How To Do Just About Everything
By eHow Health Editor
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Kidney stones affect half a million people every year, most often white males between the ages of 30 and 50. By following these preventive steps you'll lessen your chances of affliction.
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Comments
Anonymous said
on 8/8/2006 It is dangerous to recommend elimination or limitation of calcium in the diet without knowing the cause of the kidney stone(s). Most kidney stones contain calcium regardless of the cause of the stone (uric acid, oxalate, phosphate, low citrate excretion, calcium itself). However, intake of calcium is often not the problem. Indeed, limiting calcium in the diet will limit binding of oxalate in the GI tract (oxalate is common in many foods and is especially high in certain foods like rhubarb). If oxalate is not bound in the GI tract, the excess is reabsorbed and shipped to the kidneys for excretion in the urine (rather than stool). When there is excess oxalate in the renal system (or more than one's system can handle), this causes precipitation of oxalate with calcium, regardless of your calcium intake (because there is obligatory calcium loss in urine daily). Thus, limiting calcium in the diet can actually increase stone formation. People with gastric bypass surgery and any type of malabsorption are at especially high risk. Calcium intake should NOT be below 1 gram per day and, indeed, should be closer to 1200 mg per day in most individuals. Calcium supplements should not be used in stone prevention as long as the stone former is on a regular calcium diet (i.e. about 1200 mg daily). If calcium supplements are used to increase calcium intake, they should be taken with meals so as to allow maximal binding to oxalate. Taking supplements at night, when there is not much oxalate to be bound, may increase calcium absorption through the GI tract ->excretion into the renal system->supersaturation->crystal and stone formation.
Recommendation for stone prevention should simply be a non-American diet:
1. Low animal protein (vegetarian diet if possible) especially in men rather than women.
* Animal protein is made up of sulfur-containing amino acids causing generation of sulfuric acid and acidification of urine, which creates a better environment for calcium stone formation.
* Intake of animal protein should not exceed 1 g per kg per day.
* Increasing fruits and veggies in the diet will increase citrate excretion in the urine -> citrate prevents supersaturation of calcium and oxalate in urine -> prevents crystals and thus stones.
* Lemon juice increases citrate excretion in the urine (good thing) but cranberry juice does not (despite popular belief, plus may increase stone risk).
2. Low salt diet. Avoid pre-processed foods(decrease sodium intake to 80 mEq per day).
3. Normal calcium intake.
* 1200 mg daily from all sources, including supplements if they are used.
* Supplementing diet with lactic acid bacteria (e.g. in yogurt/Kefir) may manipulate the GI flora -> decrease oxalate absorption (as well as increase dietary calcium) -> this has not been proven in studies, but is hypothesized to help some individuals.
* Avoid cranberry juice supplemented with calcium.
4. Drink 2 liters per 24 hours, including drinking at bedtime or at night.
* You know you're on the right track if you are otherwise healthy and increase your urination to every 2 to 3 hours during the day, plus have to get up at least once to pee at night.
* Higher tea and coffee consumption reduces risk of stone formation by about 10% per cup.
* 1 bottle of beer per day may decreases stone formation by 40%
* Grapefruit juice increases the risk per Nurses' Health Study.
* Cranberry juice increases calcium oxalate concentration in urine and thus increases risk of stone formation
* High vitamin C consumption increases stone formation due to conversion of vitamin C to oxalate.
5. Increase citrate in your urine, especially if stone is known to be primarily calcium and patient is known have low citrate excretion in the urine.
* Can be done expensively by a prescription.
* Can be done cheaply by changing your diet to higher fruits and veggies.
* Can be increased by using 4 ounces of fresh lemon juice daily (mix it in 2 liters of water and kill 2 birds with one stone).
See a kidney doctor or a urologist if you have recurrent stones or a family history of stones. It may all be in your genes!
Anonymous said
on 3/20/2006 Potassium/Magnesium citrate is shown to prevent 85% of stones (has to be citrate form however), and works against oxalate's in diet.
Use lemon in water, Real Lemon works, or lemon slices. Pumpkin seeds help, too.
Anonymous said
on 2/16/2006 Many suggest the elimination of calcium rich food, but this is not always good, or possible. Without calcium you would end up with Osteoporosis. The recommended intake is 1000 mg of calcium, preferably in the form of natural food. But, also make sure you drink a lot of water to flush the kidney and the urinary tract of calcium deposits.
One more tip: drinking water right after meals is not good, because it dilutes the digestive juices and the efficiency of digestion is reduced. But, feel free to drink a lot of water between meals, preferably starting 2.5 hours after eating a meal so as to give sufficient time for digestion to complete.
Yes, coconut juice is a staple drink in the Eastern countries - one more sensible thing the easterners do that is lost on the consuming public of the West that pigs itself on artificial food from supplements to colas to what have you. Now, just wait for a cola company to bottle the coconut juice, with additives and artificial flavors, and market it in the West.
Anonymous said
on 11/22/2005 Limit your consumption of drink products that contain crystalline calcium supplements. These drinks can lead to a higher chance of kidney stones.
Anonymous said
on 11/22/2005 My urologist suggested that I drink no less than 12 glass of water a day. I was also told to drink 2-3 glasses of coconut water, followed by Ayurvedic medicines. I did this and was cured of kidney stones in a matter of 4 months. Avoid eating calcium rich foods.