What to Avoid on a Kidney Stone Diet: Foods High in Sodium, Oxalate, and Animal Protein
Kidney stones are tough formations made of minerals and salts that develop in the urinary tract. If not managed correctly, they can bring about intense pain, infections, and harm to the kidneys. To steer clear of or decrease the chances of kidney stones, it’s crucial to stay away from specific foods and drinks that might raise the levels of these substances in the urine. Taking these precautions can help keep your urinary tract healthy and reduce the likelihood of developing kidney stones.
Sodium: Too much sodium can make your urine have more calcium, leading to kidney stones. You find sodium in salt, processed foods, fast foods, canned foods, sauces, condiments, and snacks. Try to have less than 2,300 milligrams of sodium a day.
Oxalate: Oxalate is a natural thing that, when combined with calcium in urine, can form kidney stones. Foods like spinach, rhubarb, beets, nuts, chocolate, tea, wheat bran, and some other plants have a lot of oxalate. If you’ve had calcium oxalate stones before, try not to eat too much of these foods.
Animal protein: Eating too much animal protein can make your urine have more uric acid, causing uric acid stones. It can also make your urine more acidic and more likely to form stones. Animal protein is in meat, poultry, fish, eggs, and dairy. Try to have only one serving of these foods a day.
Sugar: Too much sugar can increase calcium and oxalate in your urine and raise the risk of obesity and diabetes, which can lead to kidney stones. Sugar is in sweets, desserts, soft drinks, fruit juices, and other sugary foods. Try to avoid or have less of these foods and drink water, unsweetened tea, or low-fat milk instead.
Alcohol: Drinking alcohol can make your body lose water and increase substances in your urine that cause kidney stones. It can also mess with how your body absorbs calcium and other minerals, raising the risk of gout, which can cause uric acid stones. Alcohol is in beer, wine, liquor, and other drinks.
**Drink lots of water to stay hydrated.**
