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Is Sugar Good For Kidney Stones

The Sugar Acts On The Kidneys

Why sugar substitutes may help your kidney stone prevention / Kidney Stone Diet with Jill Harris

If from this you expect that the sugar loads reduce kidney calcium conservation, your expectation is correct. The authors measured glomerular filtration rates during all of the periods shown on the figures. Sugar did not change it. The filterable blood calcium for those of you into this kind of thing actually fell slightly with sugar in each group, so the increase of urine calcium had to come from a reduction of kidney cell calcium reabsorption. In other experiments, Lemann lowered calcium filtration and proved that the increased urine calcium arose from reduced tubule reabsorption. This mechanism is exactly parallel to that of idiopathic hypercalciuria, as we have shown in our own work here. But we do not know exactly where along the nephron sugar acts, nor precisely where the defects are in IH itself.

Can Children Get Kidney Stones

Kidney stones are found in children as young as 5 years. In fact, this problem is so common in children that some hospitals conduct ‘stone’ clinics for pediatric patients. The increase in the United States has been attributed to several factors, mostly related to food choices. The two most important reasons are not drinking enough fluids and eating foods that are high in salt. Kids should eat less salty potato chips and French fries. There are other salty foods: sandwich meats, canned soups, packaged meals, and even some sports drinks. Sodas and other sweetened beverages can also increase the risk of stones if they contain high fructose corn syrup.

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How To Alkalize Your Urine

When it comes to alkalizing your urine, we need to think about what pH the metabolism of a food makes, rather than what the pH is of the food itself is. Your stomach acid neutralizes the pH of anything you eat or drink. This is the crux of why alkaline water likely doesnt actually alkalize your urine.

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Packaged Instant And Premade Meals

Processed foods can be a major component of sodium in the diet.

Among these foods, packaged, instant, and premade meals are usually the most heavily processed and thus contain the most sodium.

Examples include frozen pizza, microwaveable meals, and instant noodles.

Keeping sodium intake to 2,300 mg per day may be difficult if youre eating highly processed foods regularly.

Heavily processed foods not only contain a large amount of sodium but also commonly lack nutrients .

SUMMARY

Packaged, instant, and premade meals are highly processed items that can contain very large amounts of sodium and lack nutrients. Its best to limit these foods on a renal diet.

Swiss chard, spinach, and beet greens are leafy green vegetables that contain high amounts of various nutrients and minerals, including potassium.

When served raw, the amount of potassium varies between 140290 mg per cup .

While leafy vegetables shrink to a smaller serving size when cooked, the potassium content remains the same.

For example, one-half cup of raw spinach will shrink to about 1 tablespoon when cooked. Thus, eating one-half cup of cooked spinach will contain a much higher amount of potassium than one-half cup of raw spinach.

Raw Swiss chard, spinach, and beet greens are preferable to cooked greens to avoid too much potassium.

However, moderate your intake of these foods, as theyre also high in oxalates. Among sensitive individuals, oxalates can increase the risk of kidney stones (

Kidney Stone Diet: Foods To Eat And Avoid

Can High Sugar Intake Cause Kidney Stones?

Overview

Kidney stones in the urinary tract are formed in several ways. Calcium can combine with chemicals, such as oxalate or phosphorous, in the urine. This can happen if these substances become so concentrated that they solidify. Kidney stones can also be caused by a buildup of uric acid. Uric acid buildup is caused by the metabolism of protein. Your urinary tract wasnt designed to expel solid matter, so its no surprise that kidney stones are very painful to pass. Luckily, they can usually be avoided through diet.

If youre trying to avoid kidney stones, what you eat and drink is as important as what you shouldnt eat and drink. Here are some important rules of thumb to keep in mind.

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Be Mindful Of Oxalates

Eat oxalates wisely. Foods high in this chemical may increase formation of kidney stones. If youve already had kidney stones, you may wish to reduce or eliminate oxalates from your diet completely. If youre trying to avoid kidney stones, check with your doctor to determine if limiting these foods is enough. If you do eat foods containing oxalates, always make sure to eat or drink a calcium source with them. This will help the oxalate bind to the calcium during digestion, before it can reach your kidneys. Foods high in oxalate include:

  • chocolate
  • sweet potatoes

How Much Fluid Do You Need

Most people with kidney stones should drink enough fluid to make 2 liters of urine each day.

We lose some fluid from breathing, sweat, feces and even during digesting food. For most people, drinking 3 liters of fluid will be enough to meet the goal of 2 liters of urine.

But, your fluid goals may be different. They could be higher if you live in a very hot climate or exercise a lot. They could be less if you have a small body size or have heart, liver or kidney failure.

Ask your doctor how much fluid is right for you.

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Food Facts Friday: Oats And Oatmeal

Diet ManagementFeatured PostTagsoatmealoatmeal and kidney dietoatmeal recipesoats

Cooler weather is here and what better way to start the morning than with a warm and wonderful bowl of hot cereal? Oatmeal is a popular morning breakfast for people around the world. This comes as no surprise once you consider the many health benefits of oats. Oatmeal can be added to other foods like cookies, muffins, and granola bars.

While oatmeal is higher in potassium and phosphorus than other hot cereals, it can still be part of a healthy kidney diet. A 1/2 cup serving of cooked oatmeal has 80 to 115 mg potassium and 90 to 130 mg phosphorus. However, part of the phosphorus is not absorbed because it is bound to phytates in the oat grains. It is naturally low in sodium.

Oatmeal is a more processed version of whole oats. While whole oats are less processed, they must be cooked for longer periods of time so they are soft enough to eat. Other versions of oats include steel cut oats, rolled oats and instant oats. Each has a different cooking time which can be found on the package. Instant oatmeal often has added salt. More recently, many manufacturers have reduced the amount of sodium in instant oatmeal. Compare labels and choose the lowest sodium brand.

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Calcium Is Not The Enemy

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But it tends to get a bad rap! Most likely due to its name and composition, many are under the impression that calcium is the main culprit in calcium-oxalate stones. “I still see patients who wonder why they are getting recurring stones despite cutting down on their calcium intake,” said Dr. Jhagroo. “I’ve even had patients say that their doctors told them to reduce their calcium intake.” A diet low in calcium actually increases one’s risk of developing kidney stones.

Don’t reduce the calcium. Work to cut back on the sodium in your diet and to pair calcium-rich foods with oxalate-rich foods.

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Is Honey Good For Kidney Infection

Kidney infection is one of the biggest risk factors for a kidney disease patient.Many people with catheters can develop urinary infections that can be dangerous if not treated right away.

In a kidney disease patient, prevention of any such kidney infection is of utmost importance. Kidney infections are generally treated with antibiotics. However, since honey contains antimicrobial and antibacterial properties, there were studies conducted over the effectiveness of honey on kidney infections.

The study concluded that the effect of honey on infections was not any different than the antibiotics on infection prevention.

When it comes to treating an individual with a kidney infection with honey, a lot more research is needed on this topic to say anything definitively.

Honey in its raw form has been used for many centuries as a natural remedy for cuts and wounds. However, most of the benefits from honey are limited to its raw and unpasteurized form.

The honey that is commonly bought by people from the market is different from raw honey because it gets pasteurized before storing them in the bottles and being sent to the grocery stores.

When the honey is pasteurized many of its rich nutrients are also lost in that process, ultimately changing its texture and color as well.

Therefore, studies show that honey in its raw form is effective against certain bacteria. But the effectiveness of honey towards kidney infection is not yet known definitively.

Not All Stones Are Created Equal

In addition to calcium oxalate stones, another common type of kidney stones is uric acid stones. Red meat, organ meats, and shellfish have high concentrations of a natural chemical compound known as purines. “High purine intake leads to a higher production of uric acid and produces a larger acid load for the kidneys to excrete,” said Dr. Jhagroo. Higher uric acid excretion leads to lower overall urine pH, which means the urine is more acidic. The high acid concentration of the urine makes it easier for uric acid stones to form.

To prevent uric acid stones, cut down on high-purine foods such as red meat, organ meats, and shellfish, and follow a healthy diet that contains mostly vegetables and fruits, whole grains, and low fat dairy products. Limit sugar-sweetened foods and drinks, especially those that contain high fructose corn syrup. Limit alcohol because it can increase uric acid levels in the blood and avoid crash diets for the same reason. Eating less animal-based protein and eating more fruits and vegetables will help decrease urine acidity and this will help reduce the chance for stone formation.

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How Do Kidney Stones Form

Our kidneys are tasked with the responsibility of filtering toxins, waste, and excess fluid from the blood to form urine.

When the kidneys contain an excess of certain types of chemicals, such as uric acid, phosphorous, calcium, and oxalic acid, and not enough fluid to dilute them, these minerals and waste substances get concentrated enough to form crystals.

Your kidneys may simultaneously run low on certain substances that prevent these crystals from sticking together.

As a result, these clumps of waste material gradually grow in size to acquire the form of kidney stones.

The smaller stones are usually excreted without any medical intervention, rarely presenting any noticeable pain or symptoms. The larger ones, however, can get jammed in the narrow ureter and obstruct the natural flow of urine.

Given that your urinary tract is custom made for the passage of liquid matter, the expulsion of these solid rock-like masses can be mind-numbingly painful.

Drinking Plenty Of Water Is Important For Avoiding Kidney Stones

Does a Photograph of Kidney Stones Show the Effect of ...

The most important step you can take to prevent kidney stones is to drink more water, says Sean Hashmi, MD, a nephrologist at Kaiser Permanente in Southern California. Drinking enough water not only means youre urinating more frequently, but it also means that your urine is less concentrated with stone-causing minerals, he says. The more you urinate, the lower the chance that these waste products will settle and bond together to form kidney stones.

The amount of fluid needed to help prevent kidney stones varies for each person, says Naim Maalouf, MD, an associate professor of internal medicine at UT Southwestern Medical Center in Dallas. For example, some people sweat more than others and need to drink more, he says. Ideally, doctors want to see patients produce more than two and a half liters of urine per day.

A helpful indicator that youre drinking enough water is the color of your urine. If its dark yellow, youre probably not drinking enough. We would like the color of the urine to be as clear as possible, says Dr. Maalouf.

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Animals And Drug Administration

Experiments were performed using 8-10 week old male C57BL/6 mice. Mice were maintained on a standard diet and water was freely available. This study was approved by IACUC at the Georgia Regents University. Cisplatin was dissolved in saline at a concentration of 1 mg/ml. Mice were given a single intraperitoneal injection of either saline or cisplatin . Some of these animals received oral feeding of crude honey in water or water alone. Honey feeding was started seven days before cisplatin administration continued till 72hr after cisplatin administration. Animals were sacrificed at 72 hr after cisplatin administration to collect blood and kidney tissues. Kidney tissues were processed for histology, TUNEL assay, neutrophil and RNA isolation.

What Should You Not Drink When Passing A Kidney Stone

Cola drinks should be avoided at all costs. Cola contains a lot of phosphate, which is another chemical that can cause kidney stones to form. Sugars and syrups that are added to processed foods and beverages are known as added sugars. It is possible for kidney stones to form if you consume any added sucrose or added fructose.

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Managing Underlying Medical Problems Discourages Kidney Stones Too

Some medical conditions, such as obesity, high blood pressure, and diabetes, can raise your risk for kidney stones.

Endocrinologic diseases such as hyperparathyroidism, or an overactive thyroid , can increase the levels of calcium in the urine, contributing to kidney stones. In addition, gout, an arthritic condition, can raise uric acid levels in the body, which in turn can cause uric acid stones. Adequately treating such diseases and managing these chronic problems can help prevent kidney stones from developing.

Difference Between Oats And Oatmeal

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Oatmeal is a version of oats that undergoes processing to cut back on its cooking time when compared to whole oats which are not as processed as oatmeal and thus need longer cooking time to become fit for consumption.

Oatmeals also contain ingredients other than oats such as added salt and sugar. They may come in different flavors like chocolate, caramel, peanut butter, etc which involves heavy processing.

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Importance Of Dash Diet :

The focus is more on Dietary Approaches to Stop Hypertension or DASH dietthe DASH diet are less likely to develop Kidney Stones

  • Drink plenty of water. Hydration plays an essential role
  • Have normal amounts of calcium-oriented food and there is no need to supplement calcium. It is best to get calcium from the foods.
  • The intake of sugar and salt has to be minimized. Too much sodium can increase the calcium in the urine.
  • Less smoking and less alcohol can also help in the prevention of kidney stones.
  • People look for herbal options also and consumption of chia seeds, apple cider vinegar, and black cherry juice are advisable.
  • Intake of red meat should be restricted because it can increase uric acid and promote stone formation.
  • Limit the intake of tea, sodas, and chocolates also.

Reducing Kidney Stone Risk

Drinking enough fluid will help keep your urine less concentrated with waste products. Darker urine is more concentrated, so your urine should appear very light yellow to clear if you are well hydrated. Most of the fluid you drink should be water. Most people should drink more than 12 glasses of water a day. Speak with a healthcare professional about the right amount of water that’s best for you. Water is better than soda, sports drinks or coffee/tea. lf you exercise or if it is hot outside, you should drink more. Sugar and high-fructose corn syrup should be limited to small quantities.

Eat more fruits and vegetables, which make the urine less acid. When the urine is less acid, then stones may be less able to form. Animal protein produces urine that has more acid, which can then increase your risk for kidney stones.

You can reduce excess salt in your diet. What foods are high in salt? Everyone thinks of salty potato chips and French fries. Those should be rarely eaten. There are other products that are salty: sandwich meats, canned soups, packaged meals, and even sports drinks.

Some herbal substances are promoted as helping prevent stones. You should know that there is insufficient published medical evidence to support the use of any herb or supplement in preventing stones.

  • What food may cause a kidney stone?
  • Should l take vitamin and mineral supplements?
  • What beverages are good choices for me?

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Urine Volume Goes Down

All of the subjects drank a lot of water during this study so urine could be reliably obtained at 20 minute intervals. The patients and relatives had flows of about 15 ml/minute, the normals about 12 ml/min. With the sugar loads, urine volume fell by 4 ml/minute in the patients and relatives but only by 1 ml/minute in the normals. As a result, urine volumes fell as urine calcium rose a perfect storm for stone formation. This would be a recipe for high urine calcium concentration.

Alkaline Water & Kidney Stones

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Since we dont know if alkaline water will actually reduce urine acid levels, I cannot recommend alkaline water above plain tap water.

There is also no research to show that alkaline water is good for kidney stones.

In addition, alkaline water can be very expensive. Id save your money and use it to buy fresh fruits and vegetables!

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