Download 5 Things You Can Do to Reduce the Risk of Kidney Stones

5 Things You Can Do to Reduce the Risk of Kidney Stones
1. Drink Plenty of Water: drinking extra water dilutes the substances in urine that lead to kidney
stones. Drink enough fluids to pass 2 liters (2 liters is approx. 2 quarts) of urine every 24 hours. Your
work environment may also determine how much you should have to drink: example, a person working
outdoors in extreme heat (90+ degrees) during the summer months will require them to consume more
water than a person working in an air conditioned office. Certain beverages that contain citrate, like
Lemonade, helps inhibit stone formation.
2. Reduce Sodium Intake: the risk of kidney stone formation increases with a person daily sodium
consumption. A low sodium diet is recommended for people who form calcium oxalate or calcium
phosphate stones. When excess sodium is excreted by the kidneys, it increases the amount of calcium in
your urine therefore increasing the likelihood of stone formation.
The average American’s sodium intake is 3300 mg. Your goal is to limit your total daily sodium to 2400
mg. If your doctor thinks that your stone formation was related to sodium intake, try to reduce your
daily intake to 1500 mg. If you are taking large amounts of sodium that a single serving provides a major
portion of the dailt allowance. Foods that contain high levels of sodium include: hot dogs, canned soups
and vegetables, processed frozen foods, luncheon meats, and fast foods.
Person’s trying to limit daily sodium intake should check label ingredients for sources of hidden sodium.
Some examples include monosodium glutamate, sodium biocarbonate (the chemical name for baking
soda,) baking powder, disodium phosphate sodium alginate, and sodium nitrate or nitrite.
3. Limit Animal Protein: eating too much animal protein, such as red meat, poultry, eggs, and seafood,
boosts the level of uric acid and could lead to kidney stones. A high protein diet also reduces levels of
citrate, the chemical in urine that helps prevent stones from forming. If you’re prone to stone formation,
limit your daily meat intake to a quantity that is no bigger than a pack of playing cards.
4. Avoid stone-forming foods: beets, chocolate, spinach, rhubarb, tea, and most nuts are rich in
oxalate. Colas are rich in phosphate. Both of these contribute stone formation. If you suffer from stones,
avoid large quantities of these foods. High doses of Vitamin C slightly increases stone risk, because the
body converts Vitamin C into oxalate.
5. Get the calcium you need: too little calcium in your diet can cause oxalate levels to rise and cause
kidney stones. Persons who engage in a low calcium diet get more kidney stones. To help prevent this,
make sure to take in the appropriate amount of calcium for your age.