Title: OXALATE-CALCIUM RATIOS OF COMMON CEREALS CONSUMED IN EASTERN NIGERIA
Abstract: The importance of Oxalate content of an individual plant in limiting total dietary calcium availability is of significance when the ratio oxalic to calcium (oxa:cal.) is greater than one. Food with oxal: cal ratio greater than two, have no utilizable calcium and contain excess oxalate while foodstuff with oxal:cal. of about one provides little calcium but do not inhibit the utilization of calcium provided by other products. The study analysed three commonly consumed cereals of oxalic acids and calcium by rigorous classical quantitative method of precipitation/titration and atomic absorption spectrophotometry, respectively. The result should oxal:cal. ratios>1 for all the cereals indicating that the cereals have no utilizable calcium, thus contain excess oxalate which not only complex the calcium contained in the food but also that derived from other food sources eaten together with it. This can result in deficiency of such an essential mineral as calcium in the body and even render the body prone to bone diseases and possibility of developing kidney stones due to calcium oxalate formation (calcium oxalate being the most common component of kidney stone).