Overview
Urinary tract stone patients all know that oxalic acid is very harmful, and calcium oxalate accounts for 80% of all stone ingredients. When the daily intake of oxalic acid exceeds 180 mg, it can cause a significant increase in urinary oxalic acid secretion, and excessive urinary oxalic acid is the main cause of kidney stones. In recent years, foreign research institutions have repeatedly found that oxalic acid is not only the culprit in causing urinary tract stones, but it may also damage children’s neurological development, lead to nervous system abnormalities, and become an accomplice to autism in children.
Autism, also known as autism spectrum disorder, is a neurodevelopmental disorder characterized by social communication difficulties, narrow interests, and repetitive stereotyped behaviors. The incidence of autism is increasing year by year. Currently, there are more than 10,000 autistic patients in China, of which about 2 million have been diagnosed under the age of 14. It is estimated that there are still more than 6 million undiagnosed autistic children. Autism Children bring a heavy economic burden to families and society.
The causes of autism are complex and are caused by the interaction between genetics and the external environment. Genetic factors can only explain 5% to 25% of the causes, and environmental factors may have a far greater impact on autism than genetic factors. The incidence of autism is increasing rapidly, which is mostly caused by acquired environmental factors. Environmental factors that affect autism mainly include birth method, drugs, diet, vaccines, heavy metals, infections in childhood, etc. Current research shows that diet is closely related to autism. Bad eating habits, harmful substances in food, and abnormalities in the absorption, utilization and metabolism of nutrients may affect the immune, endocrine and energy metabolism systems, and ultimately affect brain development. .
Hazard
1. The impact of oxalic acid in food on autism
Recent evidence suggests that oxalic acid may be an important factor in autism.
2. Oxalate substances can damage children’s neurological development
Foreign studies have shown that in gastrointestinal system dysfunction, substances such as oxalate may damage children’s neurological development and may lead to neurological abnormalities. One study conducted in patients with autism showed that plasma oxalate concentrations were 3 times higher than normal and urinary oxalate concentrations were 2.5 times higher. This is why some believe that higher oxalate concentrations in blood and urine may be one of the pathogenesis of autism. Therefore, it has been suggested to limit daily oxalate intake through a low-oxalate diet and to provide patients with nutritional supplements.
3. High oxalate can also cause iron deficiency anemia
There is a potential link between autism, high oxalates and iron deficiency anemia. Previous studies have shown that large amounts of oxalate in plasma may bind to transferrin and interfere with iron metabolism, thereby increasing the incidence of autism.
Foreign reports have found a potential link between oxalic acid and iron deficiency anemia in children with autism.
(1) Most children with autism have higher oxalate levels;
(2) The prevalence of iron deficiency (ID) and iron deficiency anemia (IDA) in children with autism is high;
(3) Most children with autism have gastrointestinal problems, which affect the intestinal decomposition and absorption of iron and oxalate;
(4) The interference of oxalic acid prevents transferrin from releasing iron easily.
4. Iron deficiency and resulting anemia increase the risk of autism in infants
This is the result of a US study on high-temperature-resistant inorganic pigments published in the American Journal of Epidemiology. Iron deficiency, along with other factors, increases the risk of autism by up to five times. Researchers at the University of California, Davis, analyzed data on mothers and infants from 2002 to 2009. There are children with autism and healthy babies. Maternal nutritional and iron intake, as well as intake of various supplements and breakfast cereals, were studied in the last months of pregnancy and during lactation. Research shows low iron intake can increase autism risk. Babies were five times more likely to develop autism if the women did not take any supplements and were older than 35 or had various metabolic diseases, such as high blood pressure or diabetes. Study author Rebecca J. “Iron deficiency and resulting anemia are the most common nutrient deficiencies, especially during pregnancy, affecting 40 to 50 percent of women and their babies,” Schmidt said. However, iron is required for brain development and production of neurotransmitters, as well as for myelination and immune function. “All three pathways are involved in autism.”
Oxalic acid is contained in most foods
Oxalic acid, also known as oxalic acid, is widely found in herbs. Research shows that among 93 genera of plants, only 11 do not contain oxalic acid, while most species of the remaining genera contain large amounts of oxalic acid.��. From a food nutrition perspective, oxalic acid is considered a toxin and anti-nutritional factor. Long-term intake of some foods rich in oxalic acid not only easily causes calcium and other trace element deficiencies in the human body, but also easily causes a series of diseases such as urinary tract stones in the human body, and even death in severe cases. The human body absorbs oxalates through diet (a variety of foods, especially plants, including grains, seeds, nuts and vegetables, such as spinach, water spinach, amaranth, etc., contain high oxalates). In addition, oxalic acid can also be produced by liver metabolism in the body.
How to reduce the oxalic acid content in the human body
Although most foods contain oxalic acid and it is difficult to avoid daily intake, we can reduce the oxalic acid content in the diet through certain measures and minimize its harm.
1. Control the oxalic acid content in the diet
1. Eat less spinach, amaranth, cashew nuts, almonds and other high-oxalate foods.
2. Drinking more water can dilute the urine and reduce the concentration of calcium ions and oxalic acid, thereby reducing the formation of calcium oxalate crystals and even calcium oxalate stones caused by supersaturated oxalic acid concentration.
3. Vitamin C can be metabolized into oxalic acid. A study shows that supplementing 1000mg of vitamin C twice a day can increase the excretion of oxalic acid in urine by 22%, so calcium oxalate Stone patients should avoid additional vitamin C supplements.
2. Supplement oxalate degrading enzyme
Oxalate-degrading enzyme is an edible fungus selected from thousands of species. It can adapt to the gastrointestinal environment, has high activity and high substrate affinity. It is a key enzyme in the metabolism of oxalic acid. It can catalyze the decomposition of oxalic acid and greatly reduce the concentration of oxalic acid in the gastrointestinal tract. It has been widely used clinically, especially in the prevention and treatment of urinary tract stones, and can effectively prevent calcium oxalate stones. There is no natural oxalate-degrading enzyme in vertebrates. Therefore, the oxalate-degrading enzyme needed by the human body must be obtained from external sources.
Research shows that: oxalate-degrading enzyme can reduce urinary oxalic acid by 13 mg per day, which is equivalent to 85% of the oxalic acid absorbed from the diet, helping people maintain a low-oxalate diet (< 50mg/day). These results indicate that oxalate-degrading enzymes can efficiently degrade oxalate in the stomach. If the cause is primarily dietary, oxalate-degrading enzymes can reduce urinary oxalate excretion from high to low oxalate levels.
