KIDNEY
STONES
About Kidney
Stones
Kidney
stones are ten times more common now than they were a hundred years ago.
This may be partly because the amount of animal fats and protein in the
average Western diet has increased significantly.
Nutrition Facts & Diet
Advice for Kidney Stones
Consider the following nutrition guidelines:
Prevention:
-
Drink
at least 2 litres of spring or filtered water every day.
-
Drink
the juice of fresh lemon in a glass of warm water first thing in the
morning.
-
Increase
intake of dietary fibre, complex carbohydrates and green leafy vegetables.
-
Increase
intake of foods with a high magnesium:calcium ratio (barley, bran, corn,
buckwheat, rye, soy, oats, brown rice, avocado, banana, lima beans,
potato).
-
Avoid
smoking, as cadmium poses increased risk of kidney stones.
-
Reduce
intake of high oxalate containing foods (black tea, cocoa, spinach, beet
leaves, rhubarb, parsley, cranberry, nuts)
-
Limit
dairy products, especially milk fortified with vitamin D.
-
Avoid
sugar, salt and salt substitutes.
Sugar
stimulates the pancreas to release insulin, which in turn causes extra
calcium to be excreted in the urine.
-
Avoid
antacids.
-
Eat
less meat and poultry. If you
are prone to stones, become vegetarian, or, better still, vegan. If you become vegan, consider seeing a nutrition consultant
to ensure you get all the nutrients you need.
-
Get
daily exercise. This helps
calcium to stay in the bones.
If
you have kidney stones now:
-
Every
30 minutes, drink 8 ounces of water with the juice of half a lemon.
Alternate lemon with fresh apple juice if desired.
-
Aloe
Vera juice can help reduce the size of a stone during an acute attack and
help prevent stone formation.
-
Quebra Pedra is
a well-known 'stone breaker'.
-
Uva
Ursi herb helps relieve pain and bloating.
Health Supplements and Kidney
Stones
Often, a combination of
supplements may help in
alleviating this condition. You
may wish to consult a
nutritional therapist for
personal advice. Supplements
that may be helpful in
alleviating symptoms are shown
below:
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