Kidney Stone Prevention

Prevent Kidney Stones With Lemonade?
If life gives you lemons, make lemonade. But what if life gives you kidney stones? For most people, a drug called potassium citrate is prescribed, but for those who can't tolerate potassium citrate's side effects or are allergic to certain medications, the results of a small study published at the American Urological Association's annual meeting indicate that lemonade may work just as well.

Kidney stones develop when minerals in the urine crystallize and build up inside the kidney. In most people, urine contains a chemical called citrate, which breaks down the minerals and prevents the stones from forming. In this study, researchers followed 12 people who suffered from hypocitrauria, a condition that causes a person to produce low levels of urinary citrate. Patients in the group drank lemonade made from 120 milliliters of lemon juice mixed with 2 liters of water throughout the day; small amounts of sugar or sugar substitute were added for taste.

Results showed that 11 of the 12 patients had increased urinary citrate levels during lemonade therapy. The kidney stones of the people taking lemonade therapy also decreased in size and number during the course of treatment. While lemonade may help reduce the incidence of kidney stones, it's only part of a larger program. Lowering the amount of salt in the diet, eating smaller portions of red meat, and increasing fluid intake can all help slow the formation of existing stones and prevent new ones from developing.

Cut Back On Salt
The biggest issue with consuming too much salt is its detrimental impact on high blood pressure and swelling of your extremities such as your ankle and feet. Salt draws water to it and can cause elevation of the pressure inside your blood vessels hence worsening blood pressure.

The kidney is very much affected by too much salt. When there is excess salt in your blood stream, your kidneys have to work harder to get rid of that in your urine and it's been suggested that with the increased salt load to the kidney filtration system, you may be at higher risk for kidney stones and mineral deposits to your kidneys. Beyond the direct effect of the salt, the high blood pressure generated by the salt can cause kidney disease.

Finally, even your bones are affected by the excess salt in your diet. There's evidence that suggests that extra salt in your diet can worsen your risks for osteoporosis. Since the excess salt in your blood stream needs to be filtered in your kidney and removed, there are other minerals that the salt may bind to or cause a shift in the filtration system such that higher levels of other minerals are also lost in urine because of the excess salt. One of those minerals is calcium. Therefore, if that's the case, it's been suggested that bone health is compromised with a diet that is high in salt.

People should aim for about 1500-2000 milligrams of sodium per day at most. By paying attention to what you are eating, Just that simple act will start to help you towards the road of eating a more balanced low sodium diet.

Keep diet and common sense simple and enjoy a long healthy life!  It works!