Fruit puree with oatmeal and nuts

[Thermomixer]

Think I would be a little cautious - a little more from that paper:

"OXALIC ACID
One of the mysteries of the human anatomy is that function which is known as peristaltic motion. This motion, or action, takes place in the alimentary canal, in the circulating and generative tubes, and in the eliminative channels in successive wavelike motions, forcing whatever matter is present therein, onward on its course. It is a series of contracting and relaxing of the nerves and muscles successively — a function which takes place involuntarily so far as our own voluntary controlling powers are concerned, and apparently is entirely automatic.

The efficiency of this peristaltic action, however, is very naturally dependent on the tone and healthy vigorous condition of the nerves and muscles of these channels.

Organic oxalic acid is one of the important elements needed to maintain the tone of, and to stimulate peristalsis. It is perfectly obvious, of course, that any motion of the body which takes place by the "involuntary" action of its organs is predicated on there being life in the cells and tissues of such organs. Life is active, magnetic; whereas there is no action in death nor in dead matter, and this applies definitely to cells and tissues of our anatomy.

If the important organs comprising the alimentary and eliminative departments of our system, or any parts of them, are moribund or dead, the efficiency of their function is impaired, to say the least. This condition can result only from a lack or deficiency of live atoms in the food nourishing the cells and tissues concerned. Live food means that food which contains live organic atoms and enzymes found only in our raw foods.

We have in previous chapters, covered this important question of organic versus inorganic atoms in our food. It is very vital to stress this matter in regard to oxalic acid. When the food is raw, whether whole or in the form of juice, every atom in such food is vital ORGANIC and is replete with enzymes. Therefore, the oxalic acid in our raw vegetables and their juices is organic, and as such is not only beneficial but essential for the physiological functions of the body.

The oxalic acid in cooked and processed foods, however, is definitely dead, or INORGANIC, and as such is both pernicious and destructive. Oxalic acid readily combines with calcium. If these are both organic, the result is a beneficial constructive combination, as the former helps the digestive assimilation of the latter, at the same time stimulating the peristaltic functions in the body.

When the oxalic acid has become INORGANIC by cooking or processing the foods that contain it, then this acid forms an interlocking compound with the calcium even combining with the calcium in other foods eaten during the same meal, destroying the nourishing value of both. This results in such a serious deficiency of calcium that it has been known to cause decomposition of the bones. This is the reason l never eat cooked or canned spinach.

As to the oxalic acid itself, when converted into an inorganic acid by cooking or processing the food, it often results in causing inorganic oxalic acid crystals to form in the kidneys.

It is worthy to notice that the minerals in our foods — iron, for example — frequently cannot be assimilated and used completely if they have become inorganic through cooking, and often prevent the utilizing of other elements through chemical and other action. Thus, the iron in fresh-raw spinach juice may be utilized 100%, but only one-fifth of that, or less, would be usable in cooked spinach.

It is well to bear in mind, therefore, that as the organic oxalic acid is so vital to our well-being, the fresh-raw juice of the vegetable containing it should be used daily to supplement the eating of these raw vegetables included in our daily salads.
The most abundant supply of organic oxalic acid is found in fresh-raw spinach (both the common variety and the New Zealand spinach) Swiss chard, beet greens, turnip and mustard greens, kale and collards, and the broad-leafed French sorrel."

What this says is if you eat raw rhubarb leaves, with very high organic oxalic acid that is good. !!!! I doubt that is true.  people have diead from eating raw rhubarb leaves.


From another article:

The concentration of oxalic acid in rhubarb stems is well below the danger level, though it is much higher in the leaves and roots, which should never be eaten. The well-known laxative effect of rhubarb is a safety mechanism by which the body rids itself of this toxin before much of it can be absorbed.

Other foods that contain appreciable amounts of oxalic acid include cabbage, grapes, beetroot, tomatoes, sweet potatoes, chocolate, nuts, berries and tea. Plants such as sorrel, which were once used in salads also contain oxalic acid. Spinach is often thought of as a rich source of iron in the diet. Unfortunately, the high concentration of oxalic acid in the same plant is such that it effectively prevents most of this iron from being absorbed.

If large amounts of ascorbic acid (vitamin C) are eaten, the excess that the body does not use is normally excreted in the urine. However, some of the excess can be oxidised to oxalic acid. 

Read more: http://everyday-chemistry.suite101.com/article.cfm/rhubarb_and_other_poisons

So, taking too much Vitamin C causes the same as eating too much rhubarb.  Spinach has half the oxalic acid content of rhubarb, kilo for kilo.  So eating cooked spinach would be almost as bad as cooked rhubarb - and people are more likely to eat spinach 3 or 4 times a week in some places and rhubarb - rarely - so think I would relax a bit.

[Chelsea (Thermie Groupie)]

That's very good information for us old fashioned rhubarb lovers to be aware of.  Thanks for posting the articles.