A preliminary vote just got cast in the debate between functional medicine’s dietary emphasis in treating IBD (Inflammatory Bowel Disease) and conventional GI doctors who dismiss the diet’s role, and it was cast for functional medicine’s side. Further, for those who hate spinach, the good news just keeps getting better: the oxalates it contains may influence IBD disease mechanisms. In this study, researchers found higher levels of oxalates in the stools of Crohn’s disease patients. He also found that IBD-susceptible mice who ate more oxalates had more severe Crohn’s disease sooner in their lives.
We Need More Than Fancy Meds
As the number of people diagnosed with different autoimmune conditions goes up, we need to understand something more than fancy, expensive medications; we need to understand prevention and non-pharma management. Though I still hear patients relay messages from their GI doctors that diet does not change Crohn’s disease outcomes, I keep beating the “Yes, it does” drum, supported by articles like this. I have already seen how diet can impact my patients’ IBD severity, but this study packs some evidence-based punch when talking to nay-sayers.
Research Approach from Multiple Angles
Researchers from the University of North Carolina examined the potential connection between oxalates and Crohn’s disease from several different angles to uncover the following. First, even with the same dietary intakes of oxalates, those individuals with Crohn’s disease had more oxalates in their stools afterwards. Second, those with Crohn’s or ulcerative colitis had higher rates of mutations in two genes encoding oxalate transport proteins. This could explain the higher levels of oxalates in the stool. Third, when the addition of oxalates were tested in different mouse models, higher oxalates triggered more frequent and more severe colitis. Fourth, the identified abnormal genes were more frequent in mice with more severe disease responses. Finally, in humans, 75% of those with more severe Crohn’s were found to have one of the genetic changes.
Clear Connection Between IBD and Oxalates?
All of this points towards a connection between oxalates and Inflammatory Bowel Disease that needs to be taken seriously with further research. While further research attempts to shed more light on this question, we will begin to discuss oxalate intake with our patients. We can also look at our patients’ microbiome to see what their levels of the Oxalobacter formigenes bacteria measure up, as this bacteria can chew up oxalates. Helping our IBD patients pursue healthier, more abundant lives may include decreasing foods like spinach, almonds, and sweet potatoes, foods that, while otherwise healthy, are in oxalates). Meanwhile for those without IBD, these foods can remain as great sources for various nutrients.
Other Articles on Our Page Regarding Crohn’s and IBD
Original Article:
Anna C. Salvador, Zena Khaled, Ayesh Awad, Benjamin Huan, Gwen Lau, Sophie Silverstein, David Weaver, Lee-Ching Zhu, Surekha Bantumilli, Viguna Thomas, Emanuele Baldassarri, Jace McGovern, Ezan Chaudhry, Nathan VanLandingham, Dorothy K. Superdock, Brady Furey, Gloria Hayun Lee, Benjamin McMichael, Samantha Hicks, Erin C. Steinbach, Matthew R. Schaner, Jeremy Herzog, Leslie Garry Adams, W. June Brickley, P.Y. Jenny Ting, Lawrence A. David, David W. Threadgill, Terrance S. Furey, Shehzad Z. Sheikh. Dietary Oxalate and Intestinal Inflammation: Evidence From Experimental Colitis and Inflammatory Bowel Disease Patient Cohorts. Cellular and Molecular Gastroenterology and Hepatology, 2026; 101861 DOI: 10.1016/j.jcmgh.2026.101861
Thanks to Science Daily:
The University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. “A hidden compound in healthy foods may worsen IBD.” ScienceDaily. ScienceDaily, 12 September 2026. <www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2026/09/260911214250.htm>.
Sanctuary Functional Medicine, under the direction of Dr Eric Potter, IFMCP MD, provides functional medicine services to Nashville, Middle Tennessee and beyond. We frequently treat patients from Kentucky, Alabama, Mississippi, Georgia, Ohio, Indiana, and more... offering the hope of healthier more abundant lives to those with chronic illness.
Dr. Eric Potter graduated from Vanderbilt Medical School and then went on to specialize in internal medicine (adult) and pediatric care, spending significant time and effort in growing his medical understanding while caring for patients from all walks of life.
