Theme 1 – Heat stress, dehydration, and harsh working conditions
Many commenters point to the physically demanding work in hot environments as the main driver of CKDu.
- ggm: “A disease which targets latinx? seems more likely its field workers, inadequate hydration and bad fluid hygene overall.”
- conductr: “there’s a cultural machismo amongst the Hispanic laborers that hydration is for putos.”
- Brybry: “OSHA has a proposed heat injury prevention rule that would make 80F (heat index) … as initial and high heat trigger temperatures.”
Theme 2 – Dietary oxalate intake as a possible contributor
A recurring line of speculation focuses on high‑oxalate foods (spinach, nuts, beans, chocolate, etc.) exacerbating kidney damage.
- ggm: “My urologist … said ‘you can drink a litre of water a day, or you can pay for my yacht upgrade… the main thing was to limit oxalate rich foods or take adequate citric acid.’”
- christophilus: “It’s in loads of things. Peanuts, spinach, beans, chocolate, avocados, corn, soy… the list is endless.”
- card_zero (humorously): “‘Cos I eats my spinach, I’ve kidney the failure, man.”
Theme 3 – Occupational/environmental toxin exposure (pesticides, glyphosate, nitrites)
Several participants suspect workplace chemicals—particularly pesticides or glyphosate—as a hidden factor.
- profsummergig: “are these the same workers who pluck vegetables while they're being sprayed with pesticides and herbicides?”
- soulofmischief: “glyphosate was sprayed irrespective of season… breathing in clouds of that shit and getting it all over my skin frequently.”
- EA-3167: “The best guesses are both chronic rather than single acute injuries. High heat, dehydration, hard work, exposure to nitrites and who knows what else.”