Someone once said that the definition of insanity is doing the same stupid thing over and over again with the same results — not learning the lesson — and I must confess that applies to me here!
I grow a lot of chard and spinach and lettuce and kale. They all seem to thrive at Casa de Enchanted Seashells. I cook some, freeze some, annoy everyone by putting it in every baked good from brownies to cookies, and I love to eat it raw.
That’s where this started. For a while, I’ve been picking chard and kale while I’m outside gardening, just to enjoy being Mother Earth in action.
For a similarly long time, I’ve noticed that after I eat raw kale and chard and sometimes spinach, my throat starts to burn, not like I ate something spicy, but like I mixed bleach and ammonia and inhaled it (yes, I’ve done that, too, accidentally of course).
After several experiences of this painful throat, I finally did what I should have done the first time, I GOOGLED the symptoms.
Lo and behold, it’s a THING.
Maria Hepler, RDN, CLT: Calcium, which is an essential nutrient for strong bones, can be found in many green leafy vegetables, such as collard greens, spinach, mustard greens, kale, and Swiss chard.
However, oxalic acid, an organic acid found in spinach, chard, and beet greens, and moderately in kale, among other plants, binds with the calcium they supply and reduces its absorption, so in their raw form these should not be considered a good source of calcium.
What are the symptoms that one has eaten too much oxalic acid? These include burning in the mouth and throat, difficulty breathing, weakness, stomach pain, nausea, vomiting, and diarrhea.
Spinach contains phytic acid and oxalic acid. It may be better to steam the spinach and not to eat it raw.
For sensitive individuals, even small quantities of oxalic acid eaten regularly can lead to kidney stones or bladder crystals, along with the problem of calcium depletion.
Does this mean we shouldn’t add kale or other greens that contain oxalic acid to our smoothies? Not necessarily. Cooking or steaming these vegetables can significantly reduce the amount of oxalic acid present, which will help with calcium absorption (make sure to drain your greens thoroughly as the oxalates go in the water).
If this is a concern, it’s best to precook leafy greens and store them in the freezer (in individual portions) for quick access.
I never used to notice this reaction to acidity in raw greens but now that I know, I will definitely stick to picking lettuce for my garden treats.
Enchanted Seashells by Princess Rosebud 
I’m glad you figured out the problem! My husband has an allergic reaction that starts with an itchy throat and then it swells shut. At first, I thought you were headed in that direction, which is scary and potentially life threatening. I’m so relieved that isn’t it! Still, it’s a shame you have to change your diet a little. I’m glad it turned out ok!
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Actually, if you read further into these symptoms, what you described IS an allergic reaction to kale or chard or even spinach. I didn’t go too much into that because I was focused on the burning sensation. If I were him, I’d stop eating it and get an EPI pen for sure… Take care!
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Good to know! I’m not a fan of raw spinach but like it in smoothies. So far I’ve had no problem, but if I ever do, now I’ll know what’s going on and how to deal with it. My other favorite way to eat spinach has been in quiche or spanikopita, but due to food allergies/intolerances they’re sadly off my menu these days (no dairy or eggs, and very limited gluten).
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It seems as if the issues I experienced were on with raw leaves-never cooked. I’m glad you haven’t been burned! I didn’t include that it happens a lot to post-menopausal women, but that’s also what I learned.
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I think it may be a quantity thing. I like to add a little raw (and young) chard to my salad 🥗
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If that works for you, that’s awesome. With me, it was just one little bite and my throat was on FIRE!
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ouch!
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I could never figure it out, finally I googled it, I feel so dumb!
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I tried earring one of my beans raw last summer and the same thing happened to me😕
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It’s so interesting, I had never heard of this before!
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Me either!
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But I got Ed’s everything on the planet tries to protect itself…
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Hi Martha. just to let you know, it’s not quantity. I just tasted a chard stem, cause I like to taste what I grow and I got an immediate reaction. Doesn’t happen when cooked. And…I didn’t think I was sensitive to anything. ;-0000
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It’s crazy what gets us. I always thought we should come with a handbook that has detailed instructions! If I so much as touch my skin with a product containing salicylic acid, I have hives everywhere.
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