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What Foods to Eat & Avoid If You Have a Kidney Stone?

By Dr.jenifer Sayyed @SayyedJenifer

A Kidney stone pain is severe and if you have experienced it once, am sure you never want to go through that painful period again. Returning stone is not good for the body and kidney, hence you need to have best foods to eat to avoid kidney stones by following a proper diet, medications, and fluid intake. 

Also, if you have never suffered from kidney stones and wish to prevent them, then always maintain a balanced diet and have adequate water intake.

I am sharing this succinct post which will guide you about foods to eat and avoid kidney stones. But first, let us know what is a kidney stone?

A kidney stone is a hard deposit that forms crystals in the kidney. They develop when the natural chemicals in the urine are formed in several ways and cause problems. Kidney stones can cause extreme pain but changes in diet plan can help in preventing them. 

Foods to eat and avoid when you have kidney stones

1. Drink plenty of water every day

What foods to eat & avoid if you have a Kidney stone?

This golden rule everyone knows and it is very effective in removing kidney stone if it’s small in size. Staying hydrated and drinking fluids esp. water helps to dilute the chemicals that are responsible for forming the stones.

*Avoid sugary drinks such as sweetened juices and sodas.


2. Eat enough calcium and Vitamin D

If your calcium intake is less, it will increase your risk of developing kidney stones. Therefore, eat enough dairy calcium, and calcium-fortified foods such as cereals, bread, seeds.

Further, add foods rich in Vitamin D to your diet as it helps the body to absorb more calcium.

*Avoid extra calcium supplements as they can form a kidney stone. Consult your doctor for the proper dose.


3. Limit your animal protein intake

Consume a small amount of animal-based protein intake as high intake can cause the kidneys to excrete more calcium that may cause more stones to develop in the kidney. Therefore, these foods not to eat to avoid kidney stones. 


4. Restrict intake of high oxalate foods

Spinach, nuts, peanuts, wheat bran should be avoided. The calcium oxalate stone is the most common type of stones and restricting intake of high oxalate foods can be helpful and will not reoccur.


5. Include Citrus fruits

What foods to eat & avoid if you have a Kidney stone?

Citrus fruits such as oranges and lemons are beneficial foods to eat that prevent kidney stones.


6. Limit salt intake

High sodium intake increases calcium in the urine which increases the risk of kidney stone formation. Limit your salt intake. It is advisable in hypertension patients too.


References:

  • https://www.healthline.com/health/kidney-stone-diet#takeawayhttps://
  • www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/kidney-stone-diet#foods-to-limit-or-avoid
  • https://www.kidney.org/atoz/content/diet

*PC: Pixabay | Disclaimer: The content in this post is purely meant for educational purposes only and not meant to be a replacement for a doctor consultation, nor is it a medical recommendation or prescription of treatment.


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