Does Alcohol Use Create Kidney Stones In The Body
The National Kidney Foundation reports that as many as one out of every 10 people will pass a kidney stone at some point in their lifetime. Kidney stones are formed when crystals collect and solidify within the urine forming a little rock that is then often passed out of the body through the urinary tract. This can be very painful. Tenderness, fever and chills, difficulty urinating, blood in the urine, nausea, and vomiting are all potential signs of a kidney stone.
When waste builds up too fast for the liquid urine to dissolve it, kidney stones may be the result. Crystal-forming chemicals include oxalate, cystine, urate, phosphate, and xanthine. As published by Mayo Clinic, the four main types of kidney stones are calcium stones, uric acid stones, struvite stones, and cystine stones.
Several factors can contribute to the buildup of these waste products in urine, which can cause kidney stones to form. Drinking alcohol is not thought to cause kidney stones directly, but alcohol use may increase a persons vulnerability to them.
Further Reading
/5alcohol And Kidney Stones
The kidneys are responsible for filtering harmful substances like alcohol. Alcohol contains a high purine content, a chemical which leads to uric acid and kidney stones. When you drink too much alcohol, the functionality of your kidneys is compromised, and they are not able to flush out the purine. It then gets accumulated in the kidneys, eventually resulting in a kidney stone.
The Relationship Between Alcohol Abuse And Kidney Disease
Kidney disease can be caused by a number of factors, with one of them being chronic alcohol abuse. While many other factors, such as family history and lifestyle, also affect a persons chance of developing kidney disease, alcohol can significantly increase a persons susceptibility to this condition.
When alcohol is consumed in an unhealthy way on a regular basis, kidney issues can be exacerbated to the point of kidney damage and disease. When a person develops kidney disease, he or she may experience a number of other health issues as a result.
Health problems caused by kidney damage may include:
- damaged immune system, which can make people more susceptible to illness
- swelling in the legs, arms, and feet as a result of fluid retention
- sexual dysfunction
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The 4 Types Of Kidney Stones
As mentioned, there are actually four different types of kidney stones. Each can be caused by various factors and can differ in symptoms and severity. It can be important to know what kind of kidney stone you or a loved one is dealing with. Lets take a closer look at each of the different kinds of kidney stones and why they occur.
Alcohol In Chronic Kidney Disease
CKD is a disease without cure. CKD is a condition that has an impact on a persons daily life.The diet of a CKD patient has to be managed carefully to avoid aggravating the condition of the kidneys even more.
If you are under a certain medication for CKD, you might be required to limit or avoid alcohol completely, therefore its necessary to keep your doctor in the loop.
Some types of alcohol may contain a higher amount of potassium in comparison to others. Patients suffering from CKD may be recommended to follow a low potassium diet by their doctor hence all of the factors need to be discussed with your dietitian.
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Why Alcohol Is Bad For Kidneys
Your kidneys are responsible to filter the toxins accumulated in the blood. Kidneys are also responsible for maintaining proper fluid balance in the body.
When a person drinks alcohol, it affects the kidney in different ways. First of all, alcohol is a substance that is harmful by itself which the kidneys along with the liver are responsible to expel out of the body.
Secondly, alcohol can also damage the cells of the kidneys which makes the kidneys less efficient in filtering the toxins present in the blood.
Lastly, alcohol is a diuretic, which means it flushes out the water in your body, making you urinate more and leaving the body dehydrated which causes imbalances in the electrolytes and increasing the risk of kidney stones and other complications.
Take Green Tea Extract Or Drink Green Tea
A 2013 study in the journal Frontiers in Microbiology suggests that taking green tea extract may have an antibacterial effect on common bacteria strains known to cause UTIs.
The researchers took green tea extracts and applied them to bacterial cultures in a laboratory. Over time, they found the green tea inhibited bacterial growth.
Because the study was in a laboratory and involved samples, it is hard to know if the results would be the same in humans. However, the possibility remains that green tea could have potential health benefits when a person has a UTI.
Green tea extract is available to purchase in stores and online.
You can do some things at home to feel better while you have an infection:
- Drink plenty of fluids to flush out germs.
- Get extra rest.
- When you go to the bathroom, sit on the toilet instead of squatting over it, which can keep your bladder from completely emptying.
- Take a pain reliever with acetaminophen. Donât use aspirin, ibuprofen, or naproxen because these can raise your risk of kidney problems.
- Use a heating pad on your belly, back, or side.
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Ways To Prevent Kidney Stones
All that said, there are some always-good-for-you options that can also help prevent stones.
Here’s a short list of recommendations to consider.
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Fluids of all types are safe, because they increase urine output and that’s a big goal. Dilute urine is your best friend in preventing stones, so drink up.
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There are benefits to balance, so eat more fruits and vegetables. “I can’t think of a reason why they wouldn’t be safe for anybody,” said Penniston. “A variety of fruits and vegetables can provide stone prevention benefits for most people. There are some foods like fruits and vegetables that, if we eat more of them, can reduce some of the major risk factors of most types of stones.”
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Bacteria can be a good thing. The gut microbiome is the hottest new topic when it comes to nutrition. And it turns out that the bacteria that live in our GI tract probably do have a lot more to do with our overall health than we think.”Some of the therapy that we do is aimed at optimizing the gut microbiome, and to do that you have to eat foods that will sustain a healthy colonization of bacteria, like fiber and fruits and vegetables,” said Penniston. “Cultured foods like yogurt, and kefir or fermented foods aid the microbiome directly by introducing more bacteria into the digestive tract.”
Alcohol And Kidney Disease
Drinking alcohol heavily can have several long-term health consequences including type 2 diabetes and high blood pressure. These conditions commonly lead to kidney disease. Excessive drinking is considered to be more than four drinks per day. This doubles your risk of developing chronic kidney disease or long-term kidney damage. The risk increases if youre a smoker.
Kidneys that have been overworked due to excess alcohol consumption dont function properly. This makes them less able to filter blood and maintain the correct water balance in the body. The hormones that control kidney function can also be adversely affected.
Heavy drinking can also cause liver disease, which makes your kidneys have to work harder. When you have liver disease, your body doesnt balance the flow and filtering of blood as well as it should. This has a harmful effect on your overall health and can increase the chance of complications.
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Assessment Of Incident Kidney Stones
The primary end point was an incident kidney stone ac-companied by pain or hematuria. Individuals who reported a new kidney stone on a questionnaire were sent a supplementary questionnaire to determine the date of occurrence and symptoms. Medical records from 582 men in HPFS, 194 women in NHS I, and 858 women in NHS II confirmed the diagnosis in 95%, 96%, and 98% of the reports, respectively among those individuals whose medical records included a stone composition report, 86% of participants in the HPFS, 77% of participants in the NHS I, and 79% of participants in the NHS II cohort had a stone containing 50% of calcium .
What Other Foods And Drinks Help In Getting Rid Of Kidney Stones
Some of the food and habits which lead to kidney stone are:
- Consumption of protein rich food, salty foods and excessive sugar through sweets, soft drinks, diet colas, etc.
- Sedentary lifestyle
- Inadequate intake of fluids causing dehydration.
Hence, the most common advice given to patients to prevent kidney stone formation is to consume plenty of liquid. The reason is to keep urine diluted and prevent kidney stone formation. However, it is necessary to consume appropriate type of liquid. Since certain liquids such as sodas, colas, fruit punches, juices of grapes, cranberry and apple can aggravate kidney stone formation. The following are some of the drinks that help in getting rid of kidney stones:
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Diuresis And Fluid Loss
Alcohol makes you pee. Many of us intuitively know this from multiple trips to the restroom while having drinks with friends! This phenomenon is called diuresis, and may be the mechanism of how alcohol reduces stone risk. Increased urination causes higher urine volume. A higher urine volume reduces saturation of troublesome solids such as calcium or oxalate. This reduces the risk of stones.
However, failing to replace water lost during diuresis can get us in trouble. Dehydration and subsequent reduced urine volume will cause a sharp rise in kidney stone risk. If you do choose to drink alcohol, make sure to drink extra water to prevent dehydration. A good rule of thumb is to drink at least 1 glass of water for every alcoholic drink you have.
Another possible reason alcohol is associated with a reduced risk of kidney stones is that alcohol is just more fluid! Drinking a lot of fluid per day is perhaps the most important thing you can do to prevent stones.
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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How Does Beer Hurt Your Kidneys
As well we know that the kidneys are important part of the urinary system. They filter blood and remove wastes, which then turn them into urine.
They also have function to filter alcohol from the bloodstream. Heavy drinking can make them work harder. Overtime, this may impair the function of the kidneys, making them less able to keep the blood clean from harmful substances.
Heavy drinking can hurt the kidneys in several different ways. More excess alcohol you drink will make them work harder!
Your kidneys also have a role to help maintain the balance of fluid in the body . And excess alcohol in the bloodstream can affect this kidneys function. For instance, alcohol can lead to dehydration. And this drying effect can hurt the kidneys.
Heavy drinking is also bad for your blood pressure. Heavy drinkers are more likely to have hypertension than moderate drinkers and abstainers.
To keep the kidneys run well in filtering blood, the rate of blood flow to the kidneys is kept at certain level.
High blood pressure can affect the blood flow in the kidneys, making it run hardly. And as a result, the kidneys work harder. In fact, hypertension is one of common causes of kidney diseases.
What You Can Do About It
Firstly, you need to get a proper diagnosis in order to find out the size of kidney stone. Timely diagnosis is important because stones in kidney can cause serious damage to kidneys and may even damage them. Following are some tips that can help you ger rid of them:
1. Have kidney beans: Kidney beans can help in breaking down kidney stones. Boil soaked kidney beans with some hing or asafoetida. Fibre in kidney beans can help in flushing out kidney stones. Have it at least once a day to manage stones in the kidney.
2. Apple cider vinegar: ACV breaks down into acetic acid in the body, which can break down into a stone that is formed by calcium oxalate and other minerals. Have 1 tbsp of ACV 30 minutes before lunch and dinner can help in breaking down kidney stones and ease their passage.
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3. Dried basil leaves: Boil 1 tbsp of dried basil leaves in water to make a tea. Have this tea thrice a day. It breaks down into acetic acid and helps you to break down kidney stone.
4. Drink sufficient water: Being dehydrated can lead to formation of kidney stones. Make sure you drink sufficient water to prevent and treat stones.
5. Pomegranate juice: Drink it regularly and can helpin flushing out kidney stones.
6. Dandelion root: This acts as a diuretic, which can be beneficial in breaking down and flushing out small-sized stones in kidneys.
7. Celery juice: Drink regularly to naturally flush out stones.
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Is Alcohol/beer Ok For Kidney Disease
The simple answer is a big NO.
Alcohol has adverse effects on almost every organ of the body. It cannot be a remedy for any disease as the dangers are far too many. Alcohol can also cause damage to the liver and the kidneys even in a person with healthy kidneys.
When someone has a kidney disease like CKD, the function of the kidneys is already decreased, and drinking too much alcohol might increase the risk of causing further damage to the kidneys.
Drinking alcohol excessively can also have an effect on blood pressure. An individual who usually drinks alcohol in excess is likely to have elevated blood pressure.
Action of certain medicines for hypertension or high blood pressure could also be hindered by the consumption of alcohol. Chronic high blood pressure is one of the major reasons for kidney disease.
Drinking alcohol does not possess any nutritional benefit for kidney disease hence it is not needed in your daily life.
For people who have kidney disease along with type 2 diabetes, drinking alcohol can be dangerous as too much alcohol can cause a dramatic drop in your blood sugar levels, especially when consumed on an empty stomach.
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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Four Myths About Kidney Stones
If you’ve ever had a run-in with kidney stones, then you’ve also had a run-in with a relative/neighbor/obnoxious over-sharer who has the home remedy that fixed them right up.
And while unsolicited after-dinner medical advice may sometimes sound reasonable, there’s a lot you need to know about your own kidney stones before you start adjusting your diet based on Aunt Alice’s latest stone story.
“You don’t want calcium because that’s what stones are made of, so ditch the milk.””Oxalates are bad, so stop eating foods like chocolate, beer, soy, nuts, spinach and coffee.””And if you feel a stone coming on, start drinking lots of cranberry juice to get rid of it.”
You’ve probably gathered lots of advice and home remedies in your battle against kidney stones . But many of grandma’s homemade fixes may actually do more harm than good when it comes to the specific composition of your kidney stones and the reasons why you are forming them.
What are kidney stones? They’re crystal-like formations of the excess minerals in your urine. This simple answer leads to simplified and problematic responses. The logic: Identify what you’re consuming, and reduce whatever the stone is made of.