Kidney stone, also known as renal calculi are crystalline sedimentations in the urinary tract. The food we consume is used by the body for its growth and maintenance and the waste products after digestion of these foods are excreted as urine and stool. Kidneys play a vital role in isolating the waste and they isolate the waste products from the blood and expel them from the body as urine.
However, if the concentration of any specific mineral in urine is too high it result in the formation of crystals, finally leading to kidney stones. This condition normally arises because the patient consumes foods which are rich with certain minerals. Hence, for effective treatment of kidney stones, it is vital to understand the type of the stone the patient is suffering from.
There are different types of kidney stones such as calcium oxalate stone, uric acid stone, calcium phosphate stone, cysteine stone and struvite stones. Identification of the chemical makeup of the stone helps the patient to make necessary dietary changes.
Those who once suffered from this disease are prone to recurrence with multiple stones later in their life. Even if the patient is under medication, it is vital to follow proper diet to avoid the reoccurrence of kidney stones. Hence, kidney stone diet is inevitable for such patients.
The ideal remedy for kidney stones is to increase the fluid consumption as the fluids reduce the urine concentration and mineral precipitation in the urine. A kidney stone patient should expel at least 2.4 liters of urine a day for which he or she should drink minimum of 3 liters of water per day.
Besides water, the patient should also drink lot of orange juice and lemonade, as they contain citrate which will prevent the crystal formation in urine.
But, if you are suffering from calcium phosphate stones, then citrate may do more harm than good, so start your diet only with the consent of your doctor. Since, tea and coffee contain oxalate, it’s better to avoid them.
Insoluble fiber obtained from rice, barley, rye, wheat etc. combines with the excess calcium in the intestine and excretes the calcium through stool. Hence, increase the consumption of such foods.
Oxalate in combination with the calcium in blood makes calcium oxalate stones more over oxalate also reduces the absorption ability of calcium. Oxalate is mainly obtained from plant sources and the major foods that provide oxalate are spinach, rhubarb, wheat barn, strawberries, beets, nuts, tea, chocolate etc. However, the patients should limit their oxalate consumption to 50 mg per day by limiting the above mentioned foods.
Calcium is absorbed by the body to carry out some major functions of the body and the excess quantity is normally excreted through the urine. However, if there is excess oxalate or phosphate in the body, calcium combines with them to form kidney stones. Hence, doctors may recommend for reduction of calcium consumption in order to avoid calcium stones.
Calcium rich foods include milk, milk products and green leafy vegetables. Certain medications also contain calcium; hence check the label before purchasing medications. Men should limit their calcium intake at 800 mg per day, while women can take up to 1000 mg a day.
Sugar in packaged foods, sodium and animal proteins aggravates the calcium stone formation; Hence, patients should avoid the consumption of such items. Similarly vitamin C supplements also aggravate oxalate stone formation. Take a well-balanced diet and say good bye to your kidney stones.
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