The kidney stone diet, plan and its prevention

By Vera Awuah

You may ask: what is a kidney stone? A kidney stones is a hard mass that forms from crystal in the urine. For most people, natural chemicals in the urine keep stones from forming and causing problems.

If you have kidney stones, you may need to follow a special diet plan for your health. First, you need to consult your health care professional to run blood urine tests to find out what kind of risk factors you may have. Then, your health care provider will tell you the specific diet changes and medical treatment you need in order to prevent having the kidney stones come back.

People who wish to prevent kidney stones developing for the first time or reduce the risk of recurrence (if they have already had stones), should follow these main steps: drinking plenty of water, limit high intake of salt and animal protein, restrict foods that contain high levels of oxalates, and get enough calcium. There is no single diet plan for all types of kidney stones as they can form due to build-up of several different minerals in the body. However, many dietitians and doctors who specialize in kidney diseases, or nephrologists, recommend the diet.

A registered kidney dietitian or renowned health nutritionist can help you make the necessary changes in your diet plan and lifestyle.

Are all kidney stones the same? No, they vary from every individual. The most common types of kidney stones are calcium stones, followed by uric acid stones. Studies suggest that medical treatment and diet changes are individualized – based on the type of stone, and to prevent them from coming back to the individual.

Ways to prevent kidney stones formation:

One of the best things you can do to avoid kidney stones is to drink plenty of water every day. Taking the right amount of water every day is generally good for the human body. This will help make sure that you urinate frequently to avoid any build-up of calcium or uric acid.

Don’t underestimate your sweat. Hot yoga and heavy exercise may sound good for your health, but they can also lead to kidney stones. Always hydrate with water. Be sure to keep well hydrated, especially when doing exercises or activities that can cause sweating.

You should drink 2-3quart of liquid or 8-12cups per day to produce a good amount of urine.

Speak to a health care professional about the right amount of water that is best for you. Try to avoid sodas, especially those with high amount of fructose. Sweetened, iced tea, and grapes fruit juice are not advisable for consumption.

A diet plan recommendation to prevent kidney stones:

There is no single diet plan for the kidney stone prevention. Most diet recommendations are based on stone types. The common kinds of kidney stones include calcium oxalate stone, calcium phosphate, struvite stones, Uric acid stones and more.

A range of factors can cause kidney stones including the following dietary factors:

High oxalates intake from certain foods: A high protein diet, lowfluid intake, or too much sodium hydration.

High Oxalates foods such as nuts, seeds, beef, spinach and buckwheat flour, can contribute to the calcium oxalate stones, although this does not mean that people need to exclude them from their diet completely.

A high protein diet can contribute to the formation of calcium phosphate stones.

A high sodium intake and dehydration can contribute to the Uric acid stones.

Foods To Avoid or limit:

Choosing which food to limit depends on the type of stone developing in a person’s body. The foods to limit or avoid include high sodium foods, processed package foods, and already made fast foods from meals food establishment, certain animal proteins including red meat, pork, fish, egg and beef. If a person has had calcium oxalate stones, then it is advisable to restrict their intake of the following foods, which are high oxalates and may increase the risk of recurrence nut, peanut, spinach, rhubarb and more.

Drinking plenty of liquid 2-3 daily. This includes any type of fluids such as water, coffee, lemonade, which have been shown to have a beneficial effect with the exception of grapes fruit juice and sodas. This will help produce less concentrated urine and ensure a good urine volume of at least 2.5 a day. Low salt diets are also important to control blood pressure.

The most important aspect of managing diet when looking to prevent recurrent kidney stones is to speak to a doctor or a dietitian who will be able to identify the type of kidney stone that is developing and ways to stop the development. It is therefore advisable to have a proper diet plan. Know what is good for our body and what not. Eating healthy always keeps us fit and saves our lives from diseases.

Happy healthy eating!