Description | A strong dicarboxylic acid occurring in many plants and vegetables. It is produced in the body by metabolism of glyoxylic acid or ascorbic acid. It is not metabolized but excreted in the urine. It is used as an analytical reagent and general reducing agent. -- Pubchem; Oxalic acid (IUPAC name: ethanedioic acid, formula H2C2O4) is a dicarboxylic acid with structure (HOOC)-(COOH). Because of the joining of two carboxyl groups, this is one of the strongest organic acids. It is also a reducing agent. The anions of oxalic acid as well as its salts and esters are known as oxalates. -- Wikipedia; Bodily oxalic acid may also be synthesized via the metabolism of either glyoxylic acid or unused ascorbic acid (vitamin C), which is a serious health consideration for long term megadosers of vitamin C supplements. 80% of kidney stones are formed from calcium oxalate. Some Aspergillus species produce oxalic acid, which reacts with blood or tissue calcium to precipitate calcium oxalate. There is some preliminary evidence that the administration of probiotics can affect oxalic acid excretion rates (and presumably oxalic acid levels as well.) -- Wikipedia |