Tips to Prevent stones in Kidney
The kidneys are bean-shaped organs located on either side of the lower back, just below the rib cage. Their function in the body is to maintain the homeostatic balance of bodily fluids by filtering and secreting metabolites such as urea and minerals from the blood and excreting them, along with water, as urine.
- Two of the leading causes of kidney diseases are diabetes and high blood pressure. Over time, the excessive amount of glucose in the blood damages the millions of tiny filtering units within each kidney. Around 20-30 percent of people with diabetes develop kidney disease with the risk increasing as the length of the time the person has diabetes increases. High blood pressure can damage the small blood vessels in the kidneys. These damaged vessels cannot filter wastes from the blood as they are supposed to. The number one way to prevent kidney damage is to keep blood sugar levels and blood pressure as close to normal as possible.
- The body is composed of 60 – 70 % of water. Without water, cells would not survive and biochemical and physiologic processes in the body would not occur properly. Drink Water frequently. Kidney Stones are caused by dehydration i.e. not enough water in the body over a long period of time. Therefore, you need to drink at least 8 glasses of water per day! A good rule would be to always keep your urine clear.
- If you want to take a break from drinking lots of water, concoct yourself a lemonade drink as a breather. However, this type of citrus drink works well for kidney stones formed out of calcium oxalates. Lemon contains fiber, and its citric acid can help dissolve kidney stones formed from unabsorbed calcium.
- Try to reduce the salt intake. High amounts of salt and sodium is responsible for many health problems, including kidney stones. Cutting on salty foods is a great start. Try to reduce the amount of salt that you punt in on the food that you cook, as you will be surprised that most of them already have inherent salt attributes.
- Cranberry Juice will help maintain your urinary tract which will help prevent kidney stone formation.
- Many people believe that kidney stones are caused by drinking too much soda. To some extent that is true because a variety of reasons. Don?t drink soda because of high levels of phosphorous which causes kidney stones
- Consumption of animal protein from meat and dairy products has been linked to a higher risk of developing kidney stones. While limiting your intake of animal protein, you can increase your intake of vegetable protein obtained through beans and nuts in order to get your required daily protein.
- A report published in Science News said, ?Strangely, an 8-ounce glass of grapefruit juice daily boosted the risk of stones by 44 percent.? Other studies have confirmed this. Since an increased risk of developing kidney stones is associated with drinking grapefruit juice, it would be prudent then to avoid it entirely.
- The color of your urine will decide whether you are drinking enough water or not. It should always be clear or light yellow. If your urine is dark yellow, it is a sign that water consumption is too low. By sipping on water throughout the day, you develop a very good habit that will keep you healthy and help with kidney stone relief.