According to new research, lemonade is an efficient — and delightful — approach for patients who are prone to kidney stones to prevent the formation of new stones.
Doctors commonly prescribe potassium citrate to those who are prone to stone formation. It can be taken as a tablet or as a drink. However, lemon juice is high in natural citrate.
What Does a Kidney Stone Look Like
Kidney stones come in a variety of sizes and shapes. They can be as small as a grain of sand or as large as a pea. Some kidney stones might be the size of golf balls. Kidney stones can be smooth or jagged, and they are often yellow or brown.
A little kidney stone may travel through your urinary tract without causing any discomfort. A larger kidney stone may become lodged along the route. A trapped kidney stone can obstruct your urine flow, producing severe pain or bleeding.
How Does Lemonade Dissolve Kidney Stones?
- Citrate, a natural inhibitor of kidney stone development, is found in the highest concentration of lemons- derived from any citrus fruit. Sur conducted a recent study, It was discovered that drinking four ounces of reconstituted lemon juice in two liters of water each day reduced the rate of stone formation from 1.00 to 0.13 stones per patient.
- Other fruit juices contain less citric and are frequently supplemented with calcium, as well as oxalate, one of the main components of kidney stones. The most frequent kidney stone types is a calcium stone, which is mostly formed of calcium oxalate.
- The use of lemon water for kidney stones appears to reduce the effect of a large number of citrates, which increases the excretion of oxalates. The existence of these two components, citrate, and oxalate, at the same time, balances their opposing effects.
- According to Journals, two studies show that lemon therapies are more successful than potassium citrate at lowering urinary calcium levels and increasing urine production.
- The impact is most likely due to lemons having the highest concentrations of citrate acid and sodium and the lowest concentrations of calcium when compared to other citrus fruits. According to one study, lemons in the form of lemonade are more effective than potassium citrate in supporting patients in maintaining good urine output.
- If you drink two to three glasses of lemon juice every day, the amount of urine generated and the pace of stone removal will both rise.
- Patients who are encouraged to drink lemon water frequently believe that this is all there is to be stone-free. It’s not. There’s a lot more to preventing kidney stones than slicing a lemon. If this were true, there would be far fewer ER visits for kidney stones each year.
How Can I Reduce My Risk of Developing Calcium Oxalate Stones?
- The most important thing you can do is drink enough fluids, such as water. Drinking enough water will thin out your urine, making it more difficult for chemicals to accumulate and form crystals.
- Avoid consuming an excessive amount of protein. Stones can occur as a result of eating too many protein-rich foods.
- Limiting your daily intake of oxalate-rich foods may help reduce your chances of developing new stones.
- Calcium oxalate stone prevention: Some individuals believe that eliminating calcium will prevent the formation of stones, but this is not the case. Calcium is a mineral that is found in dairy products such as yogurt, milk, and cheese. You must consume calcium for it to bind with oxalate in the stomach and intestines before it reaches the kidneys. Eating calcium-rich foods helps oxalates exit the body and avoid the formation of stones. The foods you eat are the best way to obtain calcium in your body. It may appear that taking a calcium supplement is a more convenient option to increase your calcium consumption.
Bottom line
To summarize, adding a few drops of lemon juice to your water will not cause any problems. However, please keep in mind that it is not a miraculous cure for kidney stone avoidance.
Speaking with your healthcare professional will assist you in determining the best approach to incorporate calcium into your diet. This will help prevent your body from having too little or too much calcium.
