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Important health benefits have been reported recently to phytate intake. This includes the prevention of pathological calcifications such as renal calculi, dental calculi and cardiovascular calcification, due its action as crystallization inhibitor of calcium salts, and as preventive of cancer. The aim of this study was to establish a relation between the intake of phytate, through consumption of typical components of the Mediterranean diet (including nuts), and its excretion in urine. This study recruited participants from subjects included in a larger trial (PREDIMED) of food habits, that were assigned to one of two diet groups: (1) the Mediterranean diet with low proportion of phytate-rich food group, where participants were asked to maintain their usual diet; and (2) the Mediterranean diet with high proportion of phytate-rich food group, where participants were asked to increase phytate-rich foods in their diet. Phytate intake was assessed on the basis of a food frequency questionnaire. Urinary phytate excretion was determined in 2-h urine samples. The overall phytate consumption of the Mediterranean diet with high proportion of phytate-rich food group (672 ± 50 mg) was significantly higher than the Mediterranean diet with low proportion of phytate-rich food group (422 ± 34 mg), representing a 59% difference. Urinary phytate excretion was also significantly higher (54%) in the Mediterranean diet with high proportion of phytate-rich food group (1,016 ± 70 μg/L) than the Mediterranean diet with low proportion of phytate-rich food group (659 ± 45 μg/L). Mediterranean diets high in whole cereals, legumes and nuts compared to Mediterranean diets low in these phytate-rich foods increase the urinary phytate excretion in humans. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Since ancient times, various herbal preparations have been used in renal lithiasis therapy, but conclusive scientific data on their therapeutic effects and efficacy are not available. To address this issue, the present study evaluated the antilithiasic activity of a traditional Mallorcan herbal preparation, and compared its effects with those of the antioxidant flavonoids, catechin and epicatechin. Thirty-six male Wistar rats were assigned randomly to four groups ( n = 9): a control group, a catechin (CAT) treatment group, an epicatechin (EPI) treatment group, and a group treated with a folk herbal extract (FHE). After 16 days of treatment, calcium oxalate lithiasis was induced in the rats using ethylene glycol. After 8 days (treatment + ethylene glycol), 24-h rat urine was collected, the animals were sacrificed and their kidneys were removed for histological and chemical analysis. The calcium concentration in kidney tissue was significantly lower in the CAT-treated (2.4 ± 0.3 mg/g), EPI-treated (1.8 ± 0.3 mg/g) and FHE-treated (2.1 ± 0.3 mg/g) groups, than in the control group (5.4 ± 1.4 mg/g). Examination of paraffin-embedded kidney sections showed that control group rats had the greatest amount of calcification. There were no significant differences between control and treated groups with respect to urinary calcium, magnesium, oxalate and citrate concentrations. These results demonstrate the ability of herbal preparations and antioxidants to prevent the development of papillary and intratubular calcification in the kidney. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]