Why Do Doctors Examine The Contents Of The Stone
There are four types of stones. Studying the stone can help understand why you have it and how to reduce the risk of further stones. The most common type of stone contains calcium. Calcium is a normal part of a healthy diet. The kidney usually removes extra calcium that the body doesn’t need. Often people with stones keep too much calcium. This calcium combines with waste products like oxalate to form a stone. The most common combination is called calcium oxalate.
Less common types of stones are: Infection-related stones, containing magnesium and ammonia called struvite stones and stones formed from monosodium urate crystals, called uric acid stones, which might be related to obesity and dietary factors. The rarest type of stone is a cvstine stone that tends to run in families.
Does It Affect Dental Health
One of the biggest concerns about sparkling water is its effect on teeth, as your enamel is directly exposed to acid.
There is very little research on this topic, but one study found that sparkling mineral water damaged enamel only slightly more than still water. Furthermore, mineral water was 100 times less damaging than a sugary soft drink .
In one study, carbonated beverages showed strong potential to destroy enamel but only if they contained sugar.
In fact, a non-carbonated sweet beverage was more harmful than a carbonated sugar-free drink .
Another study placed samples of tooth enamel in various beverages for up to 24 hours. The sugar-sweetened carbonated and non-carbonated beverages resulted in significantly greater enamel loss than their diet counterparts .
A review of several studies found that the combination of sugar and carbonation may lead to severe dental decay .
However, plain sparkling water appears to pose little risk to dental health. Only the sugary types are harmful .
If youre concerned about dental health, try drinking sparkling water with a meal or rinsing your mouth with plain water after drinking it.
Summary
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Alcohol And Kidney Stones
Even though there is no direct causality between alcoholism and kidney stones, alcohol still has an impact on the formation of kidney stones. Drinking an excessive amount of alcohol frequently increases the risk of kidney stones substantially. Beer and grain alcohol can cause kidney stones due to their high concentration of purines. Purines are chemical compounds that can lead to uric acid kidney stones. Its because of this risk that creates a connection between alcohol and kidney stones.
Excessively drinking alcohol can also lead to severe dehydration, which is one of the many reasons behind stone formation in the kidney. Calcium oxalate stones in particular can form when someone is dehydrated. Consistently drinking alcohol can create a pattern of dehydration while increasing the chance of kidney stones.
Another factor can also be obesity and weight gain. Regardless of whether it is mild or severe, this alone can increase a persons chance of kidney stones. In the topic of alcohol and kidney stones, alcohol can end up leading to weight gain and may evolve into obesity. This creates a massive risk of kidney stones down the line .
Consuming too much alcohol puts someone at a high risk of stone formation, however drinking a moderate amount can be beneficial. Strangely, white wine, red wine, and some kinds of beer can actually reduce a persons risk of kidney stones. While this can be seen as a positive some may abuse alcohol at an excessive rate .
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What Are The Other Foods That Have High Oxalate Content
Generally, black tea has less oxalate content compared to other foods. However, plant sources have high oxalate content because oxalate is bound to calcium to get rid of excess calcium.
When we eat these foods, we will also get oxalate in foods. If we take a high amount from these foods, there is a risk of getting kidney stones.
However, as I mentioned before, most high oxalate foods are also loaded with nutrients such as vegetables and fruits.
It would help if you were careful enough to balance high oxalate fruits and vegetables with low oxalate nutrient-dense foods.
Following is a list of high oxalate foods with their oxalate content
- Soybean products- 200mg 300mg
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What About Drinking Milk And Coffee
Milk:
- Due to the high calcium content in milk, there is a misconception that drinking milk causes kidney stones.
- Actually, drinking milk or eating yogurt is not reported to increase your risk to have kidney stones.
- The calcium in milk binds with oxalate in your diet before reaching your kidney. This complex prevents oxalate from absorption. This action lowers the risk of kidney stone formation in the kidney .
Coffee:
- There is a large question about the relationship between drinking coffee and kidney stones. Does it cause kidney stones or reduce the risk of kidney stone formation?
- Although caffeine intake was reported to increase urine excretion of calcium, studies showed that caffeine-containing beverages are associated with a lower risk of kidney stones formation .
- Caffeine increases urine volume. Increasing the caffeine intake, lead to higher urine volume. This effect leads to urine dilution, hence, it could contribute to lowering the risk of kidney stone formation .
- Coffee contains an alkaloid called trigonelline. This alkaloid has a similar effect to that of caffeine on kidney stone formation. However, the amount of trigonelline alkaloid differs according to the type of coffee.
- It is found in greater amounts in Arabica coffee than in Robusta coffee. The amount of this alkaloid doesnt differ in caffeinated and decaffeinated coffee .
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Your Chances Of Getting Kidney Stones Increase With The Quantum Of Alcohol
The more you drink alcohol, the greater the chances of your getting kidney stones. The reason is very simple. Substituting alcohol for water can dehydrate you as it acts as a diuretic. You can prevent getting kidney stones by drinking copious quantities of water. Substituting water with alcohol would be counterproductive as your body would be constantly losing water. If your diet has too much salt in conjunction with high alcohol consumption, then your chances of developing kidney stones increase as it causes greater quantity of calcium in your urine. Further, you need to avoid foods high in phosphates like beans, dairy products, and nuts and those which are high in oxalate, such as potato chips, French fries, beets, spinach, and nuts like the plague if your uric acid level is high. This combination of calcium and oxalates leads to the formation of renal calculi.Alcohol might adversely affect magnesium exchange in the kidney tubules caused by a marked increase of magnesium excretion in the urine, leading to hypomagnesemia.
Kidney Stones How Are They Caused
Kidney stones are formed when a very high content of calcium or other minerals get accumulated in the urinary tract and get clumped together, leading to painful stones. Symptoms include blood in urine, nausea, vomiting, fever and swelling in the kidneys. The most common kidney stone is made up of calcium oxalate.
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Researchers Have Identified A Connection Between Kidney Stones And Alcohol Learn How It Affects Your Kidneys And Other Risk Factors To Better Prevent It
Kidney stones are more common than you might think. You are lucky if you do not have the issue. Anyone who has it will confirm how painful the whole thing can be. Statistics show that over 300,000 Americans go to the emergency room for kidney stones in one year. Men are at a higher risk of developing kidney stones, and the risk factors include overactive parathyroid glands, kidney disease, gout, and a genetic predisposition to kidney stones. Researchers have also found a link between alcohol and kidney stones. You may want to limit the intake of alcohol to lower your risk of developing this painful condition.
Do Certain Drinks Foods Or Medication Cause Kidney Stones
Experts have found that certain drinks, foods, and medication may increase ones risk of developing a kidney stone:4
- Animal proteins .
- Oxalate-rich foods .
- Sodium .
- Diuretic drinks .
- Medication .
Its important to talk with your doctor about all your health concerns including proper diet, exercise, and alcohol consumption. Brief health screenings by your provider can help determine if you are at increased risk for developing these types of health problems.
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Alcohol Risks: A Body Out Of Balance
Heavy drinking also has an indirect effect on kidney health. The body is a big domino set, says Dr. Bobart. If you have one part of your body thats not in balance, it can cause problems in many other parts of the body.
Drinking heavily can increase the risk of high blood pressure and Type 2 diabetes, for example. Both of those conditions are the mostcommon causes of chronic kidney disease in the United States.
Chronic alcohol use is also a major cause of liver disease. When your liver isnt functioning well, it can impair blood flow to your kidneys. Liver disease can have significant impacts on the kidneys, says Dr. Bobart.
What Does The Kidney Do For Your Body
Kidney function is one of the vital organ functions in your body to filter blood, and excrete excess water, metabolic wastes like sodium, ammonia, and others. However, it also returns necessary electrolytes so necessary to maintain the acid-base balance in the body and water back to the body. It releases certain hormones from the adrenal glands attached to your kidneys to help regulate your blood pressure. Further, the hormone erythropoietin, which it secretes, stimulates the production of red blood corpuscles. Kidney failure would be marked by high blood creatinine levels, and lower glomerular filtration rate . It is this filtration which eliminates toxins, and other harmful chemicals from your blood, and body.
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What Other Kidney Issues Are Associated With Alcohol/drinking
Kidneys are vital to the overall healthy functioning of the human body and serve as filtration devices for any harmful or toxic substance that enters your bloodstream. When someone drinks in excess, the kidneys have to work harder to filter the bodys blood and can cause immense stress on the kidneys. The dehydrating effect of alcohol can negatively impact your bodys cell and organ functions. Additionally, alcohol in the body can impact the hormones that contribute to healthy kidney function in your body.3
Regular heavy drinking has been known to double the risk of developing chronic kidney disease. Those who smoke cigarettes in addition to drinking heavily are about five times more likely to develop kidney disease than those who only drink excessively.3
Mixed Drinks And Kidney Stones
In 2013, the Clinical Journal of the American Society of Nephrology found that carbonated drinks posed the highest risks for forming kidney stones.
The study looked at beer and wine, which were determined to have the lowest risk of forming kidney stones.
The study did not look at mixed drinks, but these usually have added ingredients, such as simple syrup, sugar-laden juices, and other sweeteners.
On April 2018, the Independent created a list of worst alcohols to drink. The list overwhelmingly includes popular sweet cocktails, such as Long Island iced tea, mojitos, piña coladas, margaritas, gin and tonic, and sweet white wine.
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Black Tea And Kidney Stones
Black tea has the highest content of oxalates compared to other types of teas. It is around 6mg per 1 g of black tea.
When we drink black tea, oxalates in it go to our digestive tract. These oxalates can bind with calcium and will be excreted from our body with stool or urine.
But if we drink too much black tea like a gallon, then there will be many oxalates that can make calcium oxalates, and high black tea consumption will increase calcium oxalate concentration in urine. This will cause kidney stones.
Taking around 1500 mg of oxalates per day might cause kidney stones. But an average person like ourselves only consumes around 150 500 mg each day, and it is safe.
Drinking more than 4 5 cups of black tea is generally not safe. The safe limit to avoid kidney stones and other side effects related to caffeine is 4, 5, or fewer black teacups per day.
When we drink too much black tea, it can increase the oxalate levels in urine, promoting kidney stones.
In one case in 2014, a man who drank 1 gallon of black tea every day developed kidney failure due to a high concentration of oxalates in urine.
However, drinking black tea in moderation will help you, while drinking too much will harm you.
Tea And Ice Cream Kidney Stones
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Get Plenty Of Calcium But Not From Supplements
Though calcium is a major component of most stones, not getting enough calcium can cause the opposite problem that youd imagine. When you dont take in enough calcium, your oxalate levels can rise, and this can lead to the formation of kidney stones. Take in plenty of calcium to prevent this problem. Getting your calcium from foods, rather than supplements, is the healthiest way to ingest it. There is some evidence that taking calcium supplements can lead to kidney stones. Dairy products, soybeans, some seafood, and certain leafy greens are good sources of dietary calcium, which will keep your oxalate levels regulated.
Can Kidney Stones Go Away On Their Own
Following lifestyle advice should help you to avoid getting kidney stones but there are treatment options available if you’re unlucky enough to develop them. Lots of stones will pass through by themselves if they’re small enough to do so. Equally some stones in the kidney may remain there for many years without causing any problems or requiring treatment.
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Kidney Stones Can Be A Painful Condition It Is Better To Recognise The Symptoms In An Early Stage To Get Them Out Of The System
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Kidney stones may give you sleepless nights and unbearable pain. The condition may be caused by many factors but whats important for us is to recognize its early symptoms of it. This will help in getting timely treatment and provide relief.
Health Shots spoke to Dr Atul Ingale, Consultant Nephrologist and Transplant Physician, Director, Department of Nephrology, Fortis Hiranandani Hospital, Vashi, who told us all about kidney stones and ways to recognize the disease at an early stage.
How Much Alcohol Is Too Much
When experts talk about one drink, they are talking about one 12-ounce bottle of beer, one glass of wine , or one shot of “hard liquor.”
Having more than three drinks in a day for women, and more than four drinks in a day for men, is considered “heavy” drinking. The kidneys of heavy drinkers have to work harder. Heavy drinking on a regular basis has been found to double the risk for kidney disease.
Binge drinking can raise a person’s blood alcohol to dangerous levels. This can cause a sudden drop in kidney function known as “acute kidney injury.” When this happens, dialysis is needed until a person’s kidney function returns to normal. Acute kidney injury usually goes away in time, but in some cases, it can lead to lasting kidney damage.
Some people should not drink at all. Ask your healthcare provider if it is safe for you to drink, especially if you have a medical condition or take medicines that might be affected by using alcohol. Women, older people, and those with smaller bodies should be especially careful. Of course, pregnant women are advised not to drink alcohol.
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Can You Still Drink Tea If You Dont Want Kidney Stones
Taking tea will likely not harm you as long as you do so in moderation. If you go for highly fermented teas such as black teas, your oxalate consumption will increase. And that means you should stick to two or fewer cups each day.
For lighter teas, you can drink as many as five without much of a problem. As long as you are moderate in your drinks, you should be fine. Studies even suggest that taking tea daily can significantly reduce your kidney stone risks.
As you do this, you should also consider other factors such as your diet, water intake, weight, family history, and underlying medical conditions. Remember that kidney stones result from not one but a combination of factors.
How Do You Know If You Have Kidney Stones
If you suspect you have kidney stones, you should seek immediate medical attention. Do not wait until your pain gets worse. You should go see your doctor immediately if you have:
- Excruciating pain that makes it difficult for you to sit in a comfortable position
- Severe pain accompanied by vomiting and nausea
- Blood in your urine
- Severe pain along with chills and fever
- Pain while urinating
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Which Is Healthier Seltzer Or Sparkling Water
Though theyre both a great way to stay hydrated or as a replacement for your average cup of tap water, the main difference between the two is the taste. In regards to health, neither of them have calories, and the mineral content doesnt make enough of a difference to drink one rather than the other.