You can prevent kidney stones by drinking enough. However, there are more ways to prevent kidney stones. Kidney stones are quite common. About between 4 and 8 percent of adults will develop kidney stones at some point in their lives. Kidney stones are two to three times more common in men than in women. About 30 to 50 percent of people who have experienced a kidney stone attack will suffer from kidney stones at least again afterwards. You can take many measures yourself to prevent kidney stones. The most important thing is that you drink a lot every day, about 2 liters of water every 24 hours. This significantly reduces the chance of a kidney stone forming.
Prevention of kidney stones
- Kidney stones
- Types of kidney stones
- Preventing kidney stones: general advice
- Preventing calcium stones
- Eat less oxalate-rich food
- Normal calcium intake
- Eat less protein
- Limit sodium intake
- Preventing struvite stones
- Preventing uric acid stones
- Preventing cystine stones
Kidney stones
Small crystals can form from the waste products contained in urine. Normally these are washed away with the urine. When these crystals remain in the kidneys, kidney stones can form. You can suffer from renal colic, which causes severe pain in the flank and groin when the kidney stone passes through the ureter. This may be accompanied by blood loss through the urine. Some kidney stones come out naturally and others need to be removed by crushing them, for example.
Types of kidney stones
To prevent kidney stones, it is important to determine the cause. Four types of kidney stones are distinguished:
- Calcium stones . Roughly 85 percent of all kidney stones consist of calcium salts, such as calcium phosphate and/or calcium oxalate.
- Struvite stones or ammonium magnesium phosphate stones . About 10 to 15 percent are stones consisting of struvite. This type mainly occurs in women and often occurs as a result of repeated urinary tract infections.
- Uric acid stones . These stones mainly occur in people who suffer from gout.
- Cystine stones . These stones are a rare phenomenon and occur in some metabolic diseases.
Moderate alcohol consumption / Source: Istock.com/karelnoppe
Preventing kidney stones: general advice
You can do a lot yourself to prevent kidney stones. With all types of kidney stones it is important that you drink a lot every day, approximately 2.5 to 3 liters of water per 24 hours. This will flush out more unwanted waste from the kidneys. This significantly reduces the chance of a kidney stone forming. In addition, it is important to drink a maximum of 2 to 3 glasses of alcohol per day, eat a wholesome diet (i.e. healthy and varied) and avoid taking a mega dose of vitamin C every day. High doses of vitamin C increase the risk of stone formation.
Preventing calcium stones
Recommendations for calcium stones are:
Spinach contains a lot of oxalic acid / Source: Kkolosov, Pixabay
Eat less oxalate-rich food
If you have ever had oxalate stones, it is better to consume less spinach, rhubarb, beets, nuts (all types), chocolate (and other cocoa-containing products), parsley, carob powder, black (fruit) tea, kale, celeriac, parsnips, purslane , sorrel and cola. Spinach, rhubarb and beets in particular contain a lot of oxalic acid. This does not mean that you can never eat or drink these products again, but you should limit them. If you were to eliminate all these foods, the diet would become too one-sided and would not contain enough essential vitamins and minerals.
Normal calcium intake
Consume a normal amount of calcium, which is mainly found in dairy products, yogurt and cheese. Research shows that a low calcium intake has a higher risk of recurrence of kidney stones compared to a normal calcium intake.
Eat less protein
Less protein means less uric acid, calcium and oxalate in the urine, reducing the risk of stone formation.
Limit your salt consumption / Source: Maxknoxvill, Pixabay
Limit sodium intake
Limit your sodium consumption. Sodium is part of (table) salt. High-sodium products can increase calcium excretion in the urine, resulting in the formation of stones. which can cause stones to form.
Preventing struvite stones
If you have suffered from struvite stones, the general nutritional advice for kidney stones applies:
- drink 2.5 to 3 liters daily;
- no more than 2 to 3 glasses of alcohol per day;
- healthy and varied diet;
- avoid a high dose of vitamin C.
Struvite stones often develop as a result of repeated urinary tract infections. Drinking a lot also prevents bladder infections.
Preventing uric acid stones
People who have these stones often eat a lot of animal protein, which causes a relatively large amount of uric acid to appear in the urine. Uric acid is a breakdown product from animal proteins. This makes the urine more acidic and therefore salts are less able to dissolve. The following advice applies to people with uric acid stones:
- Increased fluid intake of 4 liters per 24 hours, whereby you should drink a large amount before going to sleep and drink a lot again after an unavoidable night-time urination.
Moderate your coffee consumption to prevent kidney stones / Source: Istock.com/PuwanaiSomwan
- Influencing the acidity of the urine to prevent uric acid stones from recurring. At least 1 week every 4 weeks, the urine must be made alkaline with a pH > 6.4, through dietary adjustments (plenty of fruit and vegetables, limitation of the intake of animal proteins, beans and mushrooms; avoid: fish) and sufficient fluid. alkalinizing drinks that increase the pH:
- Good: mineral water with HCO3 and citrus drink, if diluted
- Reasonable: apple juice
- Plain mineral water
- Moderate: coffee and black tea (max 2 cups/day)
- Avoid: cola, sugary drinks and alcohol
If these dietary measures have insufficient effect, it is possible to influence the acidity of the urine with medication. Zyloric (Allopurinol) reduces the production of uric acid. Ask your doctor or GP for advice.
Preventing cystine stones
If you have suffered from cystine stones, take the following advice into account:
- Drink at least 3 liters of fluid every day and drink extra before going to bed and after the inevitable nighttime urination.
- Limit your sodium consumption.
read more
- Removing kidney stones: crushing kidney stones and laser
- Kidney Stones: Symptoms, Causes, Treatment and Removal
- Removing Gallstones: Diet, ERCP and Surgery
- Bladder stones: symptoms, cause, treatment and removal
- Blood in the urine: causes of blood in urine in men and women
