Kidney stones are a small hard buildup of excess minerals in the kidneys, and the urinary tract. Its form in many ways. The combination of chemicals and calcium such as phosphorous or oxalate is in the urine.
It can occur if these substances get concentrated that they solidify. Kidney stones can also occur by uric acid accumulation. Uric acid accumulation occurred through the protein metabolism. Your urinary tract was not created to expel solid matter; therefore, it is no surprise that kidney stones are very painful to get out. Fortunately, they can be skipped from the diet.
Do Certain Food Choices Cause Kidney Stones?
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Yes, if you already had a history of kidney stones, check with your health care expert and know details about the type of kidney stone you had. Based on your kidney stone type, you may be able to stop kidney stones by making some changes in the quantity of animal protein, sodium, oxalate, and calcium in the food you eat.
Here are the types of kidney stones:
A specialized dietitian in the prevention of kidney stones can help to plan a meal based on your type of kidney stones.
Calcium Oxalate Stones
Calcium oxalate stones are very common kidney stones. These stones are solid masses that grow inside the kidney when there are high levels of oxalate, calcium, phosphate, or cystine with low liquid. Calcium oxalate stones form from high oxalate in the urine.
Reduce oxalate
If you had a calcium oxalate stones history, then avoid these foods to lower the oxalate amount in your urine:
- rhubarb
- wheat bran
- nuts and nut products
- peanuts
- spinach
How Much Oxalate Is Too Much?
Most people have between 200-300 milligrams of oxalates every day. If you are at kidney stones risk, consume only 100 milligrams per day. The physician may also suggest a low oxalate diet of lower than 50 milligrams per day for some people. Take your physician’s advice.
Reduce Sodium
Your chance of forming kidney stones raises when you consume more sodium. Sodium is part of salt. Sodium is present in different packaged, canned, and fast foods. It is also in different seasonings, condiments, and meats.
Talk with your health care expert about how much sodium should be in what you consume.
Limit Animal Protein
Eating animal protein may raise your chances of increasing kidney stones. A health care professional may tell you lower eating animal protein, including
- eggs
- fish and shellfish
- cheese,
- milk, and other dairy products
- chicken, beef, and pork, (organ meats)
Although you may need to lower how much animal protein you consume every day, you still need to ensure you have sufficient protein. Consider changing some of the animal protein and meat you would commonly consume with dried peas, beans, and lentils, which are plant-based foods that have high protein and low oxalate.
Talk with your physician about how much total protein you should consume and how much you should receive from plant-based or animal foods.
How Many Salts Do You Need?
The human body needs a small amount of sodium. One should get around 1500 mg of salt each day. More than 1500 mg can cause heart disease, stroke, and high blood pressure.
Get Sufficiently Calcium from Foods
Even though calcium looks like it would be the reason for calcium stones, it is not. In the right quantity, calcium can block different substances in the digestive tract that may form stones. Talk with your physician about how much calcium you should intake to stop getting calcium oxalate stones, and support bone strength. It may be good calcium from low oxalate, plant-based foods like calcium-fortified cereals, juices, vegetables, and bread.
Calcium Phosphate Stones
Phosphate stones can form larger and faster than calcium oxalate stones. Calcium phosphate crystals overrun kidney tissue and create problems.
Alkaline Urine Induces Phosphate Stones
Stones phosphate changes the oxalate when urine has high alkaline. GI tract and kidney physiology increase urine pH, especially in females. Diet is not the cause of more urine pH. Diet will not reliably reduce the pH, and we do not have specific drugs to do it.
Uric Acid Stones
A uric acid stone is also a kidney stone. It is harder and formed from the chemical present in urine. After formation, the stone may keep in the kidney or go down the urinary tract into the ureter. Stones that do not move may lead to significant pain, infection, urinary outflow obstruction, and other health condition.
Cystine Stones
A cystine stone is a form of kidney stone. Several people think there is only one kind of stone, but there are different types. Cystine stones occur from a rare disorder named cystinuria. The disorder leads to the natural substance cystine leaking into the urine. When there is more cysteine present in urine, kidney stones can form. These stones can get stuck in the bladder, kidneys, and urinary tract.
Kidney Stones Diet – Foods List and Benefits
Different people have different symptoms of kidney stones. Around 11% of males and 6% of females get them. Genetics, medications, and dehydration can also form a kidney stone. If you have had a kidney stone history, your physician may suggest changes in your diet based on the type of stone you have.
Here is the food and what to eat when you have kidney stones:
Drink lots of water
Water is important when you are at risk of forming kidney stones. Aim to drink 60-80 ounces of water each day to prevent dehydration and risk.
Benefits
Several people with kidney stones are more prone to get another. A key way to prevent the risk of kidney stones is to drink more water. Water helps to dilute the substances present in urine that cause stones. Try to consume at least 3 quarts of water each day.
The amount of water and other liquid you drink depends on the activity levels and weather. If you work, live, or work out in hot weather, you may need extra liquid to replace the fluid you lose from sweat.
Here are some tips to consume extra water:
Include flavor and color to your water without calories by freezing lemon, grapes, lime, or orange peels and using them in place of ice cubes.
In winter, consume hot water with honey and lemon.
Though water is a good choice, other liquids like citrus drinks may also help to stop kidney stones. Some research shows that citrus drinks like orange juice and lemonade save against kidney stones because they have citrate, which prevents crystals from changing into stones.
Choose sparkling water or mineral water in place of soda.
Use an app to track how much you drink. Keep a reminder for water.
Mark a water line on your water bottle to know how much you should have a drink at different times of the day.
Remove processed and other high-salt foods
If someone has more calcium in their urine, you wish to ensure they moderate their sodium consumption, since a more high level of salt boost calcium excretion in the urine.
Lower processed foods like chips, crackers, frozen, and ready-made meals.
Make milk or yogurt or cheese — but not calcium supplements
It may seem common to consume foods having more calcium to prevent calcium stones – kidney stones, but dietary calcium is good. It can help to block different substances present in the digestive tract that can lead to stones. Your health expert can help to choose the best calcium food suitable for you.
Calcium supplements, on the other hand, can boost the risk of stones. Other supplements you may wish to lower include vitamin D, which helps the body to absorb vitamin C, and calcium, which is changed into oxalates.
Include Lime Juice In Your Drinks
They consist of citrate, which prevents stone naturally. It is heterocycle calcium, which refers to preventing calcium from binding with different. Some physicians recommend potassium citrate as a pill to decrease kidney stone risk.
Eat Plenty Of Fruit
Fruits are the best choice for kidney stones because of their fiber and water content, which provide more citrate and magnesium levels. They are more alkaline, all of which help to fight kidney stones.
Careful While Eating Leafy Green Vegetables, Beets, Rhubarb, And Sweet Potatoes
These green veggies are healthy for the heart, but they have more oxalates, a naturally occurring synthesis linked to kidney stone formation. Eat low dairy fat with high oxalate foods. Because diary will provide calcium, which will bind the oxalate and present in the stool, not be absorbed into the blood and pass into the urine.
Cut Back On Animal Protein
If an individual suffering from calcium stones or uric acid stones with relatively high uric acid present in the urine, they may wish to lower their non-dairy animal protein consumption. That is because animal proteins have more compounds called purines, which can lead to excreting extra uric acid and being more prone to forming uric acid stones.
Limit Your Iced Tea, Soy Or Almond Milk, Or Sodas
Consuming more iced tea can cause kidney stones because tea has high oxalate. Colas are also not suitable. Dark colas are made bubbly by adding phosphoric acid, and that increases the kidney stones risk.
Pale sodas containing ginger ale are the best options but know they have high sugar. Sugar boosts the calcium amount in the urine and causes metabolic syndrome, diabetes, and bad cholesterol, which cause an extra acidic environment in the body.
Kidney Stone Diet: Food List To Eat
Apple
Eating apple keeps away several diseases. The anti-oxidant element present in apples prevents infectious diseases. Everyone from kids to elders should eat apples. Along with health, it also improves skin. Nowadays, kidney stone problems can be solved. Not only elders but also youths experience kidney stone problems. However, in some conditions, it is not harmful, but the pain is very unbearable.
The anti-oxidant elements present in apples also save you from kidney stones. Because for some reason a stone has occurred in the kidney, apple juice or vinegar can be helpful.
If the kidney stone is not small and not old, then consuming 70% of apple juice can remove it.
How To Extract Apple Juice At Home?
Freeze the apple for 12 hours and let it chill. After 12 hours, keep the apple outside at the normal temperature. The apple will melt totally. Make a hole in the apple using a toothpick, and take out the apple juice in the glass.
How To Make Apple Juice?
You have to drink the apple juice each morning. Drink this daily. Drinking apple juice regularly helps to melt the kidney stone into small sizes than into small particles to pass out from the body through urine. Stone never occurs in the kidney itself, but it occurs when there are excess substances. Drinking apple vinegar also helps to remove kidney stones. You can consume apple vinegar on an empty stomach in the morning by diluting it with lukewarm water.
Pomegranate
Eating pomegranate is also helpful for kidney stones. It helps to improve digestion and prevent stone formation. Even if there is a stone that occurs, pomegranate consumption help to dissolve it and remove it through urine.
Lemon juice and Olive Oil
Wake up each morning and drink one glass of lukewarm water with 2-teaspoon olive oil and 1 lemon. It will help to overcome stone problems in 1.5 months. If you want to drink lemonade, then take it in the evening.
Bananas
Bananas are helpful for kidney stones as they have magnesium, vitamin B, and potassium with low oxalate. Research has shown that eating a banana every day helps to lower growing kidney stones.
The potassium in bananas helps to manage calcium eliminated from the body. If you excrete more calcium, oxalate may remain in the body and increases the chances of growing calcium oxalate kidney stones. The high potassium content present in bananas can therefore help to stop kidney stones by controlling the oxalate and calcium content in the body. Potassium can also manage the acidity in urine.
Bananas are the best source of vitamin B6, which helps to raise red blood cell production and remove unnecessary chemical compounds from the kidneys and liver.
Additionally, magnesium in banana also has magnesium that combines oxalates present in the food you eat and help to prevent calcium oxalate crystals.
Dairy Products
Products like yogurt, milk, and cheese have high calcium and also get absorbed quickly. Calcium based on fortified foods and plants may not absorb well.
Food List to Avoid that Causes Kidney Stone
Spinach
Spinach is one of the most harmful vegetables for people with a kidney stones. Because it has extremely high oxalates. One cup of spinach has 656 mg of oxalates and cooked spinach has 755 mg. Although spinach provides healthy nutrition and vitamin, it is better to avoid when you suspect kidney stones. Try alternating spinach with kale, which has low oxalates.
Almonds
Although almonds are healthy for all types of diet, still they are not suitable for kidney stone diet due to their high oxalates. One ounce of almonds provides 122 mg of oxalates. Walnuts, cashews, pistachios, and peanuts also have high oxalates. If you already suffering from uric acid kidney stones or calcium oxalate kidney stones, then your physician may tell you to avoid these all.
Miso Soup
Miso soup is another staple dish in Asian culture it commonly has small pieces of seaweed and tofu. However, miso soup is especially high in oxalates. One cup of miso soup provides 111 mg of oscillates, so if you get kidney stones, then it is good to skip it.
Animal Protein
Animal protein doe not have high oxalates but eating too much of it can lead to uric acid kidney stones. Eating moderate or small amounts of animal protein will not cause kidney stones. However, you should know that more servings could cause uric acid buildup. This applies to all types of animal protein like eggs, turkey, chicken, red meat, and seafood.
The portion size rules say that the animal protein serving size should not be more than the palm of your hand which normally amounts to around 4-6 ounces. It will be safe to enjoy your protein without having kidney stones at risk.
Okra
Okra has high nutrition like healthy fats, protein, fiber, and potassium. It helps in digestion and enhances skin health if directly applied after boiling and mashing. However, okra also has high oxalate. Therefore, if you suspect any problem with kidney stones, it is good to avoid eating okra.
Rhubarb
Rhubarb is a type of leafy green vegetable that provides the same texture like celery and sour taste. When cooked it is best for sweets and desserts. However, rhubarb have high oxalates, which can harm kidney stone conditions. One-half cup provides 541 mg of oxalates.
Cocoa Powder
Cocoa powder is thought to be an aphrodisiac in Switzerland people consume 22 pounds of chocolate every capita by comparison Americans only consume 11 pounds dark chocolate is the best food rich in nutrients so the swiss are onto something. However, cocoa powder has high oxalates. 100 gm of raw cocoa powder provides 624 milligrams of oxalates. Therefore, it is the best skip if you are suspected of kidney stones.
If you still want it, then you can mix it with milk to promote calcium.
Bulgur
Bulgur is prepared from different wheat species. Often durum wheat originated from countries in the middles east and is light and provides a nutty aroma. It is often added to Mediterranean food types such as tabbouleh but can be also added to veggies burgers and squash.
Bulgur has high oxalates – one cup of cooked bulgur consists of 86 mg of oxalates.
Buckwheat
Buckwheat has rich minerals, fiber, and antioxidants. It helps regulate blood sugar and cholesterol levels. If you are concerned about kidney stones you may wish to skip or lower your consumption. One cup serving of cooked buckwheat groats has 133 milligrams of oxalates instead try white rice which is another gluten-free grain and has 4 milligrams of oxalates in 1 cooked cup.
Beets
Beets are a very nutritious root vegetable. They have natural sweet, beta carotene, and iron. Beets also provide folate, fiber, and potassium. Half a cup of beets contains 7 milligrams of oxalates, which is high and cause kidney stone. Still, you enjoy a limited amount of beets.
Potatoes
Even though potatoes provide rich nutrients like vitamin C, fiber, and vitamin B, Potatoes with skin – one medium baked potato provides 97 milligrams of oxalates each serving.
Raspberries
Many fruits have some amount of oxalates like grapefruit, oranges, and avocados, but raspberries are considered to have high oxalate with 48 milligrams in each cup. Even raspberries have been found to remove stones from the urinary tract even after acute management.
Dates
Dates consist of more nutrition. It is used in baking and cooking. Avoid dates as they have high sugar and are concentrated with oxalates. One date provides 24 milligrams.
Hot chocolate
Hot chocolate is also not a good choice to eat when you are suffering from a kidney stone. As hot chocolate consists of 6 milligrams of oxalate, replacing it with chocolate milk can be a good idea.
Soy products
Soy products are prepared with soybeans. These are highly nutritious and suitable for a plant-based diet. As they have high oxalate, an ounce serving of firm tofu provides 235 milligrams while one cup of soy milk provides up to 336 milligrams each serving.
Navy beans
Half a cup of navy beans provides 76 mg of oxalates, which is more for kidney stones. Try other beans like green beans, and lentils.
Kidney Stones Diet: Lifestyle Changes
Passing a kidney stone can be difficult like labor pains affecting the joyful moments. If you experienced a kidney stone, you possibly wish to stop it from getting again. The good news is that your diet can make a big change.
Medications, medical conditions, and genetic disorders can also contribute to kidney stone formation. The best diet to skip kidney stones differs depending on the stone type the patient forms since each has different risk factors. There are four main types of kidney stones, but the most common are calcium oxalate stones.
Healthy issues, like osteoporosis or diabetes, can also impact stone growth and dietary suggestion. Therefore, it is important to consider these factors when practicing the best kidney stone diet plan for you.
Eat calcium-rich foods
People with calcium oxalate stones often think they need to remove dairy.
That is a rare case, you need calcium in your diet to balance strong muscles and bones. What causes a problem is if you are consuming more calcium supplements.
Try to fulfill your calcium requirement from food instead of supplements unless your physician recommends otherwise.
Reduce salt intake
More salt levels present in urine boost stone formation. American diets are dreadful when they form because of salt consumption and it is not just a matter of people including salt in foods. Several foods we consume have a large amount of sodium.
For example, low-fat cottage cheese provides 1/3 of everyday salt in it.
Lower your salt to 1500-2000 mg a day. That is about a half tsp of salt. Additionally, to not salting your food, watch out for how much sodium is present in food, including:
- Cereal
- Salad dressing
- Bread
- Pasta sauces
- Soups
- Snacks
Include lemon and lime juice in the water
Lime juice and lemon serve as kryptonite for some kidney types of stones. They consist of citrate, which both neutralizes acid present in urine and can prevent calcium stones from forming. For example, uric acid crystals grow and change into stones in an acidic environment. Therefore, if urine is alkaline, then uric stones will grow and can dissolve uric acid stones with high citrate doses.
Include lime or lemon in water whenever you can. Aim for having a total of a half cup of lime or lemon juice concentrate in your drinking water in a day.
Talk To Your Physician About Supplements
Some common supplements such as vitamin C, calcium, and turmeric can boost the risk for kidney stones. Others like vitamin B and fish oil can help to lower stone formation.
Talk about supplements with your physician before consuming them to ensure they will not cause stone formation.
Rethink Some Healthy Foods
Your physician may suggest more dietary changes for you based on stone type and the result of a 24-hour urine test to know your urine composition meaning what is present in urine.
If you get oxalate content in urine, for example, your physician may suggest avoiding oxalate-rich foods like spinach and rhubarb. Or may suggest consuming those foods with dairy, as the calcium from milk products binds to oxalate and forces them into your feces rather than urine.
Oxalate presents more in healthy foods like vegetables, greens, nuts, and beans. So, we would only limit them after analyzing a patient’s stone type and urine test results.
Limit Meat Consumption
If you get kidney stones, lowering the meat present in the diet is the best idea that can cause more acid in urine. A high level of acid boosts the crystallization of synthesis of your pee that can change into stones.
High animal protein can also lower citrate in your urine and prevent stone formation.
Try limiting foods, including:
Chicken
Fish
Pork
Red meat