Is bitter melon high in oxalate?
Yes. High, 33 mg per 1/2 cup raw
Range 33 to 33 mg across 1 study, 47 g serving
Lower-oxalate swap: Zucchini, grade A, about <1 mg per 1/2 cup cooked.
Bitter melon is high in oxalate: about 33 mg per 1/2 cup raw, which is 66% of the 50 mg a day many stone clinics aim for.
If your doctor has put you on a low-oxalate diet, eat it with something high in calcium, like milk, yogurt or cheese. Calcium in the same meal binds oxalate in the gut, so less of it reaches your urine.
Boiling and draining lowers oxalate, because the soluble part leaches into the water. Compare the raw and boiled rows below.
Where this number comes from
Each row is one published measurement, converted to a 47 g serving (1/2 cup raw). The grade and the range use the rows prepared the way the serving is eaten, and take the middle. How the grades work.
| Per serving | Per 100 g | Preparation | Source |
|---|---|---|---|
| 26 mg | 56 mg | boiled (n=3) | Judprasong K., Charoenkiatkul S., Sungpuag P., Vasanachitt K., Nakjamanong Y, 2006via Foods 2023;12:3201, Table 5 (CC BY 4.0) |
| 33 mg | 71 mg | Raw (n=3) | Judprasong K., Charoenkiatkul S., Sungpuag P., Vasanachitt K., Nakjamanong Y, 2006via Foods 2023;12:3201, Table 5 (CC BY 4.0) |
By Oliver Silen · Data checked November 2, 2026 · Not medical advice