Skip to main content
Log in

Calcium, iron and oxalate content of some condiments and spices

Plant Foods for Human Nutrition Aims and scope Submit manuscript

Abstract

The condiments and spices consumed in India were analysed for their calcium, phosphorus and iron contents and for the content of total and water-soluble oxalates. A number of spices were found to be quite rich in calcium and also in oxalates. In many of the spices the oxalates were mainly in the insoluble form although a few spices were found to contain oxalates mostly in the water-soluble form. Theoretical calculations on the basis of the calcium and oxalate contents had shown that although the oxalate content is high, a portion of the calcium present in a number of spices may be available to the body. Some of the spices like ajowan (Trachyspermum ammi), turmeric (Curcuma domestica) and caraway seeds (Carum carvi) were also rich in iron. Since some of them are quite inexpensive and, at the same time, rich in calcium and iron, people can be encouraged to consume spices like ajowan (Trachyspermum ammi) to improve the nutritional quality of their diets.

This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.

Access this article

Price excludes VAT (USA)
Tax calculation will be finalised during checkout.

Instant access to the full article PDF.

Institutional subscriptions

References

  1. AOAC (1980) Official Methods of Analysis, 13th edn. Washington, DC: Association of Official Agricultural Chemists

    Google Scholar 

  2. Baker CJL (1952) The determination of oxalates in fresh plant material. Analyst 77:340–344

    Google Scholar 

  3. Davidson S, Passmore R, Brock JF, Truswell AS (1975) Human nutrition and dietetics, 6th edn. London: Churchill Livingstone

    Google Scholar 

  4. Gopalan C, Balasurbramanian SC, Ramasastri BV, Visweswara Rao K (1971) Diet Atlas of India, Hyderabad, India: National Institute of Nutrition

    Google Scholar 

  5. Gopalan C, Ramasastri BV, Balasubramanian SC (1971) Nutritive Value of Indian Foods, Hyderabad, India: National Institute of Nutrition

    Google Scholar 

  6. Oke OL (1969) Oxalic acid in plants and in nutrition. In: Bourne GH (ed) World Review of Nutrition and Dietetics, New York: S. Karger, 10:262–303

    Google Scholar 

  7. Pilac LM, Abdon IC, Mandap EA (1971) Oxalic acid content and its relation to the calcium present in some Philippine plant foods. Philippine J Nutr 24:21–36

    Google Scholar 

  8. Pingle U, Ramasastri BV (1978) Absorption of calcium from a leafy vegetable rich in oxalates. Br J Nutr 39:119–125

    PubMed  Google Scholar 

  9. Pingle U, Ramasastri BV (1978) Effect of water-soluble oxalates inAmaranthus spp leaves on the absorption of milk calcium. Br J Nutr 40:591–594

    PubMed  Google Scholar 

  10. Zarembski PM, Hodgkinson A (1962) The determination of oxalic acid in food. Analyst 87:698–702

    Google Scholar 

Download references

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

Authors

Rights and permissions

Reprints and permissions

About this article

Cite this article

Ramasastri, B.V. Calcium, iron and oxalate content of some condiments and spices. Plant Food Hum Nutr 33, 11–15 (1983). https://doi.org/10.1007/BF01093733

Download citation

  • Received:

  • Revised:

  • Issue Date:

  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/BF01093733

Key words

Navigation