Yes, beer contains oxalates, but in relatively small amounts. Most beers fall in the range of 0.30 to 1.78 mg of oxalate per 100 mL, which puts a standard 12-ounce serving somewhere between about 1 and 6 mg. For comparison, a single serving of spinach can contain over 750 mg. So while beer isn’t oxalate-free, it’s far lower than the foods that typically cause problems for people managing oxalate intake.
How Much Oxalate Is in Different Beers
Not all beers are equal when it comes to oxalate content. Kaiser Permanente’s dietary guidelines for kidney stone prevention categorize common beers into three tiers. Standard American-style beers like Budweiser and typical draft beers fall into the low-oxalate category. Stouts like Guinness land in the medium range. And European-style lagers, specifically pilsners like Tuborg, are classified as high oxalate.
Non-alcoholic beer sits at the top of the measured range, with one analysis finding 1.78 mg per 100 mL, the highest among all beer and wine samples tested. That works out to roughly 6 mg in a 12-ounce serving. If you’re switching to non-alcoholic beer specifically to reduce oxalate exposure, it may actually contain more than the regular version you were drinking.
The differences likely come down to ingredients and brewing processes. Darker malts, higher grain content, and the specific brewing methods used in lagers and non-alcoholic beers can all concentrate oxalates in the final product.
Beer and Kidney Stone Risk
Here’s where things get counterintuitive. Despite containing some oxalates, beer consumption is actually associated with a lower risk of calcium oxalate kidney stones. A large study using data from the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (2007 to 2018) found that beer drinkers had 24% lower odds of kidney stone disease compared to non-drinkers. Wine showed a similar protective effect, while liquor had no association either way.
The relationship was dose-dependent, meaning more beer correlated with progressively lower risk. People drinking moderate amounts (roughly one to two standard drinks per day) had about 35% lower odds of stones, and heavier drinkers saw reductions up to 66%. Very light beer consumption, less than one drink per day, showed no protective effect at all.
The most likely explanation is volume. Beer increases fluid intake and acts as a mild diuretic, which dilutes urine and helps flush out stone-forming minerals before they can crystallize. The small amount of oxalate in the beer itself is likely overwhelmed by the dilution effect of the extra liquid passing through your kidneys.
The Purine Problem
If you’re researching beer and kidney stones, oxalates are only part of the picture. Beer is also high in purines, compounds that your body breaks down into uric acid. Excess uric acid in your urine can lead to a different type of kidney stone: uric acid stones. Cleveland Clinic lists beer alongside red meat, organ meats, and shellfish as a high-purine food to limit if you’re prone to these stones.
This creates a bit of a paradox. Beer’s fluid content may help prevent calcium oxalate stones while its purine content raises the risk of uric acid stones. The type of stone you’ve had before, or are at risk for, matters a lot when deciding whether beer is a net positive or negative for your kidneys.
Where Beer Fits in a Low-Oxalate Diet
For people actively following a low-oxalate diet, beer is one of the least concerning beverages. The National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases lists nuts, peanuts, rhubarb, spinach, and wheat bran as the primary high-oxalate foods to watch. Beer doesn’t appear on that list. At roughly 1 to 6 mg per serving depending on style, it contributes very little to your daily oxalate load compared to these foods.
If you want to keep oxalate intake as low as possible, stick to standard American-style lagers or draft beers and avoid European pilsners and non-alcoholic options. But for most people, the oxalate content of beer is low enough that it’s unlikely to be the thing tipping the balance toward stone formation. The bigger dietary targets are leafy greens, nuts, and high-oxalate grains.