how to get rid of kidney stones

How to get rid of kidney stones – natural kidney stones home remedies

In Health News, Home Remedies, Kidney Cleanse by Candida SpecialistsLeave a Comment

How to get rid of kidney stones

Kidney stones home remedies are commonly used as a natural way to prevent, pass, remove and get rid of kidney stones. In some cases, with great results. While the treatment at home may help to dissolve kidney stones or relieve kidney stone pain fast, it is always best to consult your doctor. Identifying what causes kidney stone in your body and the types of kidney stones you may have may change the treatment approach.

This experts guide summarizes our experience with kidney stones. We looked into traditional remedies, published medical studies as well as the thousands of the reviews and testimonials we gathered over our many years of practice. We hope this guide will help you choose the best kidney stones home remedies for you, so you can safely prevent and get rid of kidney stones fast.

Supplement for kidney stones

Supplements for kidney stonesBest uses
Renaltrex: natural kidney stone complex.Dissolves kidney stones, removes toxins, cleanses the entire kidney and urinary tract.
Magnesium.Prevent kidney stone. Problematic for chronic kidney disease.
Potassium citrate.Uric acid stones or high acidic urine.
Fish oil (EPA).Prevent kidney stone, especially in diets low in EPA omega 3 acids.

Herbs for kidney stones

How to use herbs for kidney stones treatment.

Herbs for kidney stonesHerb main properties for kidney stones
Chanca piedra.Dissolves kidney stone, prevents stone formation.
Uva ursi.Diuretic, increases urine flow, effective for lower urinary tract infections.
Hydrangea.Dissolves kidney stone, diuretic, increases urine flow.
Horsetail.Prevents calcium oxalate kidney stones formation, diuretic, increases urine flow.
Marshmallow.Diuretic, increases urine flow, relieves irritated urinary mucous membrane.
Dandelion.Diuretic, increases urine flow.

Foods for kidney stones

Problematic home remedies for kidney stone

Kidney stones home remedies

Below are the most common kidney stones home remedies. We also included links to the relevant research data when available. To get back to the main table of content, click on the orange arrow on the right bottom part of your screen.

Water for kidney stones

Water and proper hydration are considered one of the most important natural kidney stones home remedies.
Several studies have shown that increasing fluid intake reduces the risk of stone formation. The connection between dehydration and kidney stones is well known: with low fluid intake, urine output is decreased and urine flow is slower, both of which increase the risk of stone formation. Current guidelines recommend drinking enough fluids to produce at least 2.5 L of urine daily.

Sodas, tomato, grapefruit, and cranberry juices however should be avoided. Tomato juice is high in sodium, grapefruit and cranberry juices are rich in oxalate, and phosphoric acid soda consumption has been linked to increased risk of developing kidney stones. (4).

Lemon juice for kidney stones

Lemon juice and lime juice are an excellent source of citric acid which according to research, may be useful for calcium kidney stones, especially among patients with hypocitraturia (low amount of citrate in the urine, a known risk factor for kidney stone formation, 1). Citrate is a naturally occurring inhibitor of urinary crystallization. Beverages containing citric acid such as lemonade are shown to add to the total volume of urine, reduce saturation of calcium and other crystals, and may enhance urinary citrate excretion (2).

The bottom line: Drinking lemon juice may help to prevent and get rid of kidney stones. Lemon juice is rich in citric acid. Citric acid is known to inhibit stone formation, breakdown and dissolve kidney stones. Drinking lemonade from natural lemon juice is suggested by published human studies as an effective natural home remedy for calcium kidney stones.

Apple cider vinegar kidney stones

Using apple cider vinegar for kidney stones is a well known home remedy for kidneys stones and is mainly based on the idea that the nutrients in apple cider vinegar, especially the naturally occurring acids and citric acid can help to break down and dissolve kidney stones. Once consumed, apple cider vinegar is believed to have an alkalizing effect, which can alter the acidity in the urine, helping you pass kidney stones more easily and also prevent the formation of new kidney stones.

So, is apple cider vinegar good for kidney stones? Some evidence does suggest that vinegar can change the acidity in the body and make the urine more alkaline, which may be helpful in preventing kidney stones caused by acidic urine.
A study that evaluated the connection between the dietary habits of 12,570 adults to kidney stones in china, found that more consumption of tea, legumes, and fermented vinegar was associated with a lesser risk of kidney stone formation (9).

The bottom line:

  • There is currently limited research data of the effectiveness of apple cider vinegar for kidney stones.
  • Based on the data we do have, apple cider vinegar may not be the most powerful remedy to get rid of kidney stone.
  • With that said, apple cider vinegar on its raw unfiltered unpasteurized form, is still considered a very healthy addition to your diet, especially if you are a vinegar fan.

Here are a few popular kidney stones home remedies using apple cider vinegar for kidney stones:

Apple cider vinegar salad dressing for kidney stones

  1. Squeeze the juice of ½ organic lemon and add to 4 tablespoons (60 ml) of extra virgin olive oil.
  2. Add 1 teaspoon (5 ml) of organic raw unfiltered apple cider vinegar.
  3. Add himalayan pink salt to taste, sprinkle  1-2 oz of hemp seeds and add to your greens.

Apple cider vinegar kidney stones drink

  1. Squeeze the juice of ½ organic lemon and add 1 teaspoon of organic raw unfiltered apple cider vinegar into 16 ounces of distilled or spring water.
  2. Add 1 dropper of renaltrex to help dissolve kidney stones and cleanse the entire kidneys and urinary system.
  3. Drink 2-3 times a day, always on an empty stomach for 5-7 days.
  4. Make sure to drink enough water, always using good source of water.

Lemon juice and olive oil for kidney stones

Drinking lemon juice and olive oil for kidney stones has been a very popular home remedy for kidney stone, and is based on the following idea:

  • lemon juice can help to dissolve and break down kidney stones.
  • olive oil can  lubricate the areas around the stones so you can pass the stones more easily.

This theory of using olive oil and lemon juice for kidney stones does have some science behind it:

  • Lemon juice is rich in citric acid. Citric acid is known to inhibit stone formation, breakdown and dissolve kidney stones (1).
  • Olive oil consumption was shown to reduce and prevent the growth of urinary stones in mice (8).

Considering the many additional health benefits of lemon juice and olive oil, you may want to include both in your diet in any case. Here are a few easy ways to use lemon juice and olive oil for kidney stones:

Lemon juice and olive oil kidney stones salad dressing recipe

  1. Squeeze the juice of ½ organic lemon and add to 4 tablespoons (60 ml) of extra virgin olive oil.
  2. Add himalayan pink salt to taste, sprinkle  1-2 oz of hemp seeds and add to your greens.

Lemon juice and olive oil kidney stone drink

  1. Mix 2 oz of olive oil with 2 oz of fresh squeezed lemon juice and drink on an empty stomach.
  2. Repeat the process 2-3 times a day always on an empty stomach for up to 5-7 days.
  3. Increase your consumption of water.

Important: This remedy may also dissolve and release gallstones and other toxins from the gallbladder and liver. When the body dissolves gallstones, they are flushed out of the body throughout normal bowel movements together with other toxins that are eliminated from the liver and gallbladder during this process. Accumulated waste buildup in the colon can cause these toxins to circulate in the body longer making you feel sick. This is common and known as a healing crises. Removing the toxic waste buildup before the liver and gallbladder cleanse was shown to make a significant difference in minimizing many of these side effects (see study).

For this reason, we highly recommend to always do a quick colon cleanse before having the lemon juice and olive oil drink. The overnight lemonade colon cleanse recipe is a good example, and it is designed to cleanse your digestive tract quickly and safely by removing these toxins and accumulated waste buildup as you sleep.

Watermelon kidney stones

The watermelon kidney stones connection is very simple and yummy. Watermelon water content is around 92 percent. Watermelon is also a good source of dietary citric acid and other electrolytes. This means that eating watermelon increases your liquids consumption and also provides your body with essential electrolytes that can promote a healthy fluid balance. As mentioned earlier in the lemon juice section, citric acid is shown by research to dissolve and break down kidney stone (11).

Which fruit is good for kidney stone

Increased intake of fruits and vegetables (excluding those with high oxalate content) has shown in many studies to increase citrate excretion in the urine and is considered as a significant protection against the risk of stone formation. Citrus fruits such as lemons, oranges, and lime and non citrus fruits such as watermelon and other melons are natural sources of dietary citrate, and several studies have shown the potential of these fruits in raising urine citrate levels (10).

Some fruits however, such as cranberry, and grapefruit may be higher in oxalate and should be avoided. Other high oxalate foods include walnuts, spinach, rhubarb, parsley and chocolate (11).

The bottom line: aim for high water fruits such as watermelon and other melons. When it comes to fruits, it is best to consume fruits on their own, always on an empty stomach, always fresh and ripe. Fruits pass the stomach very quickly compared to other foods, and only break down in the small intestine. This means that if the stomach isn’t empty, the fruits can stay trapped in the stomach by the previous meal and start to rot very quickly. This is the main reasons why many people get digestive issues from eating fruits.

Oils for kidney stones

Olive oil for kidney stones

Olive oil has been a very popular home remedy for kidney stones. Using olive oil for kidney stone is based on the idea that olive oil can coat and lubricate the areas around the kidney stones and therefore may help to release and pass the kidney stone. The research data however, is quite limited, with very few studies done on the effectiveness of olive oil for kidney stones. A study done on mice did find that olive oil consumption reduced and prevented the growth of urinary stones. The researchers suggested that these benefits of olive oil were due to olive oil’s ability to inhibit the renal tubular membrane damage caused by hyperoxaluria peroxidative stress. Hyperoxaluria is excessive urinary excretion of oxalate, a known risk factor for calcium oxalate kidney stones (8).

The bottom line: olive oil may not be the strongest remedy to get rid of kidney stones. More studies are needed to learn about the benefits of using olive oil for kidney stones. With that said, olive oil is considered a very healthy oil with many additional health benefits. If you like the taste of fresh olive oil, you will probably benefit from adding it as a part of your diet.

Fish oil and kidney stones

The fish oil and kidney stones connection came from the observation that kidney stones were virtually absent in the Inuits of Greenland, a population with a dietary mainstay of fresh fish (3). Supplementation with EPA eicosapentaenoic acid, an omega-3 fatty acid found in fish, was associated with significant decreases in urinary calcium and oxalate concentrations and increases in urinary citrate concentration (4). In other words, EPA fatty acid might favorably affect urine composition in a way that can reduce the risk of calcium kidney stone formation (5).

The bottom line:

  • More human studies are needed in order to fully learn the effectiveness of EPA fatty acid for kidney stones.
  • Fish oil and EPA may not be the best way to get rid of kidney stones, although consuming EPA may help as a natural way to prevent kidney stones.
  • Considering the many additional health benefits of EPA, it may still be a good idea to include it in your diet. Vegan sources of EPA include algae oil, flax seeds, chia seeds and hemp seeds.

Herbs for kidney stones

Perhaps the most effective natural ways to get rid of kidney stones, is using herbs for kidney stones.
When using herbs for kidney stones, it is essential to make sure the entire renal and urinary system function properly. This is very important. Once the kidney stones are dissolved, you want your body to flush them out effectively in the urine so they won’t get stuck. For this reason, a common best practice is to combine multiple kidney stones herbs that in addition to help softening and dissolving the kidney stones, can also support normal urinary, bladder and kidney function.

The top herbs that are used for this purpose include chanca piedra (stone breaker), uva ursi (bearberry, arctostaphylos), hydrangea, goldenrod (solidago), horsetail (equisetum arvense) and marshmallow (mallow root). These herbs are widely used for kidney stones, kidney and urinary system health, with a long history of traditional use that is also backed up by science.

Herbal remedies for kidney stones

When using herbal remedies for kidney stones, a liquid tincture is usually preferred for improved absorption and solubility in the body. The liquid extract also means you can easily mix it with water, teas or other detox or cleansing drinks.

kidney stone home remediesRenaltrex is a good example of an herbal kidney stones complex that combines organic and wildcrafted kidney cleansing herbs, specifically designed to help the body to naturally dissolve kidney stones, break down and flush kidneys built up toxins, remove excess uric acid and cleanse the entire urinary tract. Renaltrex has been included in our kidney stone cleanse protocol for a long time with great results in terms of effectiveness, ease of use and safety.

Here are a few easy ways of using Renaltrex for kidney stones:

Kidney stone lemonade cleanse drink

  1. Squeeze the juice of ½ organic lemon and add 1 teaspoon of organic raw unfiltered apple cider vinegar into 16 ounces of distilled or spring water.
  2. Add 1 dropper of Renaltrex.
  3. Drink 2-3 times a day, always on an empty stomach for 5-7 days.
  4. Make sure to drink enough water, always using good source of water. Many people find this kidney cleanse drink as a good alternative to flavored water or other beverages.
  5. Limit your regular table salt or other high salt foods during the kidney cleanse. When using salt, replace the regular table salt with natural salt. Himalayan pink salt is a great example.

Top herbs for kidney stones

Chanca piedra kidney stones

Chanca piedra herb, commonly known as “stonebreaker” is well known for its ability to dissolve kidney stones. You can find chanca piedra in almost any product or kidney cleanse plan designed to get rid of kidney stones.

Chanca piedra has a long traditional use in treating and preventing kidney stones, with the chanca piedra kidney stones connection also suggested by science. A few published studies concluded that chanca piedra may have potential as a natural treatment for kidney stones that should be further explored (18, 19). Chanca piedra was shown to interfere with many stages of kidney stone formation, reduce the stone crystals aggregation and modify the kidney stone structure and composition. The mechanism of action of chanca piedra is believed to be related to ureteral relaxation: using chanca piedra was found to relax the tubes that push urine from the kidneys to the urinary bladder. This is very beneficial as it may help to eliminate substances that can form kidney stones (19).

Chanca piedra was also shown in one published human study to help normalize elevated urinary calcium levels in calcium stone forming patients. This condition also known as hypercalciuria or hypercalcemia, causes elevated calcium levels in the urine, which can lead to kidney stones and even kidney failure (20).

Chanca piedra is considered one of the top kidney stones home remedies, so we wrote an entire experts guide on its uses and common practices. To learn more about how to use chanca piedra for kidney stones including chanca piedra tea and drink recipes for kidney stones, see: how to use chanca piedra for kidney stones.

Uva ursi for kidney stones

Uva ursi, also known as arctostaphylos uva ursi, bearberry or bear’s grape is a well known kidney stone home remedy that is also commonly used for urinary tract infections (UTI) as well. Uva ursi herb has a long history of medicinal use that is also supported by science. The leaf extract of Arctostaphylos uva-ursi has been suggested in the medical literature as a safe therapeutic option for treating lower urinary tract infections (17). Uva ursi is reported to have diuretic, urinary antiseptic, astringent and anti-inflammatory properties (16). An animal study found that uva ursi significantly increased urine output without affecting sodium or potassium excretion (15).

For these reasons, uva ursi is best used when combined with other herbs that have a strong ability to dissolve kidney stones. Adding uva ursi can be helpful to improve the urinary system function in order to effectively flush out and get rid the kidney stones.

Hydrangea for kidney stones

Using hydrangea root for kidney stones has a known traditional use. The old cherokee native americans and later the settlers, used a decoction of hydrangea for kidney stones and related diseases with great success reported.
Hydrangea is considered by many natural herbalists as one of the strongest herbs to get rid and dissolve kidney stones.
In his book, advanced course in herbology, Dr. Edward Shook stated that hydrangea herb is a powerful
solvent of stone and calculous deposits, not only in the renal organs, but in every part of the organism, wherever they may be located. Therefore it is destined to become a universal remedy for phosphaturia, cystitis, alkaline urine, stony deposits, deposits of oxalate of calcium and others (22).

Hydrangea is also known to have a diuretic effect that increases urine flow, which can help to cleanse and flush the entire urinary tract. Furthermore, a chinese study done on mice, found that hydrangea anti-inflammation and antioxidation effect improved the kidneys function and had a protective effect on the kidneys (21).

Due to its natural properties, hydrangea is considered as one of the top kidney stones home remedies and is often found in many herbal remedies for kidney stones.

Horsetail for kidney stones

Horsetail (Equisetum arvense) has been used as a traditional medicine for kidney diseases with its potent diuretic effect shown in both humans and animals studies (232425). The research data suggests that horsetail diuretic effect is achieved without having any negative effect on the urinary excretion of electrolytes and catabolites. These safe natural diuretic properties make horsetail a very powerful natural way to increase urine flow. For this reason, horsetail is considered a common kidney tonic herb often combined with other herbs for kidney stones to improve the formula effectiveness. Furthermore, additional evidence suggests that horsetail also has antiurolithiatic properties; animal studies found that herbal extracts that contained horsetail prevented deposits of calcium oxalate crystals formation in the kidney (26).

Marshmallow root kidney stones

Using marshmallow root for kidney stones is considered a common practice and a very known kidney stone home remedy. Marshmallow root is usually combined with other herbs for kidney stones to promote kidney and urinary tract health. According to the medical literature, marshmallow root benefits for kidney stones may be related to its ability to increase the secretion of urine while relieving irritated urinary mucous membrane (27).

This unique ability of marshmallow root makes marshmallow root the perfect herb to include in any herbal formula designed to get rid of kidney stones: on one hand marshmallow root can help to release and pass kidney stones; on the other hand it may also minimize potential discomforts or pain while passing the stones.

Dandelion root for kidney stones

The main reason behind the use of dandelion root for kidney stones comes from dandelion natural diuretic properties. Dandelion root and leaves (Taraxacum officinale) have been used as a diuretic for over 2000 years in both traditional chinese medicine and ayurvedic medicine. Human studies showed increase in the frequency of urination after a fresh leaf extract of dandelion was consumed (32).

Similar to other diuretic herbs, this means that using dandelion by itself may not be potent enough to prevent or get rid of kidney stones. For this reason, it is best used when combined with other herbs known to dissolve kidney stones such as chanca piedra. The diuretic properties of dandelion root and leaves can help the body flush out the dissolved stones more effectively.

Magnesium for kidney stones

Magnesium is a known inhibitor of the formation of calcium oxalate crystals in the urine and was proposed as a way to prevent kidney stone disease as early as the 17th and 18th centuries. Human studies supported and suggested that magnesium may be an effective treatment in kidney calcium stone disease. (28).

Magnesium can also bind with oxalate in the gastrointestinal tract to reduce oxalate absorption, a known risk factor for kidney stones. On the other hand, magnesium supplementation is not recommended for patients with chronic kidney disease since magnesium may accumulate in the blood in advanced kidney disease (29).

The bottom line: magnesium may be effective in preventing kidney stones; getting it from magnesium rich foods is prefered. If you consider taking magnesium supplements for the prevention of kidney stones, you may want to consult your doctor if are at a risk of chronic kidney disease.

Potassium citrate for kidney stones

Using potassium citrate for kidney stones is based on its ability to alkalinize the urine and solubilize urine calcium which may be helpful in reducing the risk for kidney stones (30).
Potassium citrate use may be a good fit for kidney stones that are caused by high acidic urine (low urinary pH), such as in cases of uric acid stones. Human studies suggest that urinary alkalization with potassium citrate/bicarbonate is a well tolerated and highly effective treatment, resulting in dissolution of non obstructing uric acid stones (31).

We get many questions from people who experienced side effects when using potassium citrate for kidney stones. Potassium citrate may cause side effects such as abdominal discomfort, nausea, vomiting, and diarrhea in some people. If this is you, here’s something to consider: while potassium citrate can be beneficial for kidney stones, it is not a must have remedy for kidney stones. If using potassium citrate is causing you any discomfort, you may want to consult your doctor for alternatives, such as the kidney stones home remedies covered in this guide.

Kidney stones home remedies to avoid

The following kidney stones home remedies are often suggested as natural ways to prevent and get rid of kidney stones, although they may also cause kidney stones in some cases:

Does soda cause kidney stones?

According to research, soda does cause kidney stones. One study found that kidney stone patients who stopped drinking phosphoric acid-containing sodas, had less recurrence than those who continued to drink sodas (4). Cola beverages, in particular, contain phosphoric acid and have been associated with urinary changes that promote kidney stones and increase the risk of chronic kidney disease (6).

Cranberry juice kidney stones

While using cranberry juice for UTI prevention (urinary tract infection) is probably the most known use of cranberry juice, using cranberry juice for kidney stones has gained popularity as a kidney stone home remedy many people use.

The benefits and risks of cranberry juice for kidney stone however, depend on the type of kidney stone you may have. Cranberry juice is rich in oxalates which are linked to higher incidences of calcium oxalate kidney stones. For this reason, the general recommendation is to avoid drinking cranberry juice if you are at a risk of developing calcium oxalate stones (4).

What about other type of kidney stones?

Is cranberry juice good for kidney stones?

A study that evaluated the effect of cranberry juice consumption on urinary stone risk factors found that cranberry juice exerts a mixed effect on urinary stone forming propensity: cranberry juice made the urine more acidic which is a known risk factor for developing kidney stones. On the other hand, cranberry juice also decreased urinary uric acid which may be beneficial in some cases. The study concluded that cranberry juice increases the risk of calcium oxalate and uric acid stone formation but decreases the risk of brushite stones (34).

The bottom line: considering that calcium oxalate stones are the most common types of kidney stones, if you are at a risk of developing kidney stones, you may want to avoid cranberry juice.

If however, you are not at risk of developing kidney stones, enjoy drinking cranberry juice and looking for home remedies for kidney stones prevention, cranberry juice may still be helpful. A south African study done on 20 healthy male students, found that the ingestion of cranberry juice significantly and uniquely altered three key urinary risk factors for kidney stones: Oxalate and phosphate excretion decreased while citrate excretion increased (33).

Celery and kidney stones

Consuming celery juice for kidney stones has gained popularity as a common kidney stone home remedy, although celery is also considered as a high oxalate food, which are considered foods to avoid with kidney stones (14).

So, is celery good for kidney stones? celery, celery root and celery seeds on their raw form are considered urine-promoters and kidney tonics, so they can be helpful to increase urine production, cleanse the kidneys and prevent forming of kidney stones.

The bottom line: If you have or at a risk of developing calcium oxalate kidney stones, you should avoid celery. If you are not a big celery fan, it will be probably safer to avoid it as well.

Baking soda for kidney stones

Using baking soda for kidney stones may not be the most known kidney stones home remedies, although it is suggested quite often as a natural way to get rid of kidney stones.

The biggest concern when using baking soda for kidney stones, is that baking soda is high in sodium. The general recommendation when it comes to preventing kidney stones, is to reduce sodium intake.

According to the medical literature, baking soda may be helpful to prevent calcium kidney stones though. The effect of baking soda on calcium kidney stones was evaluated in a published human study with sixteen calcium kidney stones patients that also had hypocitraturia (low amount of citrate in the urine, a known risk factor for kidney stone formation). This study found that consuming baking soda was able to significantly increase the urinary citrate and pH, and suggested that baking soda (sodium bicarbonate) may be effective for hypocitraturic calcium oxalate stone formers. Patients with pure uric acid stones and high urate excretion however, may be less suited for treatment with baking soda due to the high sodium. (7).

The bottom line: using baking soda for kidney stone may backfire due to the high sodium content.

Beer and kidney stones

Beer and kidney stones has been a popular topic for a good reason. Many people like to drink beer. Having kidney stones can be a painful problem. If there’s a healthy legit way to justify drinking more beer for the health of our kidneys, we need to know!

Here goes. A study analyzed the association between the consumption of different beverages and the incidence of kidney stones. The analysis involved 194,095 participants for an average time period of 8 years.

The analysis results suggest that consumption of sugar-sweetened soda and punch is associated with a higher risk of stone formation. Not surprising, We knew that! Here’s the good part. Consumption of coffee, tea, beer, wine, and orange juice was associated with a lower risk of kidney stone.

The researchers did mention that alcohol ingestion is associated with an increased or excessive production of urine (diuresis) which may be beneficial in preventing kidney stones. The mechanism of alcohol-induced diuresis however, needs to be further studied. Of course the study didn’t check the correlation between alcohol consumption to liver disease or other health concerns, since the focus was kidney stones.

So what’s the bottom line? is beer good for kidney stones?

It is well known that higher fluid intake may reduce the risk of kidney stones. If you go out and you have to choose between water and beer, choose…water. If however your options are soda vs. beer or wine, and you do not have a medical condition that prevents you from drinking alcohol, you now have a reason and a link to a published study to justify one glass of wine or beer (35).

Types of kidney stones

Knowing the type of kidney stones you have is very important, as the needed treatment can be completely different. Different types of kidney stones may be caused by different reasons or underlying conditions. This may impact the kidney stones remedies you may want to use to prevent or get rid of kidney stones. Here are the most common types of kidney stones:

Calcium oxalate kidney stones

Calcium oxalate kidney stones are the most common types of kidney stones. Low oxalate diet is a key part of the treatment and prevention by avoiding high oxalate foods. This helps to reduce the amount of oxalate in the urine. Foods to avoid with calcium oxalate kidney stones include nuts, peanuts, rhubarb, spinach, wheat bran, potato chips, chocolate and beets. To summarize the common recommendations to prevent calcium oxalate kidney stones (12):

  • Follow a low oxalate diet.
  • Reduce consumption of sodium and salt.
  • Limit animal protein and replace with plant based foods that are high in protein and low in oxalate. Beans, dried peas, and lentils are good examples.
  • Get enough calcium from foods, especially from low-oxalate, plant-based foods such as beans and legumes.

Calcium phosphate kidney stones

Calcium phosphate kidney stones are less common than calcium oxalate stones and are made from calcium that is combined with phosphoric acid. The cause of calcium phosphate stones is most often related to a high alkaline urine pH. Increases in urine volume and restriction of sodium intake to limit calcium excretion are considered important part of the treatment and or prevention of calcium phosphate kidney stones (13). A key part of the diet for calcium phosphate kidney stones has to look into the potential causes of the alkaline urine. To surmise:

  • Limit animal protein and replace with plant based foods that are high in protein and low in oxalate.
  • Reduce consumption of sodium and salt.
  • Get enough calcium from foods.

Other less common types of kidney stones include:

  • Uric acid stones usually develop when the urine is too acidic and occur more often in people with gout or as a result of chemotherapy. A diet rich in animal proteins may increase the urine acidity and the risk of developing uric acid stones.
  • Struvite stones occur more in women with urinary tract infections or kidney infection. Struvite stones can be large and cause urinary obstruction.
  • Cystine stones are uncommon and are linked to a genetic disorder known as cystinuria. In cystinuria, there are high levels of the amino acid cystine in the urine that can cause the formation of cystine stones in the kidneys, ureter, and bladder.

References

  1. Can lemon juice be an alternative to potassium citrate in the treatment of urinary calcium stones in patients with hypocitraturia? A prospective randomized study (1).
  2. Quantitative Assessment of Citric Acid in Lemon Juice, Lime Juice, and Commercially-Available Fruit Juice Products (2).
  3. Strategies for preventing calcium oxalate stones (3).
  4. Medical and Dietary Therapy for Kidney Stone Prevention (4).
  5. Effects of eicosapentaenoic acid on urinary calcium excretion in calcium stone formers (5).
  6. Carbonated Beverages and Chronic Kidney Disease (6).
  7. The effect of sodium bicarbonate upon urinary citrate excretion in calcium stone formers (7).
  8. Antiurolithic effect of olive oil in a mouse model of ethylene glycol-induced urolithiasis (8).
  9. Prevalence of kidney stones in China: an ultrasonography based cross-sectional study (9).
  10. Dietary treatment of urinary risk factors for renal stone formation. A review of CLU Working Group (10).
  11. U.S. National Library of Medicine, Preventing kidney stones (11).
  12. The National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases, Eating, Diet, & Nutrition for Kidney Stones (12).
  13. A Woman with Recurrent Calcium Phosphate Kidney Stones (13).
  14. Oxalate Content of Foods (14, 14b).
  15. Effect of extracts of Orthosiphon stamineus Benth, Hieracium pilosella L., Sambucus nigra L. and Arctostaphylos uva-ursi (L.) Spreng. in rats. (15).
  16. Uva-ursi extract and ibuprofen as alternative treatments of adult female urinary tract infection (ATAFUTI): study protocol for a randomised controlled trial (16).
  17. Risk assessment of free hydroquinone derived from Arctostaphylos Uva-ursi folium herbal preparations (17).
  18. Phyllanthus niruri inhibits calcium oxalate endocytosis by renal tubular cells: its role in urolithiasis (18).
  19. Phyllanthus niruri as a promising alternative treatment for nephrolithiasis (19).
  20. Phyllanthus niruri normalizes elevated urinary calcium levels in calcium stone forming (CSF) patients (20).
  21. Total Coumarins from Hydrangea paniculata Protect against Cisplatin-Induced Acute Kidney Damage in Mice by Suppressing Renal Inflammation and Apoptosis (21).
  22. Advanced course in Herbology, Dr. Edward Shook, lesson five (22).
  23. Evaluation of the Subchronic Toxicity of Dietary Administered Equisetum arvense in F344 Rats (23).
  24. Herbal medicines as diuretics: a review of the scientific evidence (24).
  25. Randomized, Double-Blind Clinical Trial to Assess the Acute Diuretic Effect of Equisetum arvense (Field Horsetail) in Healthy Volunteers (25).
  26. [Antiurolithiasic effect of a plant mixture of Herniaria glabra, Agropyron repens, Equisetum arvense and Sambucus nigra (Herbensurina®) in the prevention of experimentally induced nephrolithiasis in rats] (26).
  27. Aqueous extracts and polysaccharides from Marshmallow roots (Althea officinalis L.): cellular internalisation and stimulation of cell physiology of human epithelial cells in vitro (27).
  28. Effects of magnesium hydroxide in renal stone disease (28).
  29. Nutritional Management of Kidney Stones (Nephrolithiasis) (29).
  30. Empiric use of potassium citrate reduces kidney-stone incidence with the ketogenic diet (30).
  31. Dissolution of radiolucent renal stones by oral alkalinization with potassium citrate/potassium bicarbonate (31).
  32. The Diuretic Effect in Human Subjects of an Extract of Taraxacum officinale Folium over a Single Day (32).
  33. Influence of cranberry juice on the urinary risk factors for calcium oxalate kidney stone formation (33).
  34. Effect of cranberry juice consumption on urinary stone risk factors (34).
  35. Soda and Other Beverages and the Risk of Kidney Stones (35).
Candida Specialists

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