Dave Asprey argues that peanuts contain oxalic acid, which can contribute to kidney stones and other health problems. He compares peanut content to almonds, spinach, and beets, and explains why he considers peanuts problematic for certain people's diets.
Here's a major mistake that I used to make. I used to think that because peanuts are so bad for you, because of aflatoxins, because of lectins, because of bad fats, that I should switch to almonds. But it turns out both peanuts and almonds are high in a very important plant toxin called oxalic acid. Oxalic acid is so high that if you eat spinach, kale, almonds and beets, which are supposed to be really healthy foods, and you do that in excess or sometimes even at all, it'll raise levels of razor sharp, tiny calcium oxalate crystals that cause gout and cause kidney stones. 70% of kidney stones today are caused by oxalic acid, not by a high protein, high alcohol diet, which is what most people believe. So if you're suffering from weird skin conditions, you have painful urination or even interstitial cystitis, you have weird crusty stuff around your eyes. When you wake up, you wake up and your joints are really stiff and they hurt. Maybe you should lay off the almonds, the almond milk, the kale, the spinach, the beets, and even the raspberries, because these plants very specifically contain high levels of oxalic acid. You'll also find meaningful amounts in whole grains, baked potatoes, and even sweet potatoes. So by limiting the amount of plant based carbs other than like white rice or certain kinds of fruit, remember, raspberries aren't good either. You might find that tons of your symptoms disappear. When I control for the amount of oxalic acid in my diet, I save it up so I can eat chocolate, which also contains oxalates. Well, I feel much better when I eat chocolate or eat anything that I know has higher levels. I make sure to take extra calcium to help me deal with the burden.
