Renal stones, also called kidney stones, are most common in people over age 40, affecting more men than women, and occur when small hard deposits composed of mineral and acid salts form in the kidneys, according to the Mayo Clinic. Kidney stones rarely cause permanent damage, but passing a stone can be painful. Multiple factors, from dehydration to heredity, can increase renal stone risk, with diet also playing a role, and people prone to this condition may have to adjust their diet, depending on the type of stone they have, according to the Mayo Clinic.Knowing the type of kidney stone you have can determine what, if any, dietary changes you may need to make to help prevent future stones. Most kidney stones are made of calcium oxalate, forming when organic molecules called oxalates (found in the body and in foods) bind with calcium in urine, according to the National Kidney and Urologic Diseases Clearinghouse, or NKUDIC, a service of the National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Disease, or NIDDK, at the National Institutes of Health, or NIH.
Less common stones include calcium phosphate stones, forming in alkaline urine; uric acid stones, affected by purines in food; cystine stones, due to a genetic disorder causing the amino acid cystine to leak into the urine; and struvite stones, caused by kidney infections and not affected by diet, according to the NKUDIC.
If your kidney stones are made of calcium oxalate, you may need to avoid certain high oxalate foods, such as spinach, beets, rhubarb, strawberries, wheat bran, nuts, chocolate and tea, which have been found to raise urine oxalate levels most, increasing stone risk, according to Dr. Linda Massey at Washington State University in Spokane, Washington, and colleagues in a study published in August 1993 in the Journal of the American Dietetic Association.
Risk for uric acid kidney stones can increase from consuming foods rich in substances called purines, such as seafood and organ meats, which can increase urine's uric acid levels, according to the NKUDIC.
Sodium intake should not exceed 2,400 mg daily, as salt can cause increased calcium excretion into the urine from the kidneys and increase the risk for calcium binding with oxalate or phosphorus and forming kidney stones, according to NKUDIC.
People with calcium oxalate kidney stones should include about 800mg of calcium daily from food, while calcium supplements should be taken with meals to offer the same benefits, as calcium can bind with food oxalates in the digestive tract, preventing them from entering the urinary tract and forming stones, recommends NKUDIC.
Drinking enough water is important to help dilute urine, and people with kidney stones in general should drink enough fluids to produce at least two quarts of water a day, but grapefruit juice and dark colas should be avoided by people with calcium oxalate kidney stones, says NKUDIC.
It's important to keep in mind that diet is just one of a number of factors, including weight and heredity, which can affect kidney stone formation, so check with a health professional if you are considering modifying your diet to decrease kidney stone risk or are considering taking large doses of a vitamin or mineral supplement, notes NKUDIC.
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Renal stones, also called kidney stones, are most common in people over age 40, affecting more men than women, and occur when small hard deposits composed of mineral and acid salts form in the kidneys, according to the Mayo Clinic. Kidney stones rarely cause permanent damage, but passing a stone can be painful. Multiple factors, from dehydration to heredity, can increase renal stone risk, with diet also playing a role, and people prone to this condition may have to adjust their diet, depending on the type of stone they have, according to the Mayo Clinic.
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