Passing these stones can be very painful, and unfortunately, people with 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 8 dietary strategies to combat them.
What are kidney stones?
Kidney stones, also known as nephrolithiasis, are made up of hard, solid debris that accumulates and forms crystals in the kidney.
There are four main types, but about 80% of all stones are calcium oxalate stones. Less common forms include struvite, uric acid, and cysteine (2, 3Trusted Source).
Smaller stones usually don’t cause problems, but larger stones can block parts of your urinary system as they pass out of your body.
It causes severe pain, vomiting and bleeding.
Kidney stones are a common health problem. In fact, 12% of men and 5% of women in the US develop kidney stones during their lifetime ( 3Trusted Source ).
In addition, studies have shown that if you have one kidney stone, your chances of developing another stone within 5-10 years increase by up to 50% (4, 5, 6).
Below are 8 natural ways to reduce the risk of kidney stones.
- Stay hydrated
Drinking plenty of fluids is usually recommended to prevent kidney stones.
Fluids dilute and increase the size of urinary stone-forming substances, making them less likely to crystallize ( 3Trusted Source ).
However, not all liquids have the same effect. For example, drinking more water is associated with a lower risk of kidney stones ( 7Trusted Source , 8Trusted Source ).
Beverages such as coffee, tea, beer, wine, and orange juice are associated with a lower risk (9, 10, 11).
On the other hand, consuming large amounts of soda can contribute to the formation of kidney stones. This is true for both sugar-enhanced and artificially sweetened sodas ( 9Trusted Source ).
Sugary soft drinks contain fructose, which increases calcium, oxalate, and uric acid excretion. These are important risk factors for developing kidney stones (12, 13Trusted Source).
Some studies have found that high consumption of sugary and artificially sweetened colas may increase the risk of kidney stones due to their phosphoric acid content (14).