Woodsorrel

A friend who runs Seattle Native Plants Nursery bestowed a woodsorrel plant at our recent community potluck. I transplanted this into a pot with garlic, though I am not sure how much they are enjoying each other. A fun experiment I suppose.

Oxalis is a wild edible with - you will not be surprised - high oxalic acid content. Other plants with a lot of oxalic acid include: chives, parsley, purslane and spinach, each which contain around a gram. Some scientific studies have explored the effect of oxalic acid intake. Overconsumption is linked to joint pain, kidney stones, and kidney failure -- due to the leaching out of calcium from the body. Toxicity may be mitigated by applying heat (steaming, etc), drinking plenty of water, or consuming such foods alongside calcium-rich foods. This is great example of natural toxicity found in a healthy food. Toxicity may not be escaped, but at least it may be moderated.

For what reason does nature provide oxalic acid? Other research suggests oxalic acid may be anti-cancer: patients diagnosed with cancer show low levels of oxalic acid in their blood. However this may only be a correlation. Perhaps other nutrients found in spinach and beet greens explain anti-cancer effects, rather than the actual oxalic acid -- for example the presence of antioxidants.

There seems to be a consensus, whether in support of oxalic acid or not, that it is unwise to avoid it. Not only do green veggies have many benefits that outweigh their natural toxins, other sources of poisons are much worse. If you are going to avoid something, perhaps avoid alcohol, caffeine or tap water. Also avoid overconsumption of technology or home appliances like microwaves.

In the meantime I am not sure what to do about "Woody". I feel weird about keeping this plant in a pot when it prefers the wild, so I will keep a close eye and make adjustments as necessary.