Is Cucumbers Safe for Kidney Stones? (Safe)
mg oxalate
per serving
Serving: 1 cup, sliced (120 g)
Verdict: 🟢 Safe
Per 100g: 4 mg
Data: Harvard T.H. Chan SPH (2024)
Here's the takeaway: Cucumbers earns a Safe rating (🟢) at 5 mg oxalate per serving. Being under 25 mg means it fits comfortably in everyday eating. Keep your usual habits — adequate fluids and calcium in meals — and Cucumbers poses no special concern.
Putting Cucumbers in context: it lands well below the category average of 27 mg. In the database, 80% of vegetables (219 of 271) fall in the 🟢 Safe group (under 25 mg oxalate/serving). The typical vegetables here averages 27 mg oxalate per serving, so Cucumbers runs 82% below that baseline. That places it among the lower-oxalate options in its category. Why this matters: the gap between two Safe foods can be wide — one may hold 5 mg oxalate while another sits at 24 mg. The lower one leaves more room in your day. See all vegetables rated Safe for a full side-by-side.
Why does the safe threshold matter?
The 25 mg cutoff comes from clinical guidance for stone formers. Below it, a food's oxalate contribution is small enough not to move the needle for most patients. Harvard's 2024 lab data sits behind these figures — direct measurements, not estimates. For Cucumbers, the measured oxalate value is 5 mg per 1 cup, sliced (Safe).
Can I eat this food every day?
For Safe foods (under 25 mg/serving), daily use is generally fine. Caution and Avoid foods work better as occasional items — rotate them with safer options so no single high-oxalate food becomes a habit. Applied to Cucumbers: 5 mg oxalate per 1 cup, sliced — Safe per Harvard (2024).
Where does the oxalate data come from?
Every oxalate figure is sourced from Harvard T.H. Chan SPH (2024), distributed via the OHF database. The values come from actual lab measurements of the foods — not from database averages or estimates. For Cucumbers, the measured oxalate value is 5 mg per 1 cup, sliced (Safe).
Should I also check sodium and calcium?
Yes — oxalate alone doesn't decide stone risk. Sodium pushes more calcium into urine, and calcium from food (not supplements) helps bind oxalate during digestion. The main food page covers sodium and calcium alongside oxalate. For context, Cucumbers measures 5 mg per 1 cup, sliced, rated Safe.