Friday Favorites: Kidney Stones and Oxalates in Spinach, Chard, and Beet Greens

Even though dietary oxalates may have a limited effect on kidney stone risk in most people, there are some predisposing factors that can put anyone at risk. How much is too much spinach, chard, beet greens, chaga mushroom powder, almonds, cashews, star fruit, and instant tea?

For anyone eating cups of greens a day (as you should!), better to choose any of the other greens, such as kale, collards, or arugula.

It takes a while for videos to be made, so when I discover something like this in the research, I immediately go to our social media channels to alert people, as I did with this cautionary note on high-oxalate greens. Don’t miss critical “heads-up” info like this in the future. Follow us on Facebook ( ), Instagram ( ), or X ( ), and subscribe ( ) to our free monthly newsletter.

For some older videos I did on kidney stones, see:
• How to Prevent Kidney Stones with Diet ( )
• How to Treat Kidney Stones with Diet ( )
• Neurotoxicity Effects of Star Fruit ( )

To be clear, I encourage everyone to eat huge amounts every day of dark green leafies —the healthiest food on the planet—but if you follow this advice (and you should!), then just choose any of the other wonderful greens. If you eat meager amounts of greens (like a serving a day), then it doesn’t matter which you choose. I continue to eat spinach, beet greens, and chard all the time. But, since we can overdo those three, when I’m trying to hit my pound-a-day green leafy quota, I do mostly kale, collards, and arugula, which also happen to have the added benefit of being cruciferocious!

Why are greens so good for us? How aren’t they?!
• Eating Green to Prevent Cancer ( )
• The Broccoli Receptor: Our First Line of Defense ( )
• Greens vs. Glaucoma ( )
• Preventing Alzheimer’s Disease with Plants ( )
• Slowing Our Metabolism with Nitrate-Rich Vegetables ( )
• The Benefits of Kale & Cabbage for Cholesterol ( )
• Brain Healthy Foods to Fight Aging ( )
• Do Lutein Supplements Help with Brain Function? ( )

For some tips on how you might prep them for maximum benefit, see:
• How to Cook Greens ( )
• Second Strategy to Cooking Broccoli ( )
• Dr. Greger in the Kitchen: My New Favorite Beverage ( )

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Want to get a list of links to all the scientific sources used in this video? Click on Sources Cited at . You’ll also find a transcript and acknowledgements for the video, my blog and speaking tour schedule, and an easy way to search (by translated language even) through our videos spanning more than 2,000 health topics.

Thanks for watching. I hope you’ll join in the evidence-based nutrition revolution!
-Michael Greger, MD FACLM

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