title: Oxalate content of silver beet leaves (Beta vulgaris var. cicla) at different stages of maturation and the effect of cooking with different milk sources.
abstract: The work presented here indicates that people who have a tendency to develop kidney stones should avoid consuming regrowth and developed silver beet (Beta vulgaris var. cicla) leaves. Soluble oxalate contents of leaves range from 58% of the total oxalate for the mature leaves up to 89% for the regrowth tissue, with regrowth tissue containing the highest levels of soluble oxalate at 7267+/-307 mg/100 g of dry matter (DM). Leaves cooked in milk contained significantly (p<0.05) lower levels of soluble oxalate compared to the leaves that were cooked in water. Leaves cooked in low fat milk contained significantly lower levels (p<0.05) of soluble oxalate (1.9%) than leaves cooked in standard milk (5.3%) or cream (6.3%). To maximize the reduction of soluble oxalate during the cooking of high oxalate foods such as spinach and silver beet, a low fat milk cooking medium with neutral pH should be utilized.
authors.affiliation: Food Group, Agriculture and Life Sciences Faculty, Lincoln University, Canterbury, New Zealand.
authors.forename: Thomas S
authors.initials: TS
authors.lastname: Simpson
authors.forename: Geoffrey P
authors.initials: GP
authors.lastname: Savage
authors.forename: Robert
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Sherlock
authors.forename: Leo P
authors.initials: LP
authors.lastname: Vanhanen
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D027461:Beta vulgaris / Q000737:chemistry*; D002118:Calcium / Q000032:analysis; D003296:Cooking / Q000379:methods; D005223:Fats / Q000032:analysis; D006358:Hot Temperature; D008892:Milk / Q000737:chemistry; D010070:Oxalates / Q000032:analysis*; D018515:Plant Leaves / Q000737:chemistry* / Q000254:growth & development*; D012995:Solubility; D014867:Water
chemical_list: D005223:Fats; D010070:Oxalates; D014867:Water; D002118:Calcium