A kidney stone can cause excruciating pain while passing, and those who have suffered from it know the agony it causes. Stones can form in your kidney due to clumping together of certain chemicals in the body. A kidney stone may stay put there or travel down your urinary tract. Small sized stones may pass through without causing much pain, but the larger ones can block the urine flow, causing immense pain.
Other symptoms include a pain in the back or side, vomiting, nausea, blood in the urine, fever and chills. This condition is hereditary in most people, but kidney stones could also form due to lifestyle and dietary causes. A metabolic disorder, kidney disease, or certain medications can also lead to formation of kidney stones. It is best to take preventive measures if you are at risk of developing this condition. Very simple dietary changes and remedies can help prevent kidney stones. It’s not at all difficult to prevent kidney stones, as you will learn from this article.
Best Ways To Prevent Kidney Stones
Drink Plenty Of Water
This is the most important thing to do if you want to prevent kidney stones. If you don’t drink enough water, the likelihood of formation of stones increases due to higher concentrations of substances that contribute to the condition.
So, increase your water intake if you want to prevent kidney stones. If your urine color is white or pale yellow, it would indicate that you are drinking sufficient amount of water.
Eat Less Sugar
Sugar may interfere with calcium and magnesium absorption in the body, leading to kidney stones formation. In fact, these days very young children are suffering from kidney stones due to a high sugar diet that involves unhealthy soft drinks and sodas.
There is another reason why you should avoid sugar, or at least reduce its consumption. Sugar may increase the size of your kidney and cause such pathological changes that kidney stones may develop. So, you can prevent kidney stones by eating less sugar.
Get Adequate Magnesium
A deficiency of magnesium may cause the formation of kidney stones. The excess calcium in your body can turn toxic in the absence of magnesium, turning into kidney stones. You should eat plenty of green leafy vegetables like spinach, which are rich sources of magnesium.
Also, eat lots of nuts, Seeds like pumpkin, sunflower and sesame seeds, lima beans, and avocadoes. These are also rich sources of magnesium and enough consumption of these will help prevent kidney stones formation.
Consume Calcium Rich Foods
There is growing evidence through research work that indicates people who have calcium rich diets are at a one-third lower risk of developing kidney stones. Chemical actions in the kidneys can lead to stones formation, and a calcium rich diet helps to block these.
However, it is important to note that only dietary calcium is useful in preventing kidney stones. In fact, calcium supplements are known to increase the risk of kidney stones. So, you must avoid supplements and get calcium from food sources naturally in order to prevent kidney stones.
Adequate Vitamin A
Vitamin A plays a very important role in the formation of kidney stones. It protects the lining of your urinary tract, and a deficiency of vitamin A in your body can lead to development of kidney stones.
Therefore it is essential to eat a diet rich in vitamin A and also take supplements if you are at a high risk of developing this condition.
Reduce Salt
Excess salt can lead to formation of kidney stones as your kidneys tend to retain the salt and pass the stone-forming calcium in the urine. These days, hectic lifestyles have led to consumption of processed and preserved foods, as well as junk foods, which have very high salt content.
You must avoid such foods if you are at a risk of developing this condition. Reduce the amount of salt in your cooking in order to prevent kidney stones.
Eat Citrus Fruits
Citrus fruits contain vitamin C in abundance which helps to prevent the formation of kidney stones. Include lots of citrus fruits in your daily diet if you are at a high risk of developing kidney stones.
You can squeeze out the juice of a lemon and mix it in a glass of water, along with some honey. Have this juice every day. Eat plenty of berries, oranges, limes, etc to get your daily dose of vitamin C, which will prevent kidney stones from forming.
Cut Down Animal Protein Intake
Animal protein gets metabolized to oxalate, which leads to the development of kidney stones. Therefore, if you are prone to kidney stones, it is best to eat less animal proteins.
Many body builders suffer from kidney stones due to having too many protein shakes. People who eat a lot of red meat also seem to suffer more from kidney stones. So, it is advisable to eat less animal proteins in order to prevent kidney stones.
Exercise
A sedentary lifestyle, or if you have been bedridden for quite some time, can lead to development of kidney stones. This happens because of limited activity which may cause your bones to release more and more calcium, which gets accumulated in the kidneys in the form of stones. Therefore, exercises are necessary to prevent kidney stones.
Also, exercising will help to reduce your blood pressure levels, which is another cause and risk factor for the development of kidney stones. People who are obese are more likely to develop kidney stones. So, keep yourself busy and active throughout the day. Walking and other aerobic exercises are beneficial in preventing kidney stones.
Herbal Tea With Chanca Piedra
Chanca piedra means ‘stone breaker’ in the Spanish language. This is an herb that has been used as a traditional remedy for prevention and treatment of kidney stones. If you are at a high risk of developing kidney stones, this herb is very beneficial for you.
Chanca piedra inhibits the formation of calcium oxalate crystals, which are an integral part of kidney stones. Prepare a tea with this herb and consume it regularly as it will help prevent kidney stones.
Caution: Please use Home Remedies after Proper Research and Guidance. You accept that you are following any advice at your own risk and will properly research or consult healthcare professional.