We know it to be true that for our bodies to run on their optimal state and be in the best condition possible, we need to have a healthy and balanced diet.
Of course, this isn’t new information. What may be surprising to you, though, is that not only is a healthy diet ideal for keeping you from contracting diseases but it also reduces your risks of health problems like developing kidney stones.
Types of Kidney Stones
There are different types of kidney stones with each one varying in risks, although there is no definite, single cause for them. They form when your urine contains more crystal-forming substances than the fluid can dilute such as calcium, oxalate and uric acid. Knowing the different types of kidney stones will give clues on how to reduce your risks of getting more. Types of kidney stones include:
1. Calcium stones
Calcium stones are the leading type of kidney stones, often in the form of calcium oxalate. Oxalate is a naturally occurring substance found in many foods including fruits, vegetables, nuts and seeds, grains, and legumes. Moderating intake of these foods may be beneficial for people who form calcium oxalate stones, but it isn’t ideal to cut them out completely. Why may you ask?
Well, high oxalate foods contain many health benefits that your body needs. New research suggests it’s better to eat and drink calcium AND oxalate-rich foods together during a meal than limiting oxalate entirely. This is because oxalate and calcium are more likely to bind to one another in the stomach and intestines before the kidney begins processing, making it less likely that kidney stones will form. (1)
2. Other Types of Kidney Stones
- Struvite stone: these form in response to an infection, such as a urinary tract infection. They can grow quite large and cause urinary obstruction. Treating an underlying infection can prevent the development of struvite stones.
- Cystine stone: these are quite rare as they tend to develop in both men and women who have a genetic disorder called cystinuria. They occur when cysteine (an acid that occurs naturally in the body) leaks from the kidneys into the urine.
- Uric acid stone: these are common in people with gout or are going through chemotherapy. They develop when urine is too acidic, which can be caused by a diet rich in purines. Purine is a colorless substance in animal proteins, such as fish, shellfish, and meats.
It’s important to note that treatment for kidney stones vary, depending on the type of stone and the cause of it. Talk to your doctor about for more information.
As for prevention, there are a number of lifestyle changes that you can make starting with your nutrient consumption. Namely, there are several natural ways to prevent and potentially treat kidney stones. The following remedies cater more specifically to calcium oxalate stones, which make up about 70% of all cases.
Natural Ways to Prevent Kidney Stones
1. Hydration
Drinking enough water is one of the best measures you can take to avoid developing kidney stones. It helps keep your urine less concentrated, thus reducing the risks of stone formation.
2. Nigella Sativa Seeds
Commonly known as a black seed, nigella sativa seeds are well-known in many Asian, Middle Eastern, and Far Eastern Countries for treating headaches, coughs, abdominal pain, diarrhea, asthma, rheumatism and other diseases.
Furthermore, a 2006 study done on rats who were induced with calcium oxalate stones found that an extract of Nigella sativa appeared to take effect in the reduction of kidney stones. Although this was not done on humans, it seems to be a promising study.
3. Magnesium
This mineral helps lower risk of kidney stones because magnesium binds oxalate in the digestive tract and inhibits the formation of calcium oxalate crystals in urine. In fact, a study in over 45,000 US male health professionals found that those in the highest one-fifth of magnesium intake had a 29% lower risk of developing kidney stones.
4. Vitamin B6
One study examined 85, 557 women to test the association between the intakes of vitamins B6 and kidney stone formation. What they found was that large doses of vitamin B6, which potentially decreases oxalate production, may reduce the risk of kidney stone in women.
Therefore, it’s helpful to incorporate foods into your diet rich in vitamin B6 to prevent the development of kidney stones. Foods with vitamin B6 are turkey breast, tuna, avocado, sunflower seeds, and pistachios.
Can My Eating Habits Cause Kidney Stones?
Kidney stones are solid masses that can develop anywhere along your urinary tract, which has been linked to a poor diet. One particular “diet” that’s affecting millions of people is what’s called the Standard American Diet (SAD). It consists of foods that most Americans are accustomed to eating such as red meat, processed foods, high-fat dairy, refined grains, sugary foods, and sodas, with very little intake of fruits, vegetables, fish, whole grains, and the like. It’s certainly a problematic lifestyle that needs fixing.
Foods to Eat and Avoid with Kidney Stones
If you’re a person that follows this diet and have also developed kidney stones, consider altering your food intake. In general, avoid eating too much sodium, which increases the amount of calcium your kidneys filter, thus increasing your risk of kidney stones. Overall, reduce your sodium intake and increase water intake.
Altering the pH of urine through your diet may also help to prevent stone formation. However, this depends on the type of stone. Alkalizing the urine can help to prevent calcium oxalate/phosphate, calcium phosphate, uric acid stones, and cystine stones. Acidifying it can help prevent struvite based struvite based stones.
Consuming high-fiber foods, which contain phytate such as oat bran, beans, whole wheat bread, and wheat cereal help decrease your risks of calcium-oxalate stones. (3) Furthermore, experimental studies with patients that have low phytate intake had increased risks of forming calcium-oxalate stones, which are the leading type of kidney stone (as mentioned above).
Finally, eating foods with natural citrate prevents calcium from binding to other components that form stones and prevents stones already present in the kidney from sticking to each other, thereby preventing the formation of large stones. (4) Foods with citrate are limeade, lemonade, and juices.
Conclusion
Kidney stones not only vary in type but they also differ in size, causation, and treatment. As general lifestyle practice, eat more of the foods we mentioned in this article to prevent the development of kidney stones. They’re known to be one of the most painful medical conditions so it’s important to take early measures from having to suffer from them. Share this article with your family and friends to pass on the information.
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