Kidney Stones Diet and Remedies
If you have kidney stones, you are not alone; more than 5 percent of the American population suffers from this medical condition according to National Kidney and Urology Disease Information (NKUDI). In fact, this number is increasing annually. Important is know the cause and means to flush the stones and prevent new ones from forming in you kidneys. Kidney stones are resulted from crystallization of certain chemicals in your urine. In agglomerating, crystals can form small stones from a size of a grain of sand to a golf ball. Although most stones are composed of calcium oxalate, it may happen you develop uric acid kidney stones, or cystine stones.
The majority of small stones pass out the body by themselves without any medical intervention. However, some of them, due to their size, blocked in the urinary tract causing excruciating pain; this can require immediate help of a physician. To get rid of those stone buildups, your nephrologist (a physician who is specialized in kidney diseases, kidney transplantation, and dialysis therapy) may use extracorporeal lithotripsy (performed mostly for stones between 4 mm and 2 cm in diameter) and shock waves (to fragment large stones into small pieces). In some cases, however, a surgeon must resort to typical surgery to remove the stone.
All those methods can remove kidney stones, but not prevent their recurrence. Once you have renal calculi, the risk of recurrence is high. The best way to avoid this is to follow a natural treatment and change your diet.
How to pass kidney stones naturally?
To dissolve uric acid stones, alkalinization therapy (a form of treatment of kidney stones consisting of the reduction of acidity in the urine) is essential. This can be done naturally or synthetically. However, this article is about natural alkalinization therapy.
Increase your liquid intake – Dehydration is a major risk factor for kidney stones. Drinking lot of water and natural juice allows your body to diluting elements present in the urine. If you suffer or at risk of kidney stones, you should drink at least 8 glasses of water per day for less active people, and at least 10 glasses for athletes; this preventive and curative method facilitates the release of stones that already formed and prevents formation of others. Although it can be annoying, it is also important to drink a glass of water during the night. During hot season, you should drink even more.
Eat more fruits and vegetables – If you have kidney stones, curative effects of eating fruits is enormous. A diet rich in fruits participates in many vital body functions, including increasing citrate, a major inhibitor of crystallization of salts in your urine. However, consumption of certain fruits and vegetables must be limited.
Lemonades and grapefruit juice significantly increase urinary excretion of citrate, calcium and magnesium. Citrus fruit juices could represent a natural alternative to potassium citrate, a substance used to treat a kidney stone condition. However, in order to obtain their beneficial effects in the prevention of calcium renal stones, they must be drunk with no or low sugar. Orange juice is also recommended; it increases citrate in the urine while reducing the crystallization of uric acid and calcium oxalate.
Limit your protein intake – high protein intake tends to cause crystallization of salts in the urine, by increasing the level of calcium, oxalate and uric acid, and lowering the level of citrate (a key substance in the prevention of formation of kidney stones). Animal proteins (meat, fish, poultry, game, etc.) are most often involved in this disorder.
It is important that you reduce consumption of foods high in oxalate: chocolate, peanuts, hazelnuts, asparagus, beets, spinach, rhubarb, etc.
Reduction of salt in your diet is also essential. Salt and salted products promote formation of calcium in the urine, which leads to kidney stones. In addition, avoid beer and soft drinks. These drinks are too acidic for your urine; they can lead to formation of stones. Certain supplements such as vitamin C must be taken in small quantities.
The real solution
Those measures of precaution are not always efficient to remove certain stones already installed in your urinary tract. If you have kidney stones and you do not want surgery or medical treatment, it is vital to follow a natural treatment that is effective and safe.