I originally started this thread in the afib forum here: whats up with the loose stools

After suffering with the loose stools issue for nearly six months, I finally stumbled upon the problem: OXALATES! Since eliminating the sources from my diet, the issue is completely resolved.

How did I run across this? I'm a regular listener of low-carb guru Jimmy Moore's podcast, The Livin' Lavita Low Carb Show. The title of his August 1 episode was "Sally Norton Sounds the Alarm on the Oxalate Toxicity of Eating Plants." I almost skipped listening, since the subject matter did not pique my interest. But five minutes into the podcast, I knew it was an "aha" moment for me. She pointed to two popular "health" foods that are high in oxalates: spinach and almonds. Oxalate toxicity can cause problems in many areas - the GI tract being one of them.

About the time the whole loose stool thing commenced, my wife and I had started the habit of preparing "green smoothies" in the morning, packed with fresh spinach and blended with almond milk, fruit, and a big dollop of almond butter. Two or three times a week my lunch consisted of a big salad made from spinach or other dark green leafy's topped with a protein. My workday snack of choice: raw almonds. On weekend bike rides, instead of sugary gel packs, I would carry packets of Justin's almond butter with me.

Since my wife was not suffering any of the same symptoms, I never suspected the spinach (she wasn't pigging out on all the almond products like me.)

But, as the NIH paper linked below states, how an individual handles oxalates is dependent on the existence of a few oxalate-degrading bacteria species in the gut. Most young children have these, but not all adults do. Likely culprit - antibiotics.

BTW - I have read that oxalates may bind up minerals such as calcium and magnesium and thus rendering them unavailable. Kidney stones contain mostly calcium oxalate. Either way, not good for folks who need their mag.

Cheers,
Gary

NIH paper on oxalates

Search for "sally k norton" for more resouces.

Interesting info! Thank you!

This seems very important, Gary. Many thanks for sharing!

--Lance

Here's an interesting article by the author Gary refers to:

Lost Seasonality and Overconsumption of Plants: Risking Oxalate Toxicity

I'd be interested in more discussion of this issue as it relates to afib and other health issues.

--Lance