Is Beef broth Safe for Kidney Stones? (Safe)
mg oxalate
per serving
Serving: 1 cup (240 g)
Verdict: 🟢 Safe
Per 100g: 1 mg
Data: Harvard T.H. Chan SPH (2024)
What this means: Beef broth is rated Safe (🟢). At 2 mg oxalate per serving, it's well under the 25 mg safety threshold. You can include it regularly in a kidney stone diet. Pair it with calcium-rich foods (dairy, fortified plant milks) for additional protection, and drink plenty of water throughout the day.
Among meat & poultry, Beef broth sits well below the category average of 6 mg. For context, 68 out of 76 meat & poultry (89%) are rated 🟢 Safe (under 25 mg oxalate/serving). The average meat & poultry in our database has 6 mg oxalate per serving — which means Beef broth is 66% below the category norm. Within its specific category, Beef broth ranks among the lower-oxalate options. This context matters because two 'Safe' foods can have very different oxalate levels — one might have 5 mg while another has 24 mg. Both are Safe, but the first gives you more dietary flexibility. Browse all meat & poultry rated Safe to compare within the same verdict level.
Why does the safe threshold matter?
The 25 mg per serving threshold is based on clinical guidance for kidney stone patients. Harvard's lab data (2024) provides the most reliable oxalate measurements available — no database estimates, direct lab analysis. Beef broth comes in at 2 mg oxalate per 1 cup (Safe) in the measured database.
Can I eat this food every day?
If it's in the Safe zone (under 25 mg/serving), yes — it can be a regular part of your diet. For Caution or Avoid foods, frequency matters. Rotate them with lower-oxalate options throughout the week. For context, Beef broth measures 2 mg per 1 cup, rated Safe.
Where does the oxalate data come from?
The numbers come from Harvard T.H. Chan SPH's 2024 laboratory measurements, published through the OHF database. Direct lab analysis, which is why they're treated as the reference values for food oxalate. For context, Beef broth measures 2 mg per 1 cup, rated Safe.
Should I also check sodium and calcium?
Definitely. Oxalate is only part of the story — high sodium raises calcium in urine, and dietary calcium (from food, not pills) binds oxalate in the gut. The food's main page lists both, so it's worth checking before you plan around it. For context, Beef broth measures 2 mg per 1 cup, rated Safe.