The pain of kidney stones can be intense. But your diet can have a significant impact on stone formation. You may need to follow a special food plan if you’re attempting to prevent producing stones or if you already have kidney stones.
What are Kidney Stones?
Kidney stones are tiny, hard deposits in the kidneys that accumulate over time. According to the best kidney doctor, they appear when specific components, such as minerals and salts, become so concentrated in the urinary tract that they solidify. Dietary changes can help prevent them.
What is a Kidney Stone Diet Plan?
A kidney stone diet plan is the first step you can adopt to prevent kidney stones from forming. So, if you wish to prevent kidney stones development or reduce the risk of recurrence if you have already had stones, following a kidney stone diet plan may help.
However, there is no single diet plan. You have to follow a different diet plan depending on the type of kidney stones you have. As kidney stones develop from different minerals in the body, what kind of changes you need to make in your diet also need customization.
What to Eat and Avoid
Here are some important dietary rules to keep in mind, if you’re trying to prevent kidney stones formation. Let’s see what you should be eating and avoiding.
Foods to Eat
Increase the intake of following foods to reduce the risk of kidney stones formation.
- Stay Hydrated
The most important thing you can do to prevent kidney stones formation is to drink enough fluid. It aids in the dilution of chemicals that form stones. Drink at least 12 cups of water in a day. The main goal is to keep urine odourless and colourless.
- Increase Citrate Intake
Citrate inhibits the formation of kidney stones by binding to calcium. As a result, calcium doesn’t bind to oxalates and no stones are formed. According to a study, fruits with high levels of citric acid, such as lemons, have a good effect on preventing kidney stones.
Diets rich in citrate are as follows:
- Lemons
- Oranges
- Grapefruit
- Maintain Dietary Calcium Intake
If you don’t get enough calcium, your oxalate levels may increase. Take calcium from natural sources. Don’t use supplements. Supplements may increase risk of kidney stones production. Add the following foods to your diet plan.
- Legumes
- Dark green vegetables
- Nuts
- Yoghourt
- Cottage cheese
- Milk
- Seeds
- Blackstrap molasses
- Eat Fruit and Vegetables
Fruits and vegetables are essential components of any healthy diet. Increasing the amount of veggies in your diet can help you avoid stone development. Dried, frozen, or fresh fruits are all options.
Foods to Avoid
Try not to add the following foods in your diet.
- Avoid High Oxalate Foods
Watch out these oxalate rich foods to avoid oxalate accumulation in the urine:
- Peanuts
- Spinach
- Nuts and nut products
- Cashews
- Almonds
- Beets
- Sweet potatoes
- French fries
- Chocolate
- Tea
- Raspberries
- Wheat bran
- Shredded wheat cereals
If you do eat oxalates-containing meals, make sure you eat or drink calcium-rich foods with them. This will aid in the binding of oxalates to calcium during digestion. As a result, oxalates will not reach your kidneys.
- Limit Animal Protein
Chances of kidney stones increase when you eat protein. Animal protein decreases the amount of citrate in urine. Citrate is a molecule that prevents kidney stone formation.
Try to limit following foods:
- Beef, pork, and chicken
- Eggs
- Cheese
- Fish
- Milk and other dairy products
Although you may need to reduce the amount of animal protein you consume each day, you must still consume adequate protein. Find some alternatives. Try to add chia seeds, hummus, quinoa, beans, dried peas, and Greek yoghurt. These foods are low in oxalates but high in protein.
- Avoid Sodium
Avoid food containing high amounts of sodium. Sodium is the part of salt. It increases the accumulation of calcium in urine. Canned and packaged foods have high sodium levels. Also, meats, condiments, fast foods, and seasonings have sodium. Avoid these foods.
Furthermore, sodium is present in many drinks such as vegetable juices. So, take note what you’re drinking.
- Don’t Drink Colas
Reduce intake of cola drinks. They are rich in phosphate. Phosphate enhances kidney stones formation.
Also avoid sugary drinks. Drinks with added sugars such as fructose and sucrose have the ability to cause kidney stones development. So, always look for the amount of sugar you’re having from processed drinks.
Bottom Line!
Kidney stone formation can be influenced significantly by dietary changes. It’s the first line of defence against kidney stone formation. It can be highly effective. So, with a few dietary changes, you might be able to eliminate kidney stones for good.
