Will It Help Or Hurt To Take A Vitamin Or Mineral Supplement
The B vitamins which include thiamine, riboflavin, niacin, B6 and B12 have not been shown to be harmful to people with kidney stones. In fact, some studies have shown that B6 may actually help people with high urine oxalate. However, it is best to check with your healthcare professional or dietitian for advice on the use of vitamin C, vitamin D, fish liver oils or other mineral supplements containing calcium since some supplements can increase the chances of stone formation in some individuals.
How Sweet Tea And Soda Affect The Bladder
Sweet tea and soda have a couple of things in common that can lead to urinary problems. First, they both cause frequent urination. Caffeine, which is present in both drinks, acts as a natural diuretic. The caffeine stimulates the bladder, so you use the restroom more often when you drink either of these two beverages. Studies show that women who drink large amounts of caffeine are 70 percent more likely to suffer from urinary incontinence.
Other potential concerns include:
- Tea tends to be acidic, which may cause irritation in the urinary tract.
- Carbonated drinks like soda irritate sensitive bladders.
- Both artificial and natural sugar can cause irritation in the bladder as well.
The biggest obstacle is that if you drink a lot of soda or sweet tea, then you are probably not drinking enough water. The human body consists mostly of water it makes up more than half of your body weight. It is necessary to transport oxygen in the blood, to support immune system functioning, to maintain proper body temperature, and to remove waste. In general, you should try to drink up to eight glasses of water daily for optimal health.
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Does The Type Of Kidney Stone I Had Affect Food Choices I Should Make
Yes. If you have already had kidney stones, ask your health care professional which type of kidney stone you had. Based on the type of kidney stone you had, you may be able to prevent kidney stones by making changes in how much sodium, animal protein, calcium, or oxalate is in the food you eat.
You may need to change what you eat and drink for these types of kidney stones:
A dietitian who specializes in kidney stone prevention can help you plan meals to prevent kidney stones. Find a dietitian who can help you.
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Kidney Stone Diet: Foods To Eat And Avoid
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.
What Are Kidney Stones
Kidney stones are hard deposits of minerals and salts that form in your kidneys.
Kidney stones can form in any part of your urinary tract, including your kidneys, ureter , and bladder.
Youll likely start to experience symptoms once a kidney stone is large enough to move around in your kidney or if the kidney stone becomes lodged in your ureter.
Kidney stones typically affect people 30 years and older, but children can also get them. Its estimated that 19% of men and 9% of women will develop a kidney stone in their lifetime.
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Different Types Of Kidney Stones
Causes of Kidney stones have no single reason, although several factors can increase the risk. Factors that can increase the risk are dehydration, family history, i.e. genetic, and the presence of medical conditions. There can also be other causes of kidney stones.
What Are The Signs And Symptoms Of Kidney Stones
Some of the symptoms of kidney stones may include:
- Severe, sharp pain in your side and back, below your ribs
- Pain that radiates to your lower abdomen and groin
- Pain that comes in waves and fluctuates in intensity
- Burning sensation or pain while urinating
Other signs and symptoms of kidney stones may include:
- Pink, red, or brown urine
- Cloudy or foul-smelling urine
- A persistent need to urinate, urinating more often than usual, or urinating in small amounts
- Nausea and vomiting
- Fever and chills if an infection is present
Kidney stone symptoms typically resolve once the stone is passed. Kidney stones dont usually cause permanent damage if they are identified and treated if needed.
However, if you have a large stone that becomes stuck in your urinary tract, it can disrupt the flow of urine from your kidney to your bladder and cause intense pain and swelling. Large stones may require surgical intervention to prevent scarring and permanent damage to your kidneys.
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What Is The Best Thing To Drink If You Have Kidney Stones
Water and coconut water. Actually there are quite a few contributing factors to the development of kidney stones but kidney stones are largely formed due to a lack of water. Hydration is key and water and coconut water are the two main and only things that would be best to prevent and treat having kidney stones.
What Is The Most Important Factor To Prevent Kidney Stone Formation
One of the best things you can do to avoid kidney stones is to drink plenty of water every day. This will help make sure that you urinate frequently to avoid any build up of calcium or uric acid.
Don’t underestimate your sweat! Saunas, hot yoga and heavy exercise may sound 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 summer may lead to less urine production. The more you sweat, the less you will urinate, which allows stone-causing minerals to settle and deposit in the kidneys and urinary tract.
Hydrate with water. Be sure to keep well hydrated, especially when doing exercise or activities that cause a lot of sweating. You should drink 2-3 quarts of liquid or 8-12 cups per day to produce a good amount of urine. Speak with a healthcare professional about the right amount of water that’s best for you. Try to avoid sodas , sweetened iced tea and grapefruit juice.
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How You Can Get Kidney Stones From Drinking Soda
Sodas are filled with unhealthy chemicals, including high levels of processed bleached sugar, phosphoric acid, caffeine, and high fructose corn syrup. These ingredients can be extremely harmful to your body, especially when consumed in large amounts.
High fructose corn syrup, in particular, can metabolize into oxalate and increase excretion of uric acid and calcium. This combination of high-level oxalate, uric acid, and calcium encourage kidney stone formation. Phosphoric acid is another culprit found in the average soda. This chemical creates an acidic environment in your kidney tract, enabling kidney stones to form more easily. In addition, many sodas are high in caffeine which is a diuretic that encourages chronic dehydration, which is the most common risk factor for kidney stone formation.
Some Drinks That Could Cause Kidney Stones Formation:
Soda:
- Drinking soda, especially those containing phosphoric acid could cause you to have kidney stones.
- Also, soda contains caffeine which is a diuretic. This action increases salt content in your kidney, hence, it promotes kidney stone formation.
- For good health, you have to replace soda with a healthier drink or you should drink an equal amount of water after drinking soda. This could help to avoid kidney stone formation from soda.
Alcohol:
- There is no strong evidence that drinking alcohol directly causes kidney stones.
- However, it could indirectly increase your risk to have kidney stones. Drinking alcohol decrease your water intake. Thus, dehydration may occur. Dehydration causes urine to be concentrated. This finally could increase your risk to have kidney stones .
Black tea:
- Black tea is a rich source of oxalates.
- Therefore, it could increase your risk to have kidney stones. Oxalate stones represent the most common type of kidney stone.
- For this purpose, black tea is still a risk factor for kidney stone formation, especially for patients with a history of calcium oxalate kidney stones .
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Lower Your Animal Protein Intake
Many sources of protein, such as red meat, pork, chicken, poultry, and eggs, increase the amount of uric acid you produce. Eating large amounts of protein also reduces a chemical in urine called citrate. Citrates job is to prevent the formation of kidney stones. Alternatives to animal protein include quinoa, tofu , hummus, chia seeds, and Greek yogurt. Since protein is important for overall health, discuss how much you should eat daily with your doctor.
Read This If Soda Is Your Go
Soda is everywhere, but health professionals say regularly drinking the sugary drinks can come with health risks.
Here are five health risks to keep in mind:
1. Kidney damage and kidney stones: Diet sodas are linked to a decrease in the glomerular filtration rate of the kidney, a key measure of the kidneys function. The GFR measures the amount of blood passing through glomeruli, which are clusters of kidney filters for waste in blood, according to the National Kidney Foundation. While the GFR naturally decreases with age, drinking more than two diet sodas per day can speed up this decrease.
And it isnt just diet sodas. Dr. Maria Khan, a nephrologist at Advocate Condell Medical Center in Libertyville, Ill., says kidney stones can form as a result of the fructose content in sweetened colas. The relative risk is 23% higher among those drinking one or more sugar-sweetened colas per day compared to non-users as described in this study, she says.
2. Diabetes: Diabetes is a chronic disease that occurs when the body either produces no insulin, too little insulin or cannot properly use the insulin it produces. Insulin is essential to helping your body metabolize blood sugar. People who drink just one or two sugary drinks on a regular basis have a 26% greater risk of developing type 2 diabetes than those who dont, according to Harvards School of Public Health.
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Healthy Foods That Can Cause Kidney Stones
Did you just start eating healthy foods and instead of getting an extra spring in your step, you find that you are suffering from joint pains, mental fatigue, gut problems, and a range of other symptoms? There may be an explanation for these healthy foods making you sick, instead of healing you. Many healthy foods contain oxalates, and you could be eating too many of them.
Here, we will outline what oxalates are, how they affect you, the foods that contain the most oxalates, and the foods that you can eat if you are on a low-oxalate diet.
Best And Worst Drinks For Preventing Kidney Stones
Pietro Manuel Ferraro, MD, physician, department of internal medicine and medical specialties, Catholic University of the Sacred Heart, Rome, Italy. His study was published in Clinical Journal of the American Society of Nephrology.
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Mention kidney stones and everyone within earshot wincesbecause weve all heard how painful these stones can be. So if you want to be stone-free, youre probably following the common advice to drink lots of liquids. But instead of focusing on how much you drink, the crucial question is what you drink, a new study reveals. Certain beveragesincluding some very surprising ones, such as beer!are particularly helpful in protecting against stones, while other drinks do more harm than good.
Unfortunately, kidney stones are common, plaguing 19% of men and 9% of women in the US at least once in their lifetimesand recurrences are quite common. Drinking plenty of water helps prevent stones from formingbut actually, there are other fluids that can be even more effective.
DRINK THIS, NOT THAT
Using data from three large studies, researchers followed 194,095 people, none of whom had a history of kidney stones, for more than eight years. Participants periodically completed questionnaires about their diet and overall health. During the course of the study, there were 4,462 cases of kidney stones.
Kidney stone risk boosters
Kidney stone risk reducers
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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.
Types Of Kidney Stones
Kidney stones can be broadly categorized into calcium stones and non-calcium stones. Excessive calcium in the urine figures as the prime culprit for 80 percent of all kidney stones. It combines with one of two waste substances, oxalate or phosphorous, to give rise to different types of stones.
The most common types of kidney stones include the following:
- Calcium oxalate stones: These are the most common type of kidney stones, which are formed when calcium binds with oxalate, a chemical thats naturally found in many foods.
- Calcium phosphate stones: These are also quite prevalent and are formed when calcium binds with phosphoric acid.
- Struvite stones: These are often caused by an active urinary infection.
- Uric acid stones: These are often associated with diabetes and come into being when your urine is too acidic.
- Cystine stones: These result from a disorder called cystinuria, which is genetically passed down through families and is characterized by high levels of the amino acid cystine in the urine.
Different dietary factors can trigger the formation of different kinds of stones. Needless to say, there is no standard diet plan that applies to all kinds of stones.
Given that different stones have different nutritional contributors, there can never be a one-size-fits-all stone prevention diet.
Each kidney stone calls for the elimination of specific foods and drinks that may contribute to its development.
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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.
Vegetables To Avoid For Kidney Stones
Chocolate, rhubarb, spinach, beets, Swiss chard, and sweet potatoes are just a few examples of foods containing high levels of oxalate. Consumption of these foods may benefit those who develop calcium oxalate stones, the most common type of kidney stone.
If left untreated, kidney stones can cause significant pain and cause life-threatening consequences. If you notice any of the usual symptoms of kidney stones, such as pain, dark or bloody urine, fever, or nausea, contact your doctor right away. Your doctor may recommend a few dietary recommendations that you should follow. Citric acid, which contributes to decreased acidity, is found in lemons and limes. Citrus fruits, such as oranges, have an ingredient known as citrus carbohydrates in them. Lowering protein intake may be beneficial to those with high uric acid levels. If you dont eat a lot of non-vegetarian protein foods, you may be predisposed to kidney stones.
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What Color Is Urine When Your Kidneys Are Failing
When kidneys are failing, the increased concentration and accumulation of substances in urine lead to a darker color which may be brown, red or purple. The color change is due to abnormal protein or sugar, high levels of red and white blood cells, and high numbers of tube-shaped particles called cellular casts.