Starfruit Can Be Poisonous For Kidney Patients?

Read in the papers that starfruit (carambola) can be poisonous for kidney patients. According to the paper, even one fruit or 100ml of its juice can kill a kidney patient within a few hours.

This is true because starfruit contains a high level of oxalic acid. What is oxalic acid? It is a colorless, organic compound that occurs naturally in plants, animals and in humans. Organic oxalic acid is an important element, even essential, to maintain and to stimulate peristaltic motion in our body.

This substance is present in abundance in many plant products, with especially high content in sour grass, rubharb and buckwheat. Other plants containing high levels of oxalates are (in decreasing order): starfruit, black pepper, parsley, poppy seed, amaranth, spinach, chard, beets, cocoa, most nuts, most berries and beans. So you can't really escape oxalic acid.

Even tea leaves contain among the highest measured concentration of oxalic acid. However, tea beverages typically contain only very low to moderate amounts of oxalate due to the very small amount of leaves used for brewing.

This is not to say that you should shun starfruit or its juice. If you are generally healthy and have no kidney problems, your kidney can easily filter out the oxalic acid. In fact, starfruit is a great source of polyphenols, a potent anti-oxidant that can fight cardiovascular inflammation and cancer. It is also low in calories, high in potassium, fiber and vitamin A.

Learn the truth about oxalic acid. SD.