If you’ve dealt with kidney stones in the past, then you know how painful and uncomfortable they can be. You’ll want to go out of your way to come up with a kidney stone prevention plan. If you’re wondering what you can do to avoid reoccurrence, here’s a simple kidney stone prevention list that you can follow.
First, you want to learn what type of kidney stones you’re dealing with. The most common types are calcium oxalate and uric acid stones. When it comes to calcium oxalate stones, these stones often form due to high levels of oxalates in your urine.
The kidney stone prevention plan for this is to research what foods are high in oxalate content and what foods are low in oxalate content. You want to come up with a low oxalate meal plan. The meal plan should be something you will enjoy or you will find it difficult to follow through with it. Fortunately, there are many delicious ingredients and meals that have low oxalate content.
For uric acid stones, you have to be aware of the fact that it is caused by consuming high levels of animal protein. So the first thing you want to do is to look for alternative sources of protein. Plant-based protein can be delicious and healthy, so look into these options or go with a protein drink if you want something simpler to keep yourself full throughout the day.
Next, you want to drink around 8 to 10 glasses of water per day. Drinking enough water will help stop kidney stones from forming and also help your body flush out any existing kidney stones from your system. It also helps to drink your water with citric acid. Add some lemon, lime, or oranges to your water. Citric acid is known to help prevent the growth of existing kidney stones as well as assist in breaking them down. This will make it easier for your body to pass the stones out of your body.
Another thing you can do is to eat more calcium-rich foods when consuming any oxalate rich foods if you have calcium oxalate stones. Low amounts of calcium in your diet will increase your chances of forming calcium oxalate kidney stones. Many people are afraid to eat calcium because of the name "calcium oxalate stones." However, calcium binds oxalate in the intestines. A diet rich in calcium helps reduce the amount of oxalate being absorbed by your body, so stones are less likely to form. Eat calcium rich foods and beverages every day (2 to 3 servings) from dairy foods or other calcium-rich foods.
Eating high calcium foods at the same time as high oxalate food is helpful; for example, have low fat cheese with a spinach salad or yogurt with berries. If you take a calcium supplement, calcium citrate is the preferred form.
Whether you have calcium oxalate stones or uric acid stones, you will also benefit from consuming less salt and sugar. Consuming high levels of salt and sugar will increase the chances of you developing both stones.
You can go a long way by avoiding processed foods, cooking your own meals, avoiding common condiments, and sticking to water rather than sugar drinks. Using more spices in your meals is also a great way to enrich the flavor while cutting out the excess salt.
Next, consider taking supplements. There are many supplements in the market that can prevent the formation of kidney stones. Many of these supplements use natural ingredients and are formulated with a combination of various herbs.
If you’re looking to try any of the supplements, make sure you read the reviews to see what kinds of results customers are seeing from them. Chanca piedra supplements are among the most popular for kidney stones. However, be aware of the fact that they cannot be taken for longer than three months. There is a newer supplement called Kidney C.O.P. Calcium Oxalate Protector that appears to have great results and can be taken on going to stop calcium oxalate kidney stone recurrence.
Finally, if all else fails, there’s always medication. There are medications that can aid with kidney stone prevention. The medication that you will be prescribed will depend on the type of stone you are dealing with. You will need to see your doctor and get a proper diagnosis for the right kind of medication.
