Diet Can Decrease the Risk of Kidney Stones

Kidney stones form when there are high levels of certain chemicals in the urine. It’s normal for these substances--calcium, oxalate, urate, cystine, xanthine, and phosphate--to be present in urine. At the proper levels, they don’t cause problems. But when there is too little liquid to dilute these substances, crystals begin to form, says the National Kidney Foundation. The crystals attract other elements and join together to form a solid—in other words, a kidney stone.

Certain foods may promote formation of kidney stones in those who are susceptible, according to the National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases. Kidney stones can happen to anyone, but the risk is higher for some. Men are affected more often than women, and kidney stones are more common in non-Hispanic white people than in non-Hispanic black people and Mexican Americans. Overweight and obese people are more likely to get a kidney stone than people of normal weight.

While individual treatment varies, eating guidelines can help reduce the risk of developing kidney stones for those who are susceptible. View the slide show below for diet tips to decrease the risk of kidney stones.

To see a slideshow about this, click here: http://bit.ly/1BurRaq

This post was written by David Mayer Hoenig, MD, urologist at the North Shore-LIJ Health System.

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