Should I be concerned about eating too many greens with Oxalic acid?

In a message dated 6/23/02 12:43:02 PM, catherinedambrosio@yahoo.com writes:

Hi, should i be concerned about eating too many greens with Oxalic acid? Being summertime, I love to eat spinach, purslane and parley salads, all high in oxalic acid. Thank you for your feedback

Dear Catherine,

According to Dr. Norman Walker (in his books), Oxalic acid is only a concern if it is cooked. Dr. Walker states that raw oxalic acid does not have any negative effect on the body, only positive effects.

The following excerpt is from Fresh Vegetable and Fruit Juices by Dr. Walker:

"Organic oxalic acid is one of the important elements needed to maintain the tone of, and to stimulate peristalsis. . . If the important organs comprising the alimentary and eliminative departments of our system, or any parts of them, are moribund or dead, the efficiency of their function is impaired, to say the least. This condition can result only from a lack or deficiency of live atoms in the food nourishing the cells and tissues concerned. Live food means that food which contains live organic atoms and enzymes found only in our raw foods.

". . . It is very vital to stress this matter in regard to oxalic acid. When the food is raw, whether whole or in the form of juice, every atom in such food is vital ORGANIC and is replete with enzymes. Therefore, the oxalic acid in our raw vegetables and their juices is organic, and as such is not only beneficial but essential for the physiological functions of the body.

"The oxalic acid in cooked and processed foods, however, is definitely dead, or INORGANIC, and as such is both pernicious and destructive. Oxalic acid readily combines with calcium. If these are both organic, {meaning raw} the result is a beneficial constructive combination, as the former helps the digestive assimilation of the latter, at the same time stimulating the peristaltic functions in the body.

"When the oxalic acid has become INORGANIC by cooking or processing the foods that contain it, then this acid forms an interlocking compound with the calcium even combining with the calcium in other foods eaten during the same meal, destroying the nourishing value of both."

In his book, written in 1936, Dr. Walker, when referring to ORGANIC oxalic acid is using the word "organic" in reference to "raw" oxalic acid as opposed to the word "organic" meaning not grown with chemicals and pesticides. In other parts of the book he also uses the word "organic" when referring to foods grown without chemicals and pesticides. There is more information on oxalic acid in his book.

Rhio

Thank you for the great post on Oxalic Acid. I'll eat my spinach purslane salads freely all summer. Awesome!

Thanks,

CATHERINE

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