Just the Thought of a Kidney Stone…
By Dr. Mercola
Anyone who’s ever experienced the pain (and sometimes agony) of a kidney stone may have thought afterward, “Wouldn’t it be great if they came up with something that could prevent that?”
As is so often the case in science, such visualizations are the same as those of researchers. In this instance, a dietary supplement with the power to dissolve the little troublemakers before they wreak havoc in your system may be the solution.
Researchers at the University of Houston (UH) are calling it a possible “prevention tool.” You may be thinking that if it could actually do that, it might be more like a wonder drug.
Another recommendation is to limit your protein intake to one-half gram of protein per pound of lean body mass, which would place most people in the range of 40 to 70 grams daily (1 1/2 to 2 1/2 ounces). If you’re prone to kidney stones, excess amounts of red meat can be especially problematic because it decreases the levels of citrate, the chemical in urine that helps keep kidney stones from forming in the first place.
Most Americans consume far more protein than they need, which can exacerbate problems with kidney stones. When you consume more protein than your body needs, your body must remove more nitrogen waste products from your blood, which stresses your kidneys.17 Chronic dehydration can result. Doctors also encourage people at risk for kidney stones to pass up foods containing high amounts of oxalate,18 including:
However, these foods contain high amounts of magnesium, which helps prevent calcium from blending with oxalate, the most common kidney stone type. Magnesium is a mineral that has the capacity to prevent kidney stones — if you get enough.
Magnesium deficiency is estimated to affect as much as 80 percent of the American population. It’s been associated with kidney stone development because it plays a part in the way your body handles calcium. Too much calcium can become toxic, so there needs to be a balance.
Sources and References
- Science Daily August 8, 2016
- Spectator Health August 10, 2016
- MedicineNet.com August 8, 2016
- University of Pittsburgh August 9, 2016
- 1 MedicineNet.com Aug. 8, 2016
- 2 Daily Mail January 2009
- 3, 18 Mayo Clinic 1998-2016
- 4 Nature August 8, 2016
- 5 MedicineNet 1996-2016
- 6, 7 Science Daily Aug. 8, 2016
- 8 Spectator Health August 10, 2016
- 9 University of Pittsburgh August 9, 2016
- 10 The National Kidney Foundation April 2016
- 11 Harvard Health Oct. 4, 2013
- 12 United States Renal Data System 2015 Annual Report
- 13 CDC May 5, 2016
- 14 CDC June 6, 2016
- 15 National Vital Statistics Report Feb. 2016
- 16 HRSA April 2016
- 17 Annals of Internal Medicine March 18, 2013
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