Are white beans high in oxalate?
Yes. High, 49 mg per 1/2 cup cooked
Range 42 to 66 mg across 3 studies, 90 g serving
Lower-oxalate swap: Chickpeas, grade B, about 5.9 mg per 1/4 cup dry (about 1/2 cup cooked).
White beans are high in oxalate: about 49 mg per 1/2 cup cooked, which is 98% of the 50 mg a day many stone clinics aim for, or 49% of the 100 mg others allow.
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. How much calcium, and what if you don't eat dairy.
50 or 100 mg a day: which target is yours
Boiling and draining lowers oxalate, because the soluble part leaches into the water. Compare the raw and boiled rows below.
Why sources disagree on white beans
The 3 studies here run from 42 to 66 mg per 1/2 cup cooked, measured between 2002 and 2023. They tested 3 preparations, and growing conditions, variety and lab method all move the number.
Where this number comes from
Each row is one published measurement, converted to a 90 g serving (1/2 cup cooked). 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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| 42 mg | 47 mg | White, boiled (n=3) | Akhtar M.S., Israr B., Bhatty N., Ali A, 2011via Foods 2023;12:3201, Table 5 (CC BY 4.0) |
| 49 mg | 54.2 mg | Preserved white (n=2) | Hönow R., Hesse A, 2002via Foods 2023;12:3201, Table 5 (CC BY 4.0) |
| 66 mg | 73.51 mg | Navy, canned | Harvard T.H, 2023 |
| 142 mg | 158 mg | White, raw (n=3) | Akhtar M.S., Israr B., Bhatty N., Ali A, 2011via Foods 2023;12:3201, Table 5 (CC BY 4.0) |
By Oliver Silen · Data checked November 2, 2026 · Not medical advice