On February 12, 2016 Harvard Medical School published an article called "Kidney Stones on the Rise", detailing the dramatic uptick from under 4% of the population affected in the 1970's to well over double that today. Over half a million people were hospitalized last year for kidney stones, and as anyone who has had one (I've had over 20) can attest, they cause extreme, intense pain and suffering. It is possible to lessen the chances of having a stone by drinking A LOT of water and, most importantly, carefully monitoring Oxalic acid intake, a compound found in in almost all plant foods to one degree or another. The problem is this: It is nearly impossible to tell how much Oxalic Acid is in any given packaged food or drink. For example, your favorite lemon Kombucha might seem harmless, but because it is made from black tea and sweetened with stevia, it's absolutely not ok to drink if you have a predisposition to make kidney stones. Another example: Stone makers can safely eat a rice cracker UNLESS it was made with the rice bran intact, then it's extremely dangerous to consume over time. All stone makers want is a simple, reliable way to ascertain Oxalate content in their food so they can stay out of pain and out of the hospital. Adding Oxalate milligrams to package labeling would be huge for us, otherwise, we have to rely on conflicting and often inaccurate information on the internet. As incidences of kidney stones continue to rise, so does the need for better education! This would be an incredible step forward, thank you!
