Apparently this can really happen.
our patient consumed an estimated five times the typical quantity of oxalate daily. She ingested approximately 150 g of almonds daily … and six tablespoons (1/8 cup) of chia seeds … which ultimately caused kidney injury.
150 grams is ~130 almonds, and the chia seeds weigh ~90 grams. I’m surprised it took only 240 grams (about half a pound) of nuts/seeds a day to get sick but that’s still way more than most people eat and the relationship between dose and kidney disease isn’t linear.
Normally, small amounts of free oxalate are absorbed by the stomach, distal small intestines and colon in humans.
That doesn’t seem like a lot. I’ve certainly gone extended periods eating more than 150g (~5.3 ounces) of nuts per day. I thought nuts were a healthy snack, and often my only breakfast is a bunch of cashews or almonds.
I noticed significant improvement in my bowel health after stopping eating nuts. They were my go to healthy snack but I don’t really eat tree nuts at all anymore. You’re only supposed to have like 2 or 3 of them at time anyway, and that’s pretty much impossible to satisfy a craving. Peanuts however have nothing to do with tree nuts. They are legumes. I still eat peanut butter and eat about a pound a week.