Anybody know of some home remedies for kidney stones that actually work?!
Question: Drinking a lot of water : drink enough to produce approximately 2 liters (one-half gallon) of urine per day. Adequate fluid intake helps prevent kidney stone problems by allowing most small stones to pass through.
During an acute episode of passing a stone, drinking warm water to which you've added liquid extract of wild yam can help calm muscular spasms of the ureter, allowing the stone to pass more easily.
A daily tablespoonful of flaxseed oil or of flaxseeds themselves can be added to your salad or to a fruit smoothie. If you're using the seeds, you will need to grind them fresh each day. Flaxseed can help reduce the amount of calcium in the urine.
Taking zinc inhibits the crystallization of minerals carried in the urine. (Zinc taken for the long term should be combined with copper.)
Cranberry, taken as juice or in capsules, acts to acidify urine and reduces the amount of ionized calcium in the urine, so is helpful to prevent both oxalate and uric acid stones from forming. You can also accomplish the same effect by drinking the juice of one lemon (diluted in water) each morning.
Increase your potassium intake. Foods that contain potassium include bananas, orange juice, fresh fruit and vegetables. Low blood levels of potassium reduces levels of urinary citrate, which in turn raises levels of urine calcium. Like zinc, potassium is a potent inhibitor of calcium crystallization.
Get more magnesium in your diet. Many vegetables, grains, and fruits contain magnesium, including almonds, peanuts, brown rice, avocado, papaya, and prunes.
Those with a tendency to form calcium stones may want to avoid foods rich in calcium, such as dairy products.
People prone to kidney stones should limit their intake of caffeine and cut down on the amount of coffee they drink. People who consumed caffeine in amounts equal to two cups of coffee showed elevated levels of calcium in their urine, which can increase the risk of developing stones, especially for people prone to stones. "Caffeine consumption may modestly increase risk of calcium oxalate stone formation," concluded the researchers.
Answers: Drinking a lot of water : drink enough to produce approximately 2 liters (one-half gallon) of urine per day. Adequate fluid intake helps prevent kidney stone problems by allowing most small stones to pass through.
During an acute episode of passing a stone, drinking warm water to which you've added liquid extract of wild yam can help calm muscular spasms of the ureter, allowing the stone to pass more easily.
A daily tablespoonful of flaxseed oil or of flaxseeds themselves can be added to your salad or to a fruit smoothie. If you're using the seeds, you will need to grind them fresh each day. Flaxseed can help reduce the amount of calcium in the urine.
Taking zinc inhibits the crystallization of minerals carried in the urine. (Zinc taken for the long term should be combined with copper.)
Cranberry, taken as juice or in capsules, acts to acidify urine and reduces the amount of ionized calcium in the urine, so is helpful to prevent both oxalate and uric acid stones from forming. You can also accomplish the same effect by drinking the juice of one lemon (diluted in water) each morning.
Increase your potassium intake. Foods that contain potassium include bananas, orange juice, fresh fruit and vegetables. Low blood levels of potassium reduces levels of urinary citrate, which in turn raises levels of urine calcium. Like zinc, potassium is a potent inhibitor of calcium crystallization.
Get more magnesium in your diet. Many vegetables, grains, and fruits contain magnesium, including almonds, peanuts, brown rice, avocado, papaya, and prunes.
Those with a tendency to form calcium stones may want to avoid foods rich in calcium, such as dairy products.
People prone to kidney stones should limit their intake of caffeine and cut down on the amount of coffee they drink. People who consumed caffeine in amounts equal to two cups of coffee showed elevated levels of calcium in their urine, which can increase the risk of developing stones, especially for people prone to stones. "Caffeine consumption may modestly increase risk of calcium oxalate stone formation," concluded the researchers.
I was told by my doctor to drink anything with lemon (ie water w/ lemon). He said that the lemon juice will stop the stones forming. I guess its true, since I havent had any since then (that I know of).
Watermelon contains the highest concentration of water amongst all fruits. It is also rich in potassium salts. It is one of the safest and best diuretics which can be used with beneficial result in kidney stones.