You may wonder, while perusing the recipes on this site, why I use einkorn flour instead of regular wheat flour, and why some of the recipes are marked as “low oxalate” and have the oxalate content of ingredients listed.
Einkorn flour is an ancient grain, in fact it is the original wheat grain, before it was hybridized by humans. Einkorn has weaker gluten, and contains less chromosomes than modern wheat varieties; it is thought that this may be why it is better tolerated by those with non-celicac gluten intolerance. It also has a higher nutrient content, along with a rich, buttery flavour; these factors make it my first choice for baking. Baking with einkorn flour takes a bit of getting used to, as it doesn’t absorb as much moisture or fat as the modern wheat varieties, but once you get the hang of it, it produces excellent results and superior flavour. It can be difficult to find einkorn flour in Canada, but I have found an online source for whole grain einkorn here, and here, and for all-purpose einkorn here. In the U.S., both can be purchased from the jovial website.
Oxalates are a form of defense for some plants; they are tiny crystalline formations that are like daggers to small critters that would feed on the plants. Normally, mammals have a particular bacteria in the gut called Oxalobacter formigenes which breaks down the oxalates, but certain antibiotics have the ability to kill off this bacteria, and at this time, there is no oral supplement available to replace this bacteria. Oxalates are found in many foods, but are notably high in most nuts and seeds and some fruits and vegetables, such as spinach and rhubarb.
It’s difficult to avoid oxalates altogether, especially as many of the foods containing oxalates are also some of the most nutritious. One of the best sources of information about oxalate food content that I’ve found is the Trying Low Oxalates group. They have foods lab-tested for oxalate content, and have a downloadable oxalate food chart, as well as an email list for those interested in learning more about oxalate-related issues. Dr. Susanne Bennett also has some good general information about oxalates on her website: https://drsusanne.com/blog/should-you-try-a-low-oxalate-diet/
The best treatment, that I have discovered personally, for dealing with the inability to digest oxalates is to replenish the good bacteria in the gut. Eliminating refined, processed foods from the diet, and eating more whole grains and fresh fruits and vegetables are essential to this process. Additionally, recent scientific studies indicate that a diet rich in fiber is essential to creating and maintaining a healthy gut microbiome. One of the most compelling books I have read recently that provides an in-depth look at this fiber-microbiome connection is Dr. Emeran Mayer’s “The Gut Immune Connection”.
*Disclaimer: Although I am passionate about the food-health connection, I am in no way, shape or form an expert on oxalates, or how eating certain foods will affect different issues an individual may have. The information I have gathered and opinions I have formed are based on my own health-specific research and on my own experiences. One of the best websites I’ve found for medical/scientific research is the National Center for Biotechnology Information.