Kidney stone formation is a complex that results from a succession of several physicochemical events including supersaturation, nucleation, growth, aggregation and retention within the kidneys. Urinary stones affect 10-12 % of the population in industrialized countries. There are only a few geographical areas in which stone disease is rare e.g. Germany and in the coastal areas of Japan. So in the present review aims to give data highlighting the present trends in research of medicinal plants accredited with antiurolithiatic activity. This article may help investigators to identify lead compounds or herbal products responsible for urolithiatic activity.
Urinary stone disease continues to occupy an important place in everyday urological practice. The average life time risk of stone formation has been reported in the range of 5-10 %. A predominance of men over women can be observed with an incidence peak between the fourth and fifth decade of life.
What are kidney stones?
Also known as renal stones or nephrolithiasis, kidney stones are composed of hard, solid waste materials that build up in the kidneys and form crystals.
Four main types exist, but about 80% of all stones are calcium oxalate stones. Less common forms include strutted, uric acid, and cysteine (2Trusted Source, 3Trusted Source).
While smaller stones are usually not a problem, larger stones may cause a blockage in part of your urinary system as they leave your body.
Kidney stones are a common health problem. In fact, about 12% of men and 5% of women in the United States will develop a kidney stone during their lifetime (3Trusted Source).
What’s more, if you get a kidney stone once, studies suggest you are up to 50% more likely to form another stone within 5 to 10 years (4Trusted Source, 5Trusted Source, 6Trusted Source).
In India, in the Ayurvedic system of medicine, ‘Pashanabheda’ group plants, claimed to be useful in the treatment of urinary stones. ‘Pashanabheda’ is the Sanskrit term used for a group of plants with diuretic and antiurolithiatic activities (Pashana = stone; Bheda = break). Hence, in the present review an attempt has been made to enumerate the studies carried out on these plants. This could serve as a source of information on the present trends in research on plants accredited with antiurolithiatic activity 4, 5.
8 Natural Remedies to Fight Kidney Stones at Home
Passing these stones can be incredibly painful, and unfortunately, people who have experienced kidney stones are more likely to get them again (1Trusted Source).
However, there are a few things you can do to reduce this risk.
This article explains what kidney stones are and outlines 8 dietary ways to fight them.
While smaller stones are usually not a problem, larger stones may cause a blockage in part of your urinary system as they leave your body.
1. Stay hydrated
When it comes to kidney stone prevention, drinking plenty of fluids is generally recommended.
Fluids dilute and increase the volume of the stone-forming substances in urine, which makes them less likely to crystallize (3Trusted Source).
However, not all fluids exert this effect equally. For example, a high intake of water is linked to a lower risk of kidney stone formation (7Trusted Source, 8Trusted Source).
Beverages like coffee, tea, beer, wine, and orange juice have also been associated with a lower risk
On the other hand, consuming a lot of soda may contribute to kidney stone formation. This is true for both sugar-sweetened and artificially sweetened sodas (9Trusted Source).
Sugar-sweetened soft drinks contain fructose, which is known to increase the excretion of calcium, oxalate, and uric acid. These are important factors for kidney stone risk (12Trusted Source, 13Trusted Source).
Some studies have also linked a high intake of sugar-sweetened and artificially sweetened colas to an increased risk of kidney stones, due to their phosphoric acid contents (14Trusted Source, 15Trusted Source).
2. Increase your citric acid intake
Citric acid is an organic acid found in many fruits and vegetables, particularly citrus fruits. Lemons and limes are especially rich in this plant compound (16Trusted Source).
Citric acid may help prevent calcium oxalate kidney stones in two ways (17Trusted Source):
- Preventing stone formation: It can bind with calcium in urine, reducing the risk of new stone formation (18Trusted Source, 19Trusted Source).
- Preventing stone enlargement: It binds with existing calcium oxalate crystals, preventing them from getting larger. It can help you pass these crystals before they turn into larger stones (16Trusted Source, 19Trusted Source).
An easy way to consume more citric acid is to eat more citrus fruits, such as grapefruit, oranges, lemons, or limes.
You can also try adding some lime or lemon juice to your water.
3. Limit foods high in oxalates
Oxalate (oxalic acid) is an anti nutrient found in many plant foods, including leafy greens, fruits, vegetables, and cocoa (20Trusted Source).
Also, your body produces considerable amounts of it.
A high oxalate intake may increase oxalate excretion in urine, which can be problematic for people who tend to form calcium oxalate crystals (21Trusted Source).
Oxalate can bind calcium and other minerals, forming crystals that can lead to stone formation (21Trusted Source).
However, foods high in oxalate also tend to be very healthy, so a strict low-oxalate diet is no longer recommended for all stone-forming individuals.
A low-oxalate diet is only suggested for people who have hypercritical, a condition characterized by high levels of oxalate in the urine (17Trusted Source).
Before changing your diet, consult your healthcare provider or dietitian to find out whether you may benefit from limiting your intake of oxalate-rich foods.
4. Don’t take high doses of vitamin C
Studies indicate that vitamin C (ascorbic acid) supplements are associated with a higher risk of getting kidney stones (22Trusted Source, 23Trusted Source, 24Trusted Source).
A high intake of supplemental vitamin C may increase the excretion of oxalate in the urine, as some vitamin C can be converted into oxalate within the body (25Trusted Source, 26Trusted Source).
One Swedish study among middle-aged and older men estimated that those who supplement with vitamin C may be twice as likely to develop kidney stones as those who don’t supplement with this vitamin (23Trusted Source).
However, note that vitamin C from food sources, such as lemons, is not associated with an increased stone risk (27Trusted Source).
5. Get enough calcium
It’s a common misunderstanding that you need to decrease your calcium intake to reduce your risk of forming calcium-containing stones.
However, this is not the case. In fact, a diet high in calcium has been associated with a decreased risk of forming kidney stones .
One study placed men who had previously formed calcium-containing kidney stones on a diet containing 1,200 mg of calcium per day. The diet was also low in animal protein and salt (29Trusted Source).
The men had about a 50% lower risk of developing another kidney stone within 5 years than the control group, which followed a low-calcium diet of 400 mg per day.
Dietary calcium tends to bind with oxalate in the diet, which prevents it from being absorbed. The kidneys then don’t have to pass it through the urinary system.
Dairy products like milk, cheese, and yogurt are good dietary sources of calcium.
For most adults, the recommended daily allowance (RDA) for calcium is 1,000 mg per day. However, the RDA is 1,200 mg per day for women over the age of 50 and everyone over the age of 70.
6. Cut back on salt
A diet high in salt is linked to an increased risk of kidney stones in some people (30Trusted Source, 32).
A high intake of sodium, a component of table salt, may increase calcium excretion through urine, which is one of the main risk factors for kidney stones (33Trusted Source).
That said, some studies in younger adults have failed to find an association (31Trusted Source, 34Trusted Source, 35Trusted Source).
Most dietary guidelines recommend that people limit sodium intake to 2,300 mg per day. However, most people consume a lot more than that amount (36Trusted Source, 37Trusted Source).
One of the best ways to decrease your sodium intake is to cut back on packaged, processed foods (38Trusted Source).
7. Increase your magnesium intake
Magnesium is an important mineral that many people don’t consume in sufficient amounts (39Trusted Source).
It’s involved in hundreds of metabolic reactions within your body, including energy production and muscle movements (40Trusted Source).
There is also some evidence that magnesium may help prevent calcium oxalate kidney stone formation (35Trusted Source, 41Trusted Source, 42Trusted Source).
Exactly how this works is not fully understood, but it has been suggested that magnesium may reduce oxalate absorption in the gut (43Trusted Source, 44Trusted Source, 45Trusted Source).
Nevertheless, not all studies agree on the matter (30Trusted Source, 34Trusted Source).
The reference daily intake (RDI) for magnesium is 420 mg per day. If you want to increase your dietary magnesium intake, avocados, legumes, and tofu are all good dietary sources.
To reap maximum benefits, consume magnesium along with foods that are high in oxalate. If that’s not an option, try to consume this mineral within 12 hours of eating oxalate-rich foods (45Trusted Source).
8. Eat less animal protein
A diet high in animal protein sources, such as meat, fish, and dairy, is associated with a higher risk of kidney stones.
A high intake of animal protein may increase calcium excretion and decrease levels of citrate (46Trusted Source, 47Trusted Source).
In addition, animal protein sources are rich in purines. These compounds are broken down into uric acid and may increase the risk of forming uric acid stones (48Trusted Source, 49Trusted Source).
All foods contain purines in varying amounts.
Kidney, liver, and other organ meats are very high in purines. On the other hand, plant foods are low in these substances.
Urinary stone disease continues to occupy an important place in everyday urological practice. The average life time risk of stone formation has been reported in the range of 5-10 %. A predominance of men over women can be observed with an incidence peak between the fourth and fifth decade of life.
Recurrent stone formation is a common part of the medical care of patients with stone disease 1. Calcium-containing stones, especially calcium oxalate mono-hydrate, calcium oxalate dehydrate and basic calcium phosphate are the most commonly occurring ones to an extent of 75-90% followed by magnesium ammonium phosphate (Struvite) to an extent of 10-15%, uric acid 3-10% and cystine 0.5-1% (4-6).
In most of the cases the commonly occurring stones are calcium oxalate or magnesium ammonium phosphate type 2, 3. Many remedies have been employed during the ages to treat urinary stones. In the traditional systems of medicine, most of the remedies were taken from plants and they were proved to be useful though the rationale behind their use is not well established through systematic pharmacological and clinical studies except for some composite herbal drugs and plants. Pharmacotherapy can reduce the recurrence rate. The use of plant products with claimed uses in the traditional systems of medicine assumes importance.
In India, in the Ayurvedic system of medicine, ‘Pashanabheda’ group plants, claimed to be useful in the treatment of urinary stones. ‘Pashanabheda’ is the Sanskrit term used for a group of plants with diuretic and antiurolithiatic activities (Pashana = stone; Bheda = break). Hence, in the present review an attempt has been made to enumerate the studies carried out on these plants. This could serve as a source of information on the present trends in research on plants accredited with antiurolithiatic activity 4, 5.
6 natural home remedies for kidney stones
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Kidney stones are hard deposits that form in the kidneys. These stones have to travel through the urinary tract to exit the body. Passing a kidney stone can be very painful. However, there are options for managing kidney stone development and pain at home.
Most cases of kidney stones are treatable with pain medications, fluid therapy, or another type of medical intervention. There are also steps people can take to reduce their risk of developing kidney stones.
Not all of these remedies require a prescription, or even a medication. However, if kidney stones become too painful, it is best to seek medical attention.
In this article, we discuss six methods for preventing or managing kidney stones at home.
Home remedies
A person with kidney stones should drink plenty of water.
Before trying any home remedies for kidney stones, it is important to seek consultation with a doctor, especially when a person has an underlying medical condition or takes medications regularly.
Also, although many of these remedies may help relieve the symptoms or reduce the risk of future recurrences, kidney stones can cause intense pain. Home remedies may be best alongside more traditional treatments.
Some people may even need surgery to extract or break up the stones, as well as intravenous pain medication.
The sections below discuss some home remedies for easing the symptoms of kidney stones.
1. Drink water
Drinking water is one of the easiest ways to treat and prevent kidney stones, as dehydration is one of the main causes.
Most health authorities recommend drinking six to eight glasses of water per day to prevent dehydration.
2. Drink lemon juice
Lemons contain citrate, a compound that helps break down calcium deposits and slow their growth.
A 2019 cross-sectional study found that sugar-free lemon juice was an effective remedy for kidney stones.
In fact, consuming only 4 ounces of lemon juice can increase citrate levels effectively.
It is important to examine labels carefully when purchasing juice products. Many lemon juice products contain small amounts of pure lemon extract and high amounts of sweeteners, which can actually increase the risk of kidney stones.
Buying pure extract or purchasing fresh lemons and squeezing them at home are the easiest ways to get undiluted lemon juice. Good alternatives include melon and orange juice, which both contain high levels of citric acid.
A range of lemon juice products are available for purchase online.
3. Consume apple cider vinegar
Apple cider vinegar also has citric acid content that may help dissolve calcium deposits.
A 2019 study of over 9,000 people found that those who consumed vinegar had a significantly lower risk of kidney stones.
However, more research will be necessary to confirm the benefits of apple cider vinegar, specifically, as a standalone natural remedy for kidney stones.
Apple cider vinegar and its supplements are available to purchase online.
4. Manage weight
According to a 2019 study of 146 people with recurring kidney stones, 43.8% had obesity or overweight.
Although this does not suggest causality, there may be a link between weight and kidney stones. The study authors believe that metabolic conditions such as high cholesterol and high blood pressure may contribute to kidney stone formation.
Managing body weight and adopting a nutritious, balanced diet are important steps for the prevention and treatment of kidney stones.
5. Avoid sugary or caffeinated drinks
Carbonated, caffeinated, and alcoholic drinks can all increase a person’s risk of developing kidney stones.
Research suggests that drinking caffeine can increase the risk of stones. Drinks and sodas that contain real or artificial sugars can also lead to kidney stones.
Also, foods high in sugar, salt, and fat are known to increase the risk of kidney deposits and intensify the symptoms.
6. Meet the daily calcium requirements
For people with calcium oxalate stones, which are the most common kind, finding sources of calcium can help them meet their daily calcium requirement and manage their risk of kidney stones.
It is important to note that taking calcium supplements can increase the risk of kidney stones, as they may provide more than the recommended daily intake. Obtaining calcium from food sources, however, can help reduce the risk.