For people with frequent kidney stone formation, drinking enough liquid, and changing the dietary habits, as advised by Best Urologist in Karachi can go a long way in preventing recurrence. Read on to know more about the right foods for recurrent kidney stones:

What are kidney stones? 

Kidney stones are hard deposits of certain minerals and salts that form in the kidneys. According to the National Kidney Foundation,around 19 percent of men and about 9 percent of women, in the United States alone, suffer from kidney stones. 

Common kidney stones include:

·         Struvite stones

·         Calcium oxalate stones

·         Calcium phosphate stones

·         Cystine stones

·         Uric acid stones

The common dietary causes of stones are:

·         Diet high in oxalates leading to calcium oxalate stones

·         Excess sodium in the diet contributes to cystine and uric acid stones

·         Consuming little fluid leading to dehydration formscystine and uric acid stones

·         High protein diet can contribute to calcium phosphate stones

To avoid the formation of these stones, there is no single dietary change. Rather, healthcare providers recommend dietary and lifestyle changes to combat the buildup of several minerals in the body.

Dietary changes for kidney stones

Staying hydrated

As mentioned before, dehydration and consuming little fluid can result in cystine and uric acid stone formation. Therefore, staying hydrated and drinking plenty of fluid is generally recommended to prevent crystallization of stone-forming substances in the urine. It is important to remember that the ideal fluid for preventing stone formation is: water. Other fluids like tea, coffee, colas and sugar-sweetened soft drinks can enhance the risk of stone formation by increasing the excretion of oxalates, calcium and uric acid.

Consuming more citric acid

Citric acid is naturally found in many fruits and vegetables, including, lemons, limes, oranges and grapefruits. Citric acid helps to prevent the formation of calcium oxalate stones by binding to calcium in the urine, thereby mitigating the risk of formation of new stones. In addition, citric acid helps by binding with calcium oxalate crystals already formed and stopping them from getting larger.

Cutting back on excessive salt

Sodium increases the risk of stone formation in many individuals, as it increases the excretion of calcium through the kidneys. Most healthy diets recommend to reduce the intake of sodium to 2300 mg per day. This includes cutting back on table salt, as well as, reducing the use of processed and packaged foods.

Consuming more magnesium

Another important mineral that people don’t consume sufficientlyis magnesium. Hundreds of metabolic reactions in the body are dependent on magnesium and there is also evidence that it helps to stop calcium oxalate stone formation in the kidneys. For magnesium, the recommended daily intake (RDI) is 420 mg per day consumable through legumes, avocados, and tofu.

Limiting the intake of oxalate-rich foods

 Oxalic acid or oxalateis found in many plant-based foods like leafy greens, cocoa, vegetables and fruits, and even produced normally by the body. Oxalates in the urine predispose to the formation of calcium oxalate crystalsby binding to calcium and other minerals.

 Because oxalates generally good for health, a strict oxalate-free diet not recommend. Rather, a low-oxalate diet suggest only for individuals suffering from hyperoxaluria, i.e. high oxalate in the urine.

Avoiding vitamin C supplements

 Data from recent studies shows that vitamin C supplements increase the risk of getting kidney stones by increasing the excretion of oxalates in the urine. In fact, one study based in Sweden showed that men who took vitamin C supplements were twice as likely to get kidney stones, in comparison to those who didn’t consume extra vitamin C.

Intake of sufficient calcium

 While one may think that cutting back on calcium is the answer to avoiding calcium stone formation, it is in fact not the case. Rather, diet high in calcium is associated with reduced risk of kidney stone formation. This is because dietary calcium binds to excessive oxalate in the intestines, and prevents it from being absorbed.Therefore, the incidence of oxalate stone formation reduces. The recommended daily allowance (RDA) according to expert nephrologists like Dr. Agha Ghulam Mustafa,for calcium in adults is about 1000 mg per day.

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