Can Tea Cause Kidney Stones Per Type Of Tea
Posted by Otto Olivier | Tea | 0
There is a widespread belief that the consumption of tea can lead to the formation of kidney stones. Maybe you have heard of this, especially when it comes to iced teas that people have come to love so much.
Well, recent studies show that taking tea may not be as harmful as most people think. In fact, even people who have had kidney stones in the past may not have to stay away from this drink. These studies have challenged the presence of oxalates in tea as the main factor in determining the risk of kidney stones.
If anything, they have shown that the compounds in tea can be more beneficial than harmful regarding renal health. One such study undertaken in 2019 shows that the polysaccharides present in tea can repair cells in the kidney.
Note that while these studies favor having tea, not all types of tea are good for you. Some can harm your kidneys, to the point of causing failure in these organs. The best way to stay safe is to research kidney stones and practice moderation in everything you do.
Also, you must stay hydrated. Before we look into how tea affects kidney stones formation , let us understand what they are.
Can You Drink Hot Tea With Kidney Stones
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Is hot tea bad for kidney stones?
Summer is high season for drinking iced tea. However, a John Miller, Loyla University Medical Center urologist warns that iced tea can contribute to painful kidney stones because of its high concentration of oxalate, one of the key chemicals that lead to the formation of kidney stones.
Tea And Ice Cream Kidney Stones
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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.
Do You Have Kidney Stones
The thing with kidney stones is that they tend to be sneaky. You will not usually know that you have one until it moves to the kidney or enters the ureters. The latter are the tubes that connect the kidneys to the bladder.
When the stone lodges in these tubes, urine flow reduces, which can cause swelling of the kidney. That is when the problem begins. Most people experience sharp pain on their sides and backs, as well as below the ribs. The pain moves from the groin to the lower abdomen and can come in waves. Sometimes, the pain fluctuates in intensity. Also, when you pee, you feel a burning sensation.
You can also look out for other symptoms, such as a change in the color of urine. If it comes out pink, red, or brown, you could have a problem. The smell can also change such that it smells bad. You may find yourself using the loo more than often and in small amounts. Where infections are present, other symptoms such as fever, chills, nausea, and vomiting can show.
Note that the pain caused by the stone can change. An example would be where the stone moves to another part of the urinary tract. The pain would follow this movement.
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Investigations Of Mechanisms Underlying The Preventive Effects Of Caffeine In Kidney Stone Disease
It is surprising that, to our knowledge, there was no previous in vitro or in vivo study that examined the effects of caffeine on kidney stone formation until 2016, when in vitro evidence of the protective effects of caffeine on CaOx kidney stone formation was reported . In that study, caffeine was shown to reduce CaOx crystal adhesion on the apical surface of renal tubular epithelial cells by translocation of a CaOx crystal-binding protein, annexin A1, from apical membranes to cytoplasm . This is the only direct evidence that shows cellular mechanisms underlying the inhibitory effects of caffeine against kidney stone disease and strengthens its role as an inhibitor, rather than a promoter, of CaOx kidney stone formation.
It’s Not Just The Oxalate
Oxalate is naturally found in many foods, including fruits and vegetables, nuts and seeds, grains, legumes, and even chocolate and tea. Some examples of foods that contain high levels of oxalate include: peanuts, rhubarb, spinach, beets, chocolate and sweet potatoes. Moderating intake of these foods may be beneficial for people who form calcium oxalate stones, the leading type of kidney stones.
A common misconception is that cutting the oxalate-rich foods in your diet alone will reduce the likelihood of forming calcium oxalate kidney stones. While in theory this might be true, this approach isn’t smart from an overall health perspective. Most kidney stones are formed when oxalate binds to calcium while urine is produced by the kidneys.
It is important to eat and drink calcium and oxalate-rich foods together during a meal. In doing so, oxalate and calcium are more likely to bind to one another in the stomach and intestines before the kidneys begin processing, making it less likely that kidney stones will form.
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Massive Tea Consumption Linked To Kidney Failure
By Gene Emery, Reuters Health
3 Min Read
– – The puzzling case of a 56-year-old U.S. man who suddenly developed weakness, fatigue and body aches is leading doctors to warn that massive consumption of tea may be responsible for some unexplained cases of kidney failure.
Its being called iced-tea nephropathy by the New England Journal of Medicine, which published a letter describing the case.
The source of the problem was an excessive amount of oxalate, a compound found in many foods. Excessive amounts can also come from juicing, having gastric bypass surgery, and by consuming foods with a lot of ascorbic acid such as beets, spinach, nuts and strawberries.
But in this case, the man reported that he was drinking 16 nine-ounce glasses of iced tea each day, giving him more than 1,500 milligrams of oxalate per day.
The Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics advises consuming no more than 40-50 mg of oxalate per day, the authors note.
If you drink tea once or twice a day, it probably wouldnt exceed what is the normal range for Americans. But this patient was taking 10 times that amount, said Dr. Umbar Ghaffa of the University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences in Little Rock, a coauthor of the letter.
He ultimately needed dialysis and remained on it because his kidney damage was so extensive.
The irony is that previous research has suggested that people who take tea in the usual amounts actually have a lower risk of kidney stones, Curhan said.
Easy Ways To Prevent Kidney Stones
Did you know that one in ten people will have a kidney stone over the course of a lifetime? Recent studies have shown that kidney stone rates are on the rise across the country. Those in the know believe that some major misconceptions may be the culprit.
The National Kidney Foundation has teamed up with Dr. Allan Jhagroo, a kidney stone specialist at the University of Wisconsin School of Medicine and Public Health, to help you stay stone-free by debunking some of the major kidney stone myths and misconceptions.
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Don’t Underestimate Your Sweat
Saunas, hot yoga and heavy exercise may be good for your health, but they also may lead to kidney stones. Why? Loss of water through sweating – whether due to these activities or just the heat of summerleads to less urine production. The more you sweat, the less you urinate, which allows for stone-causing minerals to settle and bond in the kidneys and urinary tract.
One of the best measures you can take to avoid kidney stones is to drink plenty of water, leading you to urinate a lot. So, be sure to keep well hydrated, especially when engaging in exercise or activities that cause a lot of sweating.
Might Help In Kidney Health
The primary use of Palo Azul tea throughout history has been to strengthen and protect the bodys natural detoxification systems. Results from a study published in Pharmacognosy Magazine indicate that this tea might prevent oxidative stress, suppressing kidney and pancreas cell damage. This tea may also lower your risk of kidney stones, promote healthy urination and the rapid expulsion of toxins metabolites from the body.
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Can Drinking Tea Cause Kidney Stones
You are now aware of what causes kidney stones and what it feels like. We can now focus on whether tea can play a role in their formation. Kidney stone disease is a common health condition that is likely to reoccur after one has had a kidney stone removed. That makes it quite risky to develop it for the first time.
You will find that a huge percentage of people with this disease suffer from calcium oxalate stones. That is about 80% of kidney stone sufferers. Now, the thing with tea is that it contains oxalates. Not all teas have these substances, but most of the teas in the market do. Consider the fact that millions of people consume tea every day, and you will see that this could be a problem.
You cannot avoid oxalates by avoiding tea alone, as these substances are naturally found in many a food. They present as waste products in the blood which the kidney excretes through urine.
Usually, the excretion should be smooth, and no crystallization should take place. The problem comes about when there is a high concentration of oxalates and a lack of liquid in the urine. When this happens, the crystals add up and create stones.
Many people believe that eating a diet high in oxalates can lead to the formation of these stones. Plant products are often high in these substances, including the Camillia Sinensis, from which most teas result.
Assessment Of Tea Alcohol And Fruit Consumption
At baseline survey, all participants were required to report their frequency of tea consumption during the past 12 months . Participants who consumed tea at least once a week were further asked to report days consuming in a typical week type of tea consumed most commonly the number of cups of tea consumed in a drinking day. A pictorial guide was provided to illuminate the standard-sized cup. According to reported tea consumption frequency, all participants were divided into three groups: never, less than daily , or daily. According to the cups of tea consumed per drinking day, daily consumers were further divided into four groups: 12, 34, 56, or 7 cups per day.
Habitual fresh fruit consumption was assessed by a validated qualitative food frequency questionnaire . All participants were required to report how often they had consumed fresh fruits during the past 12 months . The options never or every month but less than weekly were defined as less than weekly, and 13 days per week or 46 days per week were defined as weekly.
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How To Prevent Kidney Stones
The risk of formation and growth of stones decreases considerably if the amount of fluid ingested by the patient is increased.
Excluding from the diet all foods and drinks that are not healthy such as processed foods, frying, candy, carbonated beverages.
Reducing or eliminating foods that are high in phosphorus or calcium, as these substances promote the formation of kidney stones.
Drink at least 2 liters of water a day: drinking little water is proven to be the number one risk factor in the formation of stones.
When you drink water, your urine has higher concentrations of minerals that can form stones.
Consumes sufficient magnesium: the deficiency of this mineral is related to the development of stones, as this mineral plays an important role in the absorption and assimilation of calcium.
If you consume a lot of calcium and little magnesium, excess calcium can contribute to stone formation in your kidneys.
Try to eat less sweet foods: sugar alters the relationships between minerals by interfering with the absorption of calcium and magnesium.
Exercise daily, those who are in bed or have a very sedentary life are proven to be more likely to develop stones.
Activity helps the bones not release more calcium than normal.
Avoid soy-derived foods: they can promote the development of kidney stones if youre prone to them because of having high levels of oxalates, they can bind with calcium in your kidney to form kidney stones.
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
- Almonds – 122 mg
- Potato 97 mg
- Beet 152 mg
- Dates- – 24 mg
- Raspberries – 48 mg
- Navy beans 76 mg
You can eat these fruits and vegetables in moderation to have better kidney function.
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May Aid In Weight Loss
A number of factors combine in gunpowder green tea to aid weight loss efforts, which may include caffeine, catechins, and theanine. These three can work together to perhaps give the metabolism a boost, which may increase the bodys ability to burn fat efficiently. There also seem to be some appetite-suppressing qualities of caffeine that can help you avoid overeating and snacking between meals.
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.
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When Life Hands You Kidney Stones
And as the saying goes, “make lemonade.” It’s important to consider dietary remedies alongside prescription medications.
Next time you drive past a lemonade stand, consider your kidneys. Chronic kidney stones are often treated with an alkali citrate, such as potassium citrate to help prevent certain stones, if urine citrate is low and urine pH levels are too low . Citrus juices do contain citrate , but large amounts might be needed. Also, be careful of sugar. Lemon juice concentrate mixed with water can be considered. Alkali citrate can be prescribed and is available over-the-counter. Alkali citrate can be given with a mineral, such as sodium, potassium or magnesium to help prevent stone formation. The aim is to increase urine citrate and increase urine pH . The goal is to keep pH in balance. Speak with a doctor or other healthcare professional about which treatment options are right for you, including over-the-counter products and home remedies. People with kidney disease may need to watch their intake of sodium, potassium or other minerals, depending on the stage of kidney disease or other factors.
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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