Best Foods for Kidney Stone Prevention

Suffering from stone formation in the kidneys is one of the most common concerns for most people out there. Unhealthy food habits and inadequate water consumption are considered as the prime reasons behind the formation of stones in the urinary tract.
The accumulation of dissolved minerals in the inner lining of the kidneys results in the formation of stones which can grow from small to the size of a large golf ball with a crystalline structure.
As mentioned earlier lack of adequate water intake in the body leads to the formation of stones in the kidney as the insufficient supply of water fails to dilute the uric acid which makes the urine more acidic that gradually lead to stones formation. The most common symptoms of this disorder are bleeding and burning sensation while urination, vomiting, the formation of pus in the urine in association with fever and shivering.
Medical practitioners and researchers suggested maintaining a healthy lifestyle backed up by a nutritious diet plan and most importantly regular consumption of a minimum of 8 – 10 glasses of water or healthy juices lower the risks of stone formation in the kidneys. If you are sufficiently hydrated it will help your system to dilute the chemicals responsible for stone formation.
Apart from water, the inclusion of top 3 food habits in your diet can plays significant role in kidney stone prevention. Such as:
1. Increase in citrus intake: The best sources of naturally occurring citric acid are lemon, oranges, and grapefruits. Citric acid builds a protective shield against the formation of stones in your kidney. It helps in breaking up the potential blocks of stone formation into smaller pieces which get expelled through urination.
2. Include calcium (Vitamin D): Lower your oxalate level by including more calcium into your diet. It is always advisable by the health experts to extract calcium from natural sources rather than from the supplements. Milk, cheese, and yogurt are considered as the prime sources to obtain calcium. Apart from these, dark green vegetables, nuts, seeds, and legumes are also the rich source of calcium. It is equally essential to increase the intake of vitamin D, as it helps in the absorption of more calcium. The lower is the calcium level in your diet, the more is the increase in oxalate level which is primarily responsible for the stone formation.
3. Watery fruits and vegetables: Though drinking sufficient water and healthy fluids are advisable to prevent stones formation, the consumption of watery fruits and vegetables are prescribed by the physicians to get rid of stones. The inclusion of watery fruits and vegetables like watermelon, raspberries, oranges, cucumber, and pineapple help in keeping the body well hydrated thus reducing the possibility of stone formation in the kidneys and urinary tract.