Boyd Farm
(AIP) Paleo Slow Roasted Pork Belly Slices with Sea Salt and Rosemary
Plant-based ‘meats’
The true cost of globalisation
Real Changemakers
8 Key Differences between Paleo/Primal Diets and Modern Diets
Nourishing Our Children
Wild water
Are you missing out? The potential nutrient deficiencies in vegetarian diets.
Regenerative Agriculture – the answer(s)
