How to Prevent Kidney Stones

There are few things that anyone will experience in life that is as painful as passing a kidney stone. Some say that passing a kidney stone is the closest experience that a man could ever go through that is comparable to childbirth.

There is good news for those who are prone to producing kidney stones. Harvard researchers found that taking 180 mg of magnesium along with 10 mg of vitamin B6 daily will prevent kidney stones by 92.3% per year! Another study showed about a 90% reduction when taking 500 mg of magnesium per day all by itself!

Dr. Julian Whitaker suggests that anyone who is prone to kidney stones take 500 mg of magnesium and 75 mg of B6 per day.

Dr. Whitaker also has some other tips for reducing your risk of developing kidney stones:

1. Water Will Prevent Kidney Stones - The easiest way to prevent kidney stones is to drink lots of water, two to three quarts a day. Dehydration contributes to stone formation by increasing the concentration of the waste products in the urine that contribute to kidney stone formation. Do not underestimate the power of this simple therapy. Eight to 12 glasses of water may seem like a lot, but it provides potent protection.

2. Add Lemon Juice to Your Water to Prevent Kidney Stones - People who develop calcium stones (both oxalate and phosphate) not only have excess calcium in their urine and kidneys, they also have low levels of citrate, which is a form of citric acid that inhibits calcium stone formation.

You can increase citrate levels by simply adding lemon juice to your water. Researchers from the University of California found that drinking four ounces of lemon juice per day, diluted in water, prevents kidney stones dramatically.

3. Monitor Your Consumption of High-Oxalate Foods - Curbing levels of oxalate is helpful as well. Go easy on high-oxalate foods such as; beer, chocolate, tea, nuts, seeds, berries, grapes, rhubarb, beets and leafy greens.

4. Don’t Worry About Calcium or Vitamin C - Paradoxically, restricting calcium intake does not prevent kidney stone formation. In fact, low levels of calcium actually promote it, so contrary to what you might hear, do not restrict your calcium intake. There’s also a longstanding myth that kidney stones are caused by vitamin C. There is not an ounce of truth to this, even megadoses of vitamin C have been proven to have no link to kidney stones.

In addition to Dr. Whitaker’s suggestions, it is also advisable to limit your consumption of grapefruit and grapefruit juice, since they can both promote kidney stone formation.

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