Kidney stones are formed when substances like calcium, oxalate, phosphorus etc. become highly concentrated in the urine. The waste products from the body go into the bloodstream and are carried to the kidney from where they are released as urine. Therefore, the kidney stones largely depend on what you eat. If you take the proper nutritional measures everyday and follow a proper kidney stone diet, you can prevent the risks of getting a kidney stone. However, be mindful of the fact that food and diet isn’t the sole cause for kidney stones, genes, obesity and other environmental factors are also responsible for kidney stone formation in some cases.
Kidney stone diet and preventive measures
Drink plenty of water and fluids
Prevention of kidney stone formation is one of the million benefits of drinking plenty of water. Drink pure, fluoride free water that will help you flush your bloodstream of the body wastes easily and clean up your kidneys. No matter what kidney stone diet you take, having plenty of water is a must. Some experts also suggest on drinking distilled water to prevent the formation of kidney stones as these help in flushing out the body wastes better.
Besides water, drink lots of fluids everyday. Make sure that you drink at least 4-5 litres of water coupled with some other healthy drinks.
Avoid oxalate rich foods to prevent kidney stone formation
If you tend to form calcium oxalate kidney stones, you should control your intake of oxalate rich foods. Rhubarb, Okra, Sweet potatoes, Nuts, Tea etc. should be excluded from the diet of people who are likely to form calcium oxalate kidney stones. You should also take salt in lesser amount. You can continue eating calcium containing foods as these don’t have an effect on kidney stone formation. However, plan a kidney stone diet that contains the foods containing calcium oxalate as less a possible.
Add lemon to your daily kidney stone diet
Lemon should form an integral part of your kidney stone diet. Apple cider vinegar, lime juice or fresh lemon juice will neutralize the acidic content of your body and prevent the formation of kidney stones. Not just that, these also help in dissolving the kidney stones that may be in the process of formation in your kidneys.
You can have lemon juice or lime juice along with olive oil. Some health practitioners also suggest taking lemon juice mixed with apple cider vinegar to prevent the risks of getting kidney stones.
Magnesium Citrate and Vitamin B
Magnesium Citrate is given to the patients who are suffering from the pain due to kidney stone. It is known to counter the effects of calcium oxalate in foods. So, add more foods containing magnesium such as cacao, beans, bananas etc. in your daily diet. Besides that, you vitamin B is also a key element that should be included in your diet plan.
Kidney Stone Diet: Changing your dietary plan
The key idea to preventing kidney stone formation is bringing about changes in the fluids that you take daily. Depending on the type of kidney stone you have (calcium oxalate stone, calcium phosphate stone or Uric Acid Stone) you need to change your fluids accordingly so as to control the amount of sodium, calcium, phosophorus and oxalate going inside your body. Including more citrus drinks in your diet and drink lots of water will help prevent any type of kidney stones.
Calcium Oxalate Stones
The best kidney stone diet for preventing calcium oxalate stones is to reduce the intake of sodium and animal proteins such as meat, fish and eggs. However, you can and should take foods that are rich in calcium but should avoid the ones that contain oxalate such as spinach, nuts, rhubarb etc.
Uric Acid Stones
Uric Acid stones can simply be controlled by lessening the intake of animal protein(meat, fish and eggs)
Calcium Phosphate Kidney stone Diet tips
To prevent the formation of this type of stone, you should lower your sodium and animal protein intake. Be mindful of taking enough calcium containing foods though.
The aforementioned kidney stone diet tips if followed will lessen the risks of getting kidney stones.