Is Amaranth Flour Safe for Kidney Stones? (Caution)
mg oxalate
per serving
Serving: 1/4 cup (26 g)
Verdict: 🟡 Caution
Per 100g: 283 mg
Data: Harvard T.H. Chan SPH (2024)
The bottom line for Amaranth Flour: Caution (🟡) at 74 mg oxalate per serving. It's the middle of the road — usable, but with guardrails. Half portions, occasional frequency, calcium pairing, and watching your total daily intake keeps it workable.
Putting Amaranth Flour in context: it lands well above the category average of 14 mg. In the database, 84% of grains & pasta (170 of 201) fall in the 🟢 Safe group (under 25 mg oxalate/serving). The typical grains & pasta here averages 14 mg oxalate per serving, so Amaranth Flour runs 433% above that baseline. That places it on the higher end for oxalate 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 grains & pasta rated Caution 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. Amaranth Flour comes in at 74 mg oxalate per 1/4 cup (Caution) in the measured database.
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. Amaranth Flour comes in at 74 mg oxalate per 1/4 cup (Caution) in the measured database.
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. Applied to Amaranth Flour: 74 mg oxalate per 1/4 cup — Caution per Harvard (2024).
Should I also check sodium and calcium?
Yes — kidney stone risk isn't just about oxalate. High sodium increases urinary calcium (a stone promoter). Adequate dietary calcium (from food, not supplements) actually binds oxalate in your gut. Check the food's full nutrition page for the complete picture. Applied to Amaranth Flour: 74 mg oxalate per 1/4 cup — Caution per Harvard (2024).