Tips For A Kidney Stone Diet
Having kidney stones increases your risk of getting them again unless you actively work to prevent them. This means taking medications prescribed to you for this purpose, and watching what you eat and drink.
If you currently have stones, your doctor will run diagnostic tests, to determine what type you have. They will then prescribe a specific diet plan for you, such as the DASH Diet. Tips that will help include:
- drink at least twelve glasses of water daily
- eat citrus fruits, such as orange
- eat a calcium-rich food at each meal, at least three times a day
- limit your intake of animal protein
- eat less salt, added sugar, and products containing high fructose corn syrup
- avoid foods and drinks high in oxalates and phosphates
- avoid eating or drinking anything which dehydrates you, such as alcohol.
Oranges Lemons And Limes Could Be An Unlikely Cure For Kidney Stones Based On Research Which Suggests That A Citrus
Oranges, lemons and limes could be an unlikely cure for kidney stones, based on research which suggests that a citrus fruit extract is capable of dissolving them.
Calcium oxalate stones are small, hard mineral deposits that form inside the kidneys and their treatment has not advanced in more than three decades.
The condition affects about 12 per cent of men and 7 per cent of women, and high blood pressure, diabetes and obesity can increase the risk. Small kidney stones may go undetected and are passed out painlessly in urine, but larger ones can cause severe pain in the abdomen or groin and may cause a urinary tract infection.
Enjoy This Triple Berry Recipe
This summer, we want to make a difference for yourself or someone you love who struggles with kidney disease and enjoy this Triple Berry kidney-friendly smoothie recipe with multi-benefits.
-Ask your nephrologist and renal dietitian before preparing and consuming this recipe. Every person has different needs.-
You can also download the FREE FKP recipe book with 13 KIDNEY-FRIENDLY DELICIOUS SMOOTHIES that can be enjoyed with the whole family we created in collaboration with the Renal Dietitian, Chelsea Couceiro, RDN, LDN.
Also Check: Is Vinegar Good For Your Kidneys
Diet And Uric Acid Stones
Avoid these foods if you have uric acid stones:
- Alcohol
- Legumes
- Mushrooms
- Organ meats
- Sardines
Other suggestions for your diet include:
- Do not eat more than 3 ounces of meat at each meal.
- Avoid fatty foods such as salad dressings, ice cream, and fried foods.
- Eat enough carbohydrates.
- Eat more lemons and oranges, and drink lemonade because the citrate in these foods stops stones from forming.
- Drink plenty of fluids, particularly water.
If you are losing weight, lose it slowly. Quick weight loss may cause uric acid stones to form.
Oj Better Than Lemonade
In the study, researchers compared the effects of orange juice and lemonade in preventing recurrent kidney stones. Both juices contain comparable citrate levels.
Thirteen volunteers, some with a history of kidney stones and some without, participated in the three-phase study.
In random order, the participants drank approximately 13 ounces of either distilled water, orange juice, or lemonade three times a day with meals for one week, with a three-week interval before moving to the next phase. They also followed a special diet as recommended for preventing recurrent kidney stones.
The results showed that orange juice increased levels of citrate in the urine and decreased urine acidity, which reduced the risk of kidney stones. But lemonade did not have the same effect.
“Orange juice could potentially play an important role in the management of kidney stone disease and may be considered an option for patients who are intolerant of potassium citrate,” says researcher Clarita Odvina, MD, assistant professor of internal medicine at the University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center at Dallas, in a news release.
The results appear in the Clinical Journal of the American Society of Nephrology. Researchers say this was a small study and further research is needed to evaluate the role of orange and other citrus juices in preventing kidney stones.
The study was supported by research grants from NIH.
Show Sources
Recommended Reading: Red Wine And Kidney Stones
Are Oranges Safe To Eat With Kidney Disease
Oranges with kidney disease can be a controversial topic. Many nephrologists and dietitians often discourage high citrus fruits for people with kidney disease as it contains high amounts of potassium. However, people with healthy potassium levels can actually benefit from citrus fruits as they increase the citrate in your urine, lowering your risk of kidney stones. Oranges are packed with vitamin C and the protein content is very minuscule. Eating oranges in a chronic kidney disease diet can be done right if your potassium levels are in a healthy range. Due to the oranges high potassium and sugar content, you must limit oranges and orange juice to moderate amounts.
An orange typically packs around 170mg 330mg of potassium. High potassium content in oranges is the main spoiler if you have kidney issues. Potassium is an important mineral that your body gets from fruits and vegetables and getting the right amount of potassium can largely benefit your cardiovascular health. Normal functioning kidneys can remove excess potassium from your blood and excrete it through your urine but with kidney disease and CKD, your kidneys will have a hard time flushing out the extra potassium in your blood. With kidney disease, you should always monitor your potassium levels.
Fruits Rich In Magnesium Benefit Kidney Stones:
Magnesium is one crucial mineral that most people do not consume in adequate amount. Magnesium is a mineral that is involved in a lot of metabolic reactions within our body, including energy production as well as muscle movements. There are also evidences that magnesium might aid in preventing the formation of calcium oxalate kidney stones. Bananas are loaded with magnesium and also potassium content in them and is a must fruit to be added to your diet to prevent kidney stone formation.
You May Like: Is Watermelon Good For Kidney
General Food Guidelines To Prevent Kidney Stones
- Irrespective of the type of salt, drink plenty of water as it helps in eliminating the salts. You can also add beverages such as coffee and lemonade as it increases the volume of urine.
- Increase the intake of calcium in the diet and avoid overeating of calcium supplements. Calcium-rich foods should be given preference over calcium supplements.
- Eat proteins in moderation.
- Avoid high salt intake.
- Avoid excess Vitamin C supplements.
Kidney stones can be very much prevented with proper intake of diet and a high amount of fluids. Animal proteins are a strict no-no as it disturbs the normal salt balance causing deposition of salts.
As a thumb rule, increase water intake and reduce the amount of animal proteins . Watch on the quantity of sodium, calcium, sugary, and processed food as it increases the formation of kidney stones.
If you have had a stone, it is important to keep a check to avoid stone development in the future.
There are healthy alternatives to animal proteins to prevent kidney stones. Avoid an oxalate-rich diet as calcium oxalate stones fall under the most common type of kidney stone salt.
So, friends, we hope that after going through the above list of Foods that Cause Kidney Stones will surely help you. Eat right and stay active for good health!
Calcium Is Not The Enemy
A lot of people make the mistake of shying away from calcium-rich foods in an effort to prevent kidney stones.
Given that calcium oxalate stones are the most commonly reported type of renal stones, it is natural for stone formers to have reservations about calcium-rich foods.
Many people attribute calcium as major culprit and avoid taking a sufficient amount of calcium that is required for bone development and strength.
Quite the contrary, a high dietary intake of calcium can actually keep stones from forming by reducing the absorption of oxalates, a common compound present in many foods.
You will also fare better by limiting your sodium intake, which promotes calcium buildup in urine.
Try to get your recommended fill of calcium through food sources rather than supplements.
Your dietitian can stipulate the ideal amount of calcium for your particular age and case.
Also Check: Wine For Kidney Stones
What Is The Diet Oxalate Goal
Typical diets contain upward of 200 300 mg of oxalate. For stone prevention, a reasonable goal is below 100 mg of oxalate daily. An ideal would be about 50 mg daily if that can be accomplished.
To get there, consider the oxalate contents in common serving portions of all of the foods, and make up a plan for yourself.
Mayo Clinic Minute: What You Can Eat To Avoid Kidney Stones
It’s estimated that 1 in 10 people will get a kidney stone in his or her lifetime. Kidney stones are not only painful, but they can lead to serious complications that may require hospitalization and even surgery. The good news is kidney stones are preventable, and prevention can be as simple as eating the right foods.
Journalists: Broadcast-quality video is in the downloads at the end of this post. Please courtesy: “Mayo Clinic News Network.” Read the script.
“The most important thing to think about with kidney stones is prevention,” says Dr. Ivan Porter II, a Mayo Clinic nephrologist.
A solid prevention plan includes thinking about the types of food you’re eating. Dr. Porter says fruits and vegetables with high water content, like cucumber, tomato and watermelon, also have natural citrate.
“These things are natural stone inhibitors and can be a part of a stone prevention plan to help prevent further kidney stone formation,” says Dr. Porter.
It’s just as important to think about what you shouldn’t eat.
“We know that animal sources of protein are simply associated with a higher risk of stones. One way to avoid more stone production is maybe to limit your meat intake to some smaller amount,” says Dr. Porter.
________________________________________
Don’t Miss: Celery Juice And Kidney Disease
S For Preventing Kidney Stones
- By Daniel Pendick, Former Executive Editor, Harvard Men’s Health Watch
If youve ever had a kidney stone, you surely remember it. The pain can be unbearable, coming in waves until the tiny stone passes through your urinary plumbing and out of the body. For many, kidney stones arent a one-time thing: in about half of people who have had one, another appears within seven years without preventive measures.
Preventing kidney stones isnt complicated, but it does take some determination.
Kidney stones form when certain chemicals become concentrated enough in the urine to form crystals. The crystals grow into larger masses , which can make their way through the urinary tract. If the stone gets stuck somewhere and blocks the flow of urine, it causes pain.
Most stones occur when calcium combines with oxalate. Stones can also form from uric acid, which is a byproduct of protein metabolism.
Potatoes And Sweet Potatoes
Potatoes and sweet potatoes are potassium-rich vegetables.
Just one medium-sized baked potato contains 610 mg of potassium, whereas one average-sized baked sweet potato contains 541 mg of potassium .
Fortunately, some high potassium foods, including potatoes and sweet potatoes, can be soaked or leached to reduce their potassium contents.
Cutting potatoes into small, thin pieces and boiling them for at least 10 minutes can reduce the potassium content by about 50% .
Potatoes that are soaked in water for at least 4 hours before cooking are proven to have an even lower potassium content than those not soaked before cooking .
This method is known as potassium leaching or the double-cook method.
Although double cooking potatoes lowers the potassium content, its important to remember that their potassium content isnt eliminated by this method.
Considerable amounts of potassium can still be present in double-cooked potatoes, so its best to practice portion control to keep potassium levels in check.
SUMMARY
Potatoes and sweet potatoes are high potassium vegetables. Boiling or double cooking potatoes can decrease their potassium content by about 50%.
Tomatoes are another high potassium fruit that may not fit the guidelines of a renal diet.
They can be served raw or stewed and are often used to make sauces.
Just 1 cup of tomato sauce can contain upwards of 900 mg of potassium .
Unfortunately for those on a renal diet, tomatoes are commonly used in many dishes.
SUMMARY
Don’t Miss: Is Watermelon Good For Your Kidneys
Is Orange Juice Good For You
- Pin
Its easy to see orange juice as a health food. After all, its a natural product that contains plenty of phytochemicals, vitamin C, antioxidants, and other nutrients. If you squeeze the juice from oranges yourself, there arent any additives to worry about. Yet, we have to ask, is orange juice good for you?
Because, as popular as orange juice is, the beverage also has some serious limitations. You lose much of the fiber that you get with whole citrus fruit and end up with a drink thats high in sugar.
To answer whether orange juice is healthy or not, we need to take a close look at the good features and the bad ones, then see how these balance out. After all, its important to know whether orange juice helps you or whether youre better off sticking to drinks like coconut water, lemon water, and plain old water.
- Which Types Of Orange Juice Are Best?
- Is Orange Juice Better Than An Orange?
- Should You Drink Orange Juice?
Determining Best Fruits For Kidneys And Gout
First, lets be clear, this is far from being a scientific report. The purpose here is to simplify the choices of fruits to eat if you are a gout sufferer.
It should help whenever questions like: Which fruits best help with my gout?, What other fruits can I eat if Im sick of cherries? or What are the right fruits to use when making a gout-fighting smoothie?
To determine which fruits were worthy, it was necessary to verify which nutrients help the kidneys and lower uric acid. Nine major nutrients were found to have the most benefits for these conditions.
For maintaining healthy kidneys, five vitamins , and two minerals are known to be most effective.
For gout and lowering uric, vitamin C, malic acid, and anthocyanins are three substances often recommended in natural remedies.
Fruits were sorted by their concentrations of the nine nutrients. Evidently, vitamin C is found in most fruits that help the kidneys and defend against gout. It was used as the starting point to categorize all fruits. From there, the other nutrients were sorted in the order shown on the chart.
To shorten the list to 24, fruits needed to rank highest for most vitamin C, and have four or more nutrients with more than a 2% daily value .
If this was not done, the list would have been over 100 fruits! Nobody has time for that right?
This posts contains affiliate links. I may earn a small commission, at no extra cost to you.
Also Check: Grapes Kidney Stones
Which Fruits Are Good For Kidney Disease
When the question which fruits are good for kidney pops out, what will come to your head is that there are many fruits good for kidneys. The fruits that are good for kidneys depends on the status of the kidney and if you have any kidney disease.
The main function of the kidney is to filter the blood and remove the excess water and toxic products out of the body. The excess salts and minerals and fluids are washed out as urine from your body. When there is a disease in the kidney, it will not function properly and these waste products can remain in the body.
Tips To Avoid Kidney Stones
- Drink plenty of fluid, especially water. This is the most important thing you can do to lower your risk of getting another kidney stone. Aim for at least 2 ½ liters to 3 liters of fluid each day. People with cystine stones may want to aim for 4 liters .
- It may be helpful to limit animal protein, including meat, fish, seafood, poultry, and eggs.
- Eat calcium-rich foods instead of taking supplements.
- If you want to take a vitamin C supplement, make sure you take less than 1000 milligrams per day. High amounts of vitamin C may increase your risk of stones.
Read Also: Aleve Kidney Side Effects
Guidelines Based On The Type Of Kidney Stone You Have
If you have had a kidney stone, understanding what type of kidney stone you had, along with making changes to the way you eat, can help you prevent a recurrence.
As stated above, most kidney stones are made up of salt and uric acid. Studies have shown that the DASH diet, an acronym for the Dietary Approaches to Stop Hypertension diet, can reduce the risk of kidney stones. The DASH diet is an eating plan consisting of a balance of fruits, vegetables, fish, poultry, low-fat dairy, and whole grains, while limiting the consumption of saturated fat and sugar. You can find out more about the DASH diet here. Studies have also shown that being overweight makes a person more likely to develop kidney stones, so losing weight may help.
1% of kidney stones are called cystine kidney stones. These occur in people who have an inherited genetic disorder called cystinuria, which results in an excess of an amino acid called cystine in the urine, leading to cystine stones. People with cystinuria must drink large quantities of water to flush the cystine from their urine as effectively as possible.
Giving Up Oxalates For Good Will Fix The Problem
If you happen to be particularly susceptible to calcium oxalate stones, it may be a good idea to reduce your oxalate intake.
However, there is a downside to this dietary recommendation that is often overlooked. Many high-oxalate foods are also rich in fiber, magnesium, potassium, and phytate, all of which inhibit the occurrence of kidney stones.
Thus, instead of avoiding such healthful sources of nutrients altogether, try to consume them in moderation.
Besides, some people are naturally better at absorbing oxalates than others, and thus such oxalate restrictive diets do not apply uniformly to all.
People with unfavorably high oxalate levels can naturally bring down the amount of oxalate absorption by consuming a high-calcium diet.
If your urine oxalate level continues to be high regardless, ask a dietitian or other health care professional about how strictly you need to avoid oxalate-containing foods.
All in all, eliminating oxalate-rich foods from your diet alone will not prevent calcium oxalate kidney stones from forming and will only give you a false sense of security.
Research suggests that the best way to curb stone formation is to pair high calcium foods with oxalate-rich ones during a meal. This allows the two to bind together in the stomach and intestines before the kidneys begin processing them, making it less likely that kidney stones will form.
Pro Tip
Resources:
Read Also: Red Wine Kidney Stones