Kidney stones are a common problem of the urinary system. With proper nutrition, we can prevent the appearance of kidney stones or, if we have had kidney stones in the past, prevent the appearance of new stones.
Kidney stones usually form when the urine has high levels of metals and salts, resulting in these elements sticking together to create crystals and then stones.
The types of stones that form in the kidneys are as follows:
Calcium stones
80% of stones that form in the kidneys are such stones. There are two types of calcium stones, calcium oxalate stones and calcium phosphate stones.
Uric acid stones
5-10% of stones that form in the kidneys are such stones.
They form when the urine is too acidic. They are common in people who are overweight, have type 2 diabetes, gout, or in people who eat too much animal protein.
Struvite/infection stones
10% of kidney stones are struvite stones.
They are rare and mainly result from urinary tract infections.
Cystine stones
Only 1% of kidney stones are struvite stones.
They are very rare stones and are a hereditary disorder.
They form when the urine has high amounts of cystine, which is a building block of proteins that our body produces naturally.
If we know what type of stones we have, then we can help with our diet in eliminating them or at least limiting them by following the instructions below.
Calcium oxalate stones
We should eat less sodium, less animal protein and foods rich in oxalate, but we should not limit foods with calcium because the calcium in foods can bind oxalates in the intestine, reducing their absorption and the possibility of stone formation. Calcium supplements should NOT be taken as they increase the risk of stones by about 20%.
Calcium phosphate stones
We should eat less sodium, less animal protein but, as with calcium oxalate stones, we should not limit foods with calcium.
Uric acid stones
We should eat foods with less animal protein and less often foods containing purines.
Foods with sodium that we should limit are:
salt, salted nuts, baked goods, olives, standard foods that use salt as a preservative, hard cheeses, cured meats, pickles, cold cuts and all fast foods.
Foods that contain oxalates and we should limit are:
spinach, green leafy greens, beets, cabbage, Swiss chard, okra, legumes, soybeans, sweet potatoes, almonds, cashews, Brazil nuts, pine nuts, black tea, cocoa.
Foods that contain purines and should be limited are:
Liver, kidneys, brains, heart, pancreas, meat sauce and broths, meat products (sausage, ham, etc.), game meat, consommé, anchovies, sardines, mackerel, herring, chicken, turkey, duck, goose, shellfish, whole grains, lentils, beans, peas, spinach, asparagus, cauliflower, mushrooms, tomatoes.
If we DO NOT know what type of stones we have or we want to reduce the chances of forming kidney stones as a precaution, then we will help by following the following tips:
1. Drink 3 liters of water a day
2. Eat a total of 5 – 6 servings of fruits and vegetables each day (1 serving = ½ cup of 250 ml)
3. Limit animal proteins to up to 3 meals a week (2 meals with fish and 1 meal with meat) and not in excessive quantities
4. Limit the salt we use in our diet to 1 teaspoon a day (1 teaspoon of salt = 2300 mg of sodium)
5. Eat foods with calcium, a total of up to 1000 mg a day
(1 glass of 250 ml milk has about 300 mg of calcium, 30 grams of parmesan has about 370 mg calcium, 1 cup of 250 ml yogurt has about 300 – 350 mg of calcium, 30 pieces of almonds have 75 mg of calcium, 100 grams of sardines have 380 mg of calcium, 1 teaspoon of tahini has 42 mg of calcium)
6. We do not eat foods that contain high levels of oxalates only if we have high levels of oxalate in the urine.
Usually careful diet can prevent the appearance of stones.
However, if there are kidney stones and they begin to become painful, the contribution of a doctor is necessary for a better diagnosis, possible drug therapy and treatment.
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