So this week I have been told I have high levels of Oxalate which is why I form kidney stones, and that I need to go on a low Oxalate diet, I’ve also been reading into the Oxalate connection to mercury toxicity and candida and have found several strong references.
One was ‘The Great Plains’ Lab: http://www.greatplainslaboratory.com/articles-1/2015/11/13/oxalates-control-is-a-major-new-factor-in-autism-therapy
It seems that Oxalates are high in people with Autism, who have high candida levels, who also have high levels of mercury. The connections seem too strong…
Interestingly, from one of the sources discussed how having high levels of oxalate caused frequent urination and UTI symptoms even though no bacterial infection was found (this seems to be common amongst mercury toxic people (Me included)) and that oxalate-calcium kidney stones had candida and yeasts surrounding them.
Many other articles (including Weston A Price’s site) say that Oxalates cause many chronic disorders (including Autism too). It’s well worth a read! Here
For me (I’ll need to research even further) it confirms yet again that Mercury causes/contributes to so many of our ills, and high oxalates levels (and it’s ills) seem to be one of those things. Apparently going on a low Oxalate diet gives us a ‘honeymoon’ period and then a dump of oxalates which makes us feel crap. It also shows that having high levels of oxalates in the system causes us to feel crap too. How many mercury toxic people eat super healthy (such as eating spinach etc which have massive levels of oxalates) only to feel like crap some days and not know why?
A key realtime indicator is, if you pee and look at it in the toilet bowl – if the urine seems to sparkle/twinkle (called “disney pee”) that’s oxalate crystals in the water.
The symptoms high oxalate brings are:
If your body is not getting rid of the oxalates you are getting from your food (or from the bi-product of candida) these powerful and reactive molecules can cause a lot of problems.
- It chelates toxic metals like mercury (we know how this makes us feel!)
- burning urine flow
- kidney stones i.e. oxalates combine with calcium to form these
- leaky gut or all sorts of other gut problems
- interstitial cystitis, aka burning bladder, often associated with hyperoxaluria (high levels of oxalate in the urine)
- painful or inflamed joints, similar to fibromyalgia or arthritis
- burning bowel movements
- vulvodynia – external female genital pain or irritation
- depression
- developmental disorders in children, including autism
- hives
My Oxalate ‘connection’:
From what I’ve found so far Oxalate problems come from a lack of gut bacteria particularly the Oxalobacter formigenes species and a Vitamin K deficiency. As this bacteria (and Vitamin K) is missing we can’t digest oxalates properly and they flow around our system in store in our cells, and calcium isn’t directed into the right places. This causes calcium and oxalate problems in joints, kidneys, the liver and such, and we feel crap. Bear with me…
Now, as most Mercury toxic people know, it ruins our gut bacteria (along with the antibiotics we’ve used throughout our life) – thus my connection.
here’s some really good info on the Vitamin K side of things: http://www.gutresearch.com/VitaminK.pdf
What I’ve also found is that most Mercury groups discuss Oxalates, and most Oxalates discuss mercury – but no one seems to make the link!
The oxalate and autism connection intrigues me, as mercury and autism have a connection, candida and autism have a connection, gut bacteria and autism have a connection, frequent urination and bad digestion have connections to autism, candida and mercury have a connection to each other, and therefore by presupposition mercury and oxalate do too. The yeast connection is a huge one (have you read the book by W Crook?) as Candida can cause oxalate issues which contribute to autism too (which can be because of b1 and b6 deficiency’s). There’s just so many connections! How can the medical world ignore so much of it???
I’ve posted about the bacteria Oxalabacter breaking down oxalates – Ive heard VSL #3 does too – which Ive tried and seems to help.
The protocols Ive seen are based around either VSL #3 (the strongest probiotic available at 700 billion) and Vitamin K in large doses, or drinking lots of cabbage juice and epsom salts. Oxalobacter formigenes unfortunately cannot be bought yet, however, what about fecal transplants? That should fix it right? I’m currently researching that, and will update this post when I know more!
I thought I’d share as this seems like a huge connection to me!
Let me know if you agree or have any thoughts on this.
Tim