Foods that prevent kidney stones and others that increase them: know them
Did you know that 1 in 10 people in the world is at risk of developing kidney stones? So, we will provide you with foods that prevent kidney stones, you only need to read this article to know them.
Let's get acquainted with the following foods that prevent kidney stones and foods that increase kidney stones:
Foods that prevent kidney stones
Eating a healthy diet may help prevent kidney stones, so you should refrain from eating these foods that harm your kidneys, and eat more other foods that prevent kidney stones.
Foods that prevent kidney stones, including the following:
fruits and vegetables
Fruits and vegetables are an essential part of any diet. Increasing the number of vegetables and fruits you eat each day can help prevent kidney stones. You can eat them fresh, dried, or frozen.
The fruits rich in citric acid and potassium have a positive effect in the prevention of kidney stones, as they prevent the formation of calcium crystals and their transformation into kidney stones, and often increase the excretion of stones in the urine, and the most prominent of these fruits are the following:
- apples;
- orange;
- lemon;
- pomegranate.
- Grapefruit.
water
Water is not a food, but a beverage that greatly reduces the formation of kidney stones. Water and fluids help dilute the chemicals that makeup stones, so you should drink at least 12 glasses of water a day.
You should also check the sodium levels in drinks, and drink fluids with low levels of sodium.
Plant-based protein foods
One of the best foods to prevent kidney stones is foods with vegetable protein, as it has been found that animal protein increases your risk of developing kidney stones, so you should replace it with vegetable protein sources, such as beans, peas, and lentils.
Foods that increase kidney stones
After identifying foods that prevent kidney stones, it is necessary to know the foods that increase kidney stones to avoid them, and the most prominent of these foods are the following:
salty foods
Too much salt in your food can cause your body's sodium levels to rise, which can lead to a buildup of calcium in your urine, and you may develop kidney stones.
So avoid adding salt to food or reduce it as much as possible, and check the labels on the packaging of processed foods to see how much sodium they contain, as these foods can contain high levels of sodium.
Animal protein foods
Reduce your intake of animal protein such as red meat, pork, chicken, poultry, fish, and eggs, as it increases your calcium oxalates and uric acid, which causes you to develop kidney stones.
Foods with high oxalate content
Foods rich in oxalate may increase the formation of kidney stones, so be wary of them.
If you eat foods that contain oxalate, always be sure to take calcium-rich foods with them, as this can help bind oxalate to calcium during digestion before it reaches the kidneys.
Foods that contain high levels of oxalate are:
- Chocolate.
- beets;
- walnut;
- tea.
- Spinach.
- sweet potato.
- cola.
sugary foods
May increase the sugars added to foods or beverages manufactured, such as sucrose, fructose from the risk of kidney stones, so you control the amount of sugar you eat in foods, such as cakes, fruit, soft drinks, juices, sugar cane, honey.
Caffeine
Examples of foods that prevent kidney stones are foods that contain caffeine, such as coffee, tea, and soft drinks at the normal level, but excessive intake may cause calcium to rise in the urine and increase the formation of stones.
Kidney stones advice
If you have reached the stage of kidney stones, the previously mentioned foods help relieve them, but if the matter has reached the point of severe pain, you should follow the following tips:
- Go to the doctor immediately.
- Take the medicines prescribed by the doctor on time.
- Undergo lithotripsy if the stage is very advanced