Dietary Management of Kidney Stones

Kidney stones are hard deposits of minerals that form in the kidney. In many cases, making a few lifestyle changes can prevent the formation of calculi/kidney stones.

An overall diet that is low in salt and animal protein can reduce the chances of developing kidney stones to a great extent.

The restriction of calcium intake doesn’t lower the risk of developing stones. Studies have shown that women with high calcium intake are less likely to develop kidney stones than the women who consume less calcium, reason being that the dietary calcium binds with the oxalates present in the gastro-intestinal tract and can’t be absorbed from the intestine and excreted through the kidneys, to form stones.

However, when an individual absorbs too much dietary calcium from the intestine, it is useful to restrict the calcium intake.

Intake of large amounts of fluids in the form of plain water, coconut water, fruit juices, and soft drinks helps to excrete around 2.5 litres of urine in a day. Dilution of urine prevents the concentration of solids and the precipitation of crystals of oxalates and urates.

Supplements such as vitamin B6 along with 200-400 mg magnesium (magnesium citrate) has shown to inhibit the stone formation in the kidneys.

Dietary Advise

Coconut water inhibits mineral phase formation and stimulates demineralization. Barley juice has a diuretic effect and is rich in stone inhibitors. Pineapple juice reduces fibrin formation. Bananas are rich source of vitamin B, which cause acid breakdown. Almonds are rich source of magnesium. Lemons are rich in citrates. Carrots are rich in pyrophosphates. Bitter gourd contains inhibitors like phosphorus and magnesium.

Dietary Restrictions

It is advisable to restrict diet rich in calcium (leafy vegetables, beans, cauliflower, egg yolk, milk and milk products, potatoes etc), phosphates (whole cereals, legumes, nuts, oil seeds, meat, fish, eggs, milk etc), uric acid (kidney, liver, meat extracts, soups, sweetbread, bean sprouts, custard apple etc) and oxalates (spinach, beetroot, strawberries, tomato, tea, groundnuts, cocoa, chocolates, beef etc).