Kidney stones cause pain that in most cases gets unbearable. The pain may occur in waves until the little stone passes out of your body via your urinary system. That’s why many people prefer to prevent kidney stones rather than treat them.

Half of those who’ve had kidney stones will have another one within seven years if they aren’t treated. You will never forget your first kidney stone if you’ve ever had one.

You might know how kidney stones are formed. Urine may become so concentrated with some substances that they can eventually form kidney stones.

In most cases, calcium and oxalate combine to form a stone. Stones may also be brought on by uric acid, a waste product of protein breakdown.

Larger masses of crystals, known as stones, may form and transit through the urinary tract. If the stone becomes stuck and impedes urine flow, pain will occur.

• Men and older individuals have a higher risk of kidney stones.
• Warmer climates, like the southeastern U.S., increase kidney stone prevalence.
• Family history and genetic disorders heighten kidney stone risk.
• Kidney stone cases spike in summer due to dehydration.
• Hyperparathyroidism and certain medications can increase risk.
• Treatments include shock wave lithotripsy and nanotechnology.

The effort to avoid getting kidney stones is little, yet necessary. Here are some of the ways to prevent the formation of kidney stones.

When trying to prevent kidney stones, it is normally recommended to consume a sufficient amount of water. Fluid intake to prevent kidney stones is a tried and tested method.

Fluids dilute the substances in urine that have the potential to crystallize into stones. It also increases the volume of the urine, which lessens the possibility that the substances will form crystals.

However, not every fluid has the same effect on the body. For instance, there is a correlation between drinking a lot of water and having a lower likelihood of developing kidney stones.

Coffee, tea, beer, wine, and orange juice are among the beverages that have been shown to reduce the incidence of developing kidney stones.

On the other side, there is some evidence that consuming a lot of soda may speed up the process of kidney stone formation. This is thought to be due to the high levels of phosphoric acid that are found in colas.

Fructose, which is commonly found in soft beverages with added sugar, is believed to be the culprit behind an increase in the amount of uric acid, calcium, and oxalate that are excreted.

Citrus fruits, in particular, are rich sources of citric acid, an organic acid that may also be found in a wide variety of other fruits and vegetables.

This component of the plant is found in particularly high concentrations in lemons and limes.

Citric acid has the potential to be helpful in preventing calcium oxalate kidney stones in two different ways. Consuming more citrus fruits like grapefruit, oranges, lemons, and limes is an easy way to boost the amount of citric acid in your diet.

Citrus fruits also include other beneficial nutrients. You also have the option of adding the juice of a lime or lemon to your water. It has the potential to form calcium bonds in urine, which can reduce the risk of creating new stones.

It does this by affixing itself to the calcium oxalate crystals that are already there, preventing them from growing larger in size.

You may utilize it to get past these pebbles before they become a problem for you.

Oxalate is an antinutrient that may be found in a wide variety of plant foods, including dark chocolate, fruits, vegetables, and leafy greens (oxalic acid). In addition, your body produces a significant amount of it.

Consuming a high amount of oxalate can lead to an increase in the amount of oxalate that is excreted in the urine. This can be dangerous for those who regularly develop calcium oxalate crystals.

Crystals have the potential to form if calcium and other minerals are held together by oxalate, which can eventually lead to the development of stones.

A strict diet low in calcium oxalate is no longer recommended for everyone who develops stones. A diet low in oxalate should only be followed by individuals who have been diagnosed with hyperoxaluria, which is characterized by abnormally high levels of oxalate in the urine.

Foods to avoid include barley, wheat germ, wheat bran, preserved apricots, yams with potatoes, smothered in a tangy tomato sauce, fruitcake, and drinking chocolate.

There is a correlation between an increased use of supplemental vitamin C (ascorbic acid) and an increased risk of kidney stones. The body may convert some vitamin C into oxalate. Consuming large amounts of supplemental vitamin C may cause an increase in the amount of oxalate that is excreted in the urine. 

If you use vitamin C pills, you may have twice the chance of developing kidney stones compared to people who don’t take these supplements. It is important to keep in mind, however, that the consumption of vitamin C from fruits such as oranges and lemons does not enhance the likelihood of developing stones.

It is a common misunderstanding that reducing the amount of calcium you consume may reduce the likelihood of you acquiring calcium-containing stones in your body.

However, this is not the case at all. In fact, research has demonstrated a correlation between consuming a diet high in calcium and a reduced risk of developing kidney stones.

Oxalate in the food has a propensity to bond with calcium in the diet, which prevents calcium from being absorbed. Because of this, the kidneys won’t have to send it on to the system that processes urine.

Calcium may be found in great quantities in dairy products including milk, cheese, and yogurt. A calcium-rich diet is among the foods that prevent kidney stones.

People having a diet that contains a lot of salt put themselves at an elevated risk of developing kidney stones. Calcium excretion through urine, which is one of the key risk factors for kidney stones, may be enhanced by a high consumption of sodium, which is a component of table salt. 

Calcium is one of the primary components of kidney stones. Cutting out pre-packaged and processed foods from your diet is one of the most effective ways to reduce the amount of salt you take in each day.

Magnesium is an essential component that the diets of a great number of people are deficient in. It has an effect on the hundreds of different metabolic processes that take place in your body, including the production of energy and the contraction of muscles.

There is some evidence to suggest that magnesium may help lower the risk of developing calcium oxalate kidney stones in the body.

Magnesium citrate is the form of magnesium that is most often suggested by medical professionals to individuals who have a previous history of kidney stones. This is because magnesium citrate inhibits the formation of new stones in the kidneys.

Magnesium is thought to reduce the amount of oxalate that is absorbed by the stomach, even if the precise mechanism of action is not entirely understood. 

If you want to increase the amount of this mineral that you take in on a daily basis, eating more magnesium-rich foods like avocados, lentils, and tofu is a great way to do it.

For optimal results, it is best to consume magnesium with foods that are high in oxalate.

A diet high in animal protein sources, such as red meat, fish, and dairy products, is associated with an increased risk of developing kidney stones. If you eat a lot of animal products that are heavy in protein, you can find that your calcium excretion goes up while your citrate levels go down.

Purines may be found in high concentrations in a variety of animal protein sources. Due to the fact that these chemicals can decompose into uric acid, the risk of forming uric acid stones might be increased by their usage.

Purines are present in varying concentrations in all of the foods we eat. Purines can be found in particularly high concentrations in organ meats such as kidney, liver, and other liver.

Plant-based diets, on the other hand, contain far fewer of these components.

Renal stones occur often. Preventative measures may lessen your risk, but there is no assurance that they will work.

Keeping yourself well-hydrated and adopting certain dietary adjustments are your best bets against developing kidney stones.

The chance of developing kidney stones may be reduced by discussing management strategies with your doctor if you suffer from a condition that raises that risk, such as inflammatory bowel disease, a recurrent urinary tract infection, or obesity.

Get your kidney stone history checked out if you’ve passed one previously. Knowing the specific sort of stone you’ve experienced allows you to take more effective measures to avoid future attacks.