Oxalate, Autism and more

"Oxalate is an antinutrient that is present at higher levels in some plant foods like spinach, nuts, and chocolate, but it is also a mitochondrial toxin and neurotoxin, and impairs calcium and iron regulation, all biotin-dependent enzymes, and many other enzymes." — Susan Costen Owens

Susan Costen Owens has lectured widely, both nationally and internationally. This graduate of Vanderbilt University with a masters degree in Interdisciplinary Studies from the University of Texas in Dallas has fifteen years of experience in autism research. She realized six years ago that the gut inflammation and leaky gut in autism and other developmental disorders would lead to increased absorption of oxalate from the diet with unknown consequences.

Through her project at the Autism Research Institute, this diet has led to the loss of the autism diagnosis in some children and improvements in pain, cognition, growth, motor skills, gastrointestinal function, and social interaction in countless others. Her internet group, Trying Low Oxalates has grown to more than 3000 people, including those with celiac disease, cystic fibrosis, myotonic dystrophy, Rett syndrome, MHE, bariatric surgery, short bowel syndrome, chronic pain syndromes like fibromyalgia, vulvodynia and bone pain, chronic fatigue, autoimmune conditions, and many other conditions, taking the study of oxalate’s relationship to disease far beyond the familiar turf of kidney stone disease.