Foods to avoid during kidney stones

 Kidney stones

Kidney stones is a mass of hard material in the kidney. It can range from size from as small as a grain of sand to as big as a golf ball. It is made up of minerals, acids or salts in your urine. Below you will some of the foods to avoid during kidney stones.

Sypmtoms of kidney stones:

Pain usually begins in mid or lower back and spreads to your abdomen as the stone moves toward your bladder. Some of the symtoms incude:

• Severe pain
• Blood in urine
• Cloudy or smelly urine
• Burning feeling while you urinate
• Fever
• Chills
• Nausea and vomitting

 List of foods to avoid for kidney stones:

1. Calcium stones: The most common type of kidney stone is calcium stones, occurring in about 80 percent of cases. They are made from calcium and oxalte that are not flushed out of the kidneys. You get calcium from food and it is stored in your bones. Oxalate is a salt made in your liver and found in some foods.

Foods to avoid for calcium oxalate stones:

Spinach and rhubarb are high in oxalate compared to other vegetables. Cabbage aggravates the pain. So it is best to avoid cabbage for all types of stones.

Foods high in oxalic acid: Some of the foods include spinach, rhubarb, beets, soy, swiss chard, lime peel, ground pepper, chocolate, cocoa, black tea, dried figs, lamb, nuts especially peanuts and poppy seeds.

Foods containing moderate amount of oxalic acid incude beans, peas, carrots, celery, roasted coffe, blackberries, blue berries, concord grapes, currants, dandelion greens, green onions, okra, oranges, green peppers, strawberries, black raspberries, sweet potatoes, wheat bran, and wheat germ.

Meat: High meat intake should be avoided especially liver and fish.

Other foods: Other foods include bran muffins, bran cereals, marmalade, peanut butter, and soybean foods.

Beverages: Avoid alcohol, coffee, and cola drinks.

Supplements:

Avoid vitamin D supplements and high intake of vitamin C. Vitamin D supplements increases calcium absorption and high intake of vitamin C
increases oxalate excretion.

How to avoid calcium stones: For calcium stones avoid high oxalte foods and reduce your intake of salt and sodium.

 2. Uric acid stones: Uric acid stones is uncommon accounting for 8 percent of all stones. Uric acid stones form if you have too much uric acid in your urine. For uric acid stones, avoid foods high in animal protein. Foods high in animal protein include organ meat such as liver, kidney and sweetbreads, sardines, fish, pork, chicken, beef and egg.

Other foods incude legumes, mushrooms, spinach, asparagus, cauliflower, anchovies, salad dressings, fried foods, icecream, alcohol, caffeinated drinks and baking yeast. Any dietary supplement that make your urine more alkaline is helpful for uric acid stones.

3. Other types of stones include:

Struvite

Calcium phosphate

Cystine

Struvite stones or infection stones make up to 10 percent of all kidney stones. Struvite stones composed of magnesium and ammonium. Cystine stones are rare accounting for 1 percent of all cases.

Different kidney stones require specific dietary changes. It is best to consult with your doctor to develop an individualized plan. In all types of stones, patients drink more fluids. Drink at least 2 to 3 quarts of water a day. If they drink enough, urine should be pale, watery and not
yellow.

 Fluids and side effects:

Lemon juice: Drinking one cup of lemon juice everyday increases citrate levels in the urine which helps to protect against calcium stones.

Orange juice: Orange doses not lower calcium, it raises oxlate levels. Therefore orange juice is not recommended for calcium stones.

Cranberry and apple juice: Cranberry and apple juice increases the risk of calcium stones.

Grapefruit juice: Studies have found a risk for stones from drinking grapefruit juice.

Soft drinks should be avoided. Beer and other alcoholic beverages contain purines which may increase the less common uric acid stones.