10 Foods Responsible for Kidney Stones

In the US, 1 of 11 people is affected by kidney stones. Men tend to suffer from this condition more frequently than women and it can affect both kidneys. What causes their formation is the concentrated amount of uric acid, phosphorus or oxalic acid. The small stones will pass unnoticed while the bigger ones might cause serious problems.

The indicators of this condition could be a frequent need to urinate accompanied by pain and blood, nausea, vomiting, chills, fever or a smelly urine.

A family history of kidney stones, obesity, urinary tract infections, dehydration or a diet filled with sodium, sugar or proteins are all risk factors which can contribute to this condition.

• Foods rich in oxalate

Because kidney stones will form due to a concentrated amount of calcium oxalate, it is only normal to assume that the foods rich in this substance have a negative impact on the body.

If you are at a high risk of kidney stones, avoid eating rhubarb, beetroot, kale, celery, soy milk or strawberries.

• Sardines

They are rich in purine, a substance which can increase the amount of uric acid in the urine, leading to urine stones. Healthy individuals can suffer from hyperuricemia and hyperuricosuria if they have too much purine from animal protein.

• Red meat

This food is also very rich in uric acid and can put a harder metabolic load on kidneys.

• Carbonated drinks

Drinking soda, energy drinks or bottled juices will increase the risk of developing kidney stones, due to the phosphoric acid that causes changes in the urinary tract and leads to kidney stones.

• Non-fermented soy

Usually, all the foods that are made out of soy are modified genetically and have a negative impact on the body, on the overall. They also contain high amounts of oxalates which are linking with calcium and form kidney stones.

• Refined carbs

Since they are refined, these products will increase the level of insulin produced by the body, making the calcium that is located in the bones to travel towards the urinary tract.

• Caffeine in excess

Drinking too much coffee might increase the excretion of calcium in the urine, triggering kidney stones.

• Artificial sweeteners

Using these sweeteners in order to cut calories could have a dangerous impact on the kidney function. They also stimulate the formation of acid in the body, which leads to the formation of calcium deposits in the organism.

• Excessive drinking habits

Alcohol acts as a diuretic, which means that it can stimulate the production of urine, leading to dehydration, a major cause of kidney stones.

• Table salt

Sodium chloride, the substance contained in table salt will have a high contribution to the development of kidney stones. It will also stimulate water retention, making it impossible for the kidneys to take out the sodium from the body. It also increases the calcium levels, while reducing the citrate levels from the urine.