Kidney stones can be painful — but there are some things you can do to prevent them. Small diet changes can make a big difference in your body’s development of kidney stones.
- Drink more water! Six to eight glasses of water every day can help dilute urine. When urine becomes too concentrated, minerals like calcium, phosphate, and oxalate can crystallize, forming stones. The pain comes when the stones pass from the kidneys. Diluting the urine can help prevent the crystallization in the first place. Good old water is best, but you can also drink fruit juices or drinks from mix. Avoid caffeinated drinks if you can — caffeine is a diuretic. And coffee and tea can be high in oxalate (see number 4 for more info on this mineral).
- Limit protein intake. Animal protein can raise your risk of kidney stones. Try to eat less than eight ounces of lean meat every day.
- Limit salt intake.
- Avoid foods that are heavy in oxalates. Kidney stones usually form from calcium and either phosphate or oxalate. If oxalate is your problem, you should limit your intake of foods like spinach, berries, beets, nuts, chocolate, coffee, at tea — all foods that are high in oxalate.
- Don’t give up on calcium. It used to be that doctors advised patients with kidney stones to avoid calcium. However, now it seems that calcium can actually help prevent kidney stones by bonding with oxalate in the intestines — long before it reaches the kidneys. Make sure you’re eating cheese and drinking milk or taking a calcium supplement if you need the boost.
If these diet changes don’t help, it may be time to talk to your doctor about your kidney stones. Most kidney stones are small enough to pass through your system, painful though it may be. Some kidney stones need a doctor’s attention.