More Information on "Kidney Stones Diet"

Selecting Beneficial Dietary Options

In combination with specific nutritional choices, including fluid intake, fiber, and fish oil, mentioned in other site articles, a person who establishes a kidney stones diet must also examine their dietary options. Some types of diets protect a person while other recent diet crazes may actually encourage the development of kidney stones.

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Maintain a low-salt diet. Simply put, the least amount of salt and sodium consumed as part of a kidney stones diet correlates directly to lower calcium levels in the urine, thereby protecting a person from having the excess ingredients needed to make a kidney stone. Sodium contributes to the elevation of urate in the urine. This is a crystal-like substance that can lead to calcium oxalate kidney stones. Limiting sodium intake 2,000-3,000 milligrams per day is essential in ensuring that these painful type of stones do not develop. Recent studies even suggest that a low-salt diet played a significantly greater role than just a diet low in calcium. That is why a low-salt regimen is considered just as important as fluid intake as a component of a kidney stones diet.

Practice a low-protein diet. The recent trend toward severely low-carbohydrate diets directly increased the amount of meat - and therefore, protein - that a person ate. Consuming more of this type of protein greatly impacts a person’s chances of suffering with any type of kidney stone, or stones, let alone having them reoccur.

Scientists believe the reason for this correlation is that protein in the body increases other substances that appear in the urine, including uric acid, calcium, and oxalates, as well as reduces citrate, the primary protector in the body from kidney stones. Those who participated in a study consumed enormous quantities of meat protein and ended up having huge increases in the amount of uric acid and calcium in a very short time. An increase in protein can also raise phosphate levels, which does not help people who already suffer from struvite kidney stones. Not only can these people who practice low-carbohydrate diets be putting themselves at risk for kidney stones but they also can be opening up the opportunity for osteoporosis, a disease in which bones become fragile and are likely to break.

Nearly 30% of those who put themselves at risk for calcium kidney stones have a sensitivity to meat protein that can lead to a mild form of hyperoxaluria. This condition can create excessive synthesis and excretion of oxalate, also known as oxalic acid. A third of all calcium kidney stones seem to be the result of too much oxalate in the urine. With this condition, the body produces a disproportionate amount of salt oxalate. When there is more oxalate than can be dissolved in the urine, crystals form and develop into calcium oxalate kidney stones.

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The most successful diets are those that encourage everything in moderation. Likewise, a kidney stones diet also states that meat protein should be eaten in smaller amounts than what is preached about in low-carbohydrate diets. Researchers contend that while they still have more studies to conduct to form a clearer picture on how protein affects kidney stones, a lower quantity of this in a diet is the key in the meantime.

Paying Attention to Vitamin Intake Levels

While all vitamins and minerals are essential to your body, any taken in excess amount can have a detrimental affect. A good kidney stones diet takes this fact into consideration. Here are some primary examples:

Vitamin C, also known as ascorbic acid, becomes oxalate when it is consumed by the body. People suffering from hyperoxaluria should avoid taking any supplements that have additional quantities of this vitamin because they do not need to have more oxalates in their body than necessary. Otherwise, they create a breeding ground for kidney stones.
The B vitamin family, consisting of thiamine, riboflavin, niacin, B6 and B12, are recommended as part of a kidney stones diet. Studies have indicated that this group of vitamins does not hurt people already suffering from kidney stones. In fact, Vitamin B6 is currently being used on people with hyperoxaluria when other means do not prevent stone development. However, warnings do come with this finding. People should not try to solve this problem themselves by ingesting large quantities of this vitamin. Serious effects can result from taking daily quantities in the amount of 500-2,000 mg. Over a period of time, people who do this may experience nerve damage, loss of balance, and feet and hand numbness. Instead of consuming B6 supplements, consider adding some great sources of this vitamin to a kidney stones diet. These include such nutritional and delicious items as meats, poultry, and oily fish; whole grains and vitamin-fortified cereals; potatoes (primarily the skins); brewer’s yeast, peanuts, and soybeans; and fruits, such as avocados, watermelon, bananas, and plantains.

Managing Stress

A beneficial lifestyle choice that is always mentioned but which can not be overemphasized is the importance of stress management. By lowering stress, it does a body a lot of good - almost as much so as eating the right foods, drinking proper fluids, and balancing consumption of certain vitamins and minerals. There is a known connection between kidney stone development and high levels of stress. That is why it is good to practice relaxation techniques and effective daily exercise regimens as part of a kidney stones diet.

To learn about the role that calcium and oxalates play in kidney stone development and how certain foods make a difference in your body’s health, go to diet for kidney stones.

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