If you're dealing with kidney stones, you probably want to have a better understanding of the condition. The first step is to identify what causes kidney stones. This can help you prevent your condition from deteriorating as well as deal with recurring kidney stone issues.
Here is a helpful list of kidney stone causes:
1. Diet Containing Foods High in Oxalate Content
Of all the kidney stone causes, the most common one is caused by your diet. When you eat food that contains high amounts of oxalates, it will bind with the calcium and produce stones when your kidney makes urine. Foods like cacao, spinach, almonds, and beets are some examples of high oxalate foods.
You want to analyze what foods you're consuming on a regular basis and start replacing them with low oxalate alternatives. While it may be difficult to change your diet, there are plenty of delicious alternatives.
2. Not Enough Water
A simple explanation for what causes kidney stones can sometimes be that you're not drinking enough water. If you're dealing with kidney stones, you need to drink more water to help flush out the minerals that form into stones. It may also help to drink lemon water as the citrate can help prevent their formation. It is recommended that you drink at least six 8oz glasses of water daily throughout the day.
3. Excess Consumption of Salt
A diet high in sodium is one of the alternative kidney stone causes. Overconsumption of sodium can lead to stones because it increases the calcium levels in your urine as opposed to high levels of oxalates that come from certain foods. With more calcium you have in your urine, there is a greater likelihood of the calcium binding to the oxalates.
4. Too Much Animal Protein
One of the more surprising kidney stone causes is excess consumption of animal protein. When you consume meat, it breaks down in your body and results in uric acid. When the uric acid starts to build up, it leads to uric stones. These stones are different from the calcium oxalate stones, but they can be just as difficult to deal with healthwise.
5. Genetic Factors
When asking what causes kidney stones, you can't omit genetic factors. Some people are simply more predisposed to form stones. If there are people in your family that have had problems with kidney stones, then there's a possibility that there is a greater likelihood of you developing the condition as well. Approximately 40 percent of people who form kidney stones have a positive family history for stones.
Hopefully, this article has answered your question about what causes kidney stones. You want to get a better understanding of what kind of kidney stones you have and what may have caused your condition. Then you can make the necessary adjustments to your lifestyle to prevent more stones from forming.
