How to Prevent Kidney Stones
Westend61 / Getty Images
Medically reviewed by Jane Kim, MD
Kidney stones, which are clinically called renal calculi or nephrolithiasis, are deposits of pebble-like material that form in one or both kidneys. These come in different shapes and range in size from a grain of sand to that of a golf ball. Diet, genetics, and lifestyle factors can all increase your chances of developing a stone. Luckily, there are many steps you can take to prevent them. This begins with understanding (and avoiding) what puts you at risk.
Kidney stones most commonly affect adults, and people assigned male at birth are more likely to experience them, especially over age 40. They can occur when you have high levels of certain minerals, such as calcium, oxalate, and phosphorous, in your urine.
Most kidney stones must exit your body through your urethra when you urinate (called "passing" a stone), although larger ones may require a procedure to remove them. Passing a kidney stone is generally painful due to the stone blocking urine flow out of your urethra. However, it is possible for them to pass without incident, especially if they're small.
Risk Factors
There are several factors that raise your risk of developing kidney stones, including both things that you can control, such as diet, and those you can’t. Common risk factors include:
Sex: People assigned male at birth (AMAB) get kidney stones twice as often as people assignment female at birth (AFAB).
Age: Your chances of developing a kidney stone are highest between ages 40 and 65.
Dehydration: Not drinking enough water or other fluid increases your chances of minerals in your urine crystallizing in your kidneys, forming stones.
Certain medications: Some medications can raise your risk, including diuretics (water pills), antacids made with calcium, Coumadin (warfarin), Topamax (topiramate), and the HIV antiviral drug Crixivan (indinavir).
History of kidney stones: You are 15% more likely to develop a kidney stone if you had one within the past year, which rises to 50% within a decade.
Animal proteins: Researchers have linked diets high in animal proteins such as beef, chicken, pork, and others, to increase your chance of developing kidney stones.
Sugar: Sugar and artificial sweeteners reduce your level of hydration, which raises kidney stone risk; diets high in these can also contribute to other risk factors, such as diabetes and obesity.
Sodium: Sodium, or salt, also lowers the available water your body has, making diets high in this mineral a kidney stone risk.
Health Conditions That Raise Your Risk
Experiencing certain diseases or conditions or having a history of them can also raise your risk of kidney stones. These include:
Having visceral obesity, which is characterized by excess weight around the center of your body
Gout, in which crystals form in your joints, causing inflammation
Diabetes, which causes high levels of sugars in the blood
High blood pressure (hypertension), as both conditions are associated with high sodium intake
Genetics
There’s a significant genetic component to kidney stones. Up to 15% of cases are caused by monogenic (single gene) disorders. Researchers have linked kidney stones to the activity of the genes TRPV5, SLC26A6 and NaDC-1, though others are also involved. In most cases, genetics combines with diet and other factors to raise your risk of this condition.
You’re about three times as likely to experience kidney stones if you have a family history of the disease. Comparing data from identical twins, researchers have found the overall heritability—the extent to which genes influence kidney stones—to be over 45%.
How to Reduce Risk
Primarily, preventing kidney stones involves making changes to your diet to reduce your risk and address any underlying causes. There are four common types of kidney stones: calcium oxalate, calcium phosphate, uric acid, and cystine stones. Some prevention methods apply to all of them, while others are tailored to specific types.
Get Hydrated
Perhaps the most important way to prevent kidney stones is to avoid dehydration. This means ensuring you drink enough water and other hydrating fluids each day. Individual needs can vary—and you should talk to your healthcare provider about how much you need—but, typically, adults should aim for at least six to eight 8 ounce (oz) glasses a day, but recommendations can vary based on your sex, weight, and activity level, among other factors.
Related: I Tried Drinking the Recommended Amount of Water for 30 Days—Here’s How It Went
Adopt a Healthy Diet
Originally developed to help manage hypertension, researchers found those adhering to the Dietary Approaches to Stop Hypertension (DASH) diet less likely to develop kidney stones. The DASH diet involves emphasizing vegetables and fruits, leafy greens, low-fat dairy, whole grains, and limiting animal proteins, sweetened foods and drinks, and salt.
Limit Animal Proteins
Diets high in meats and animal proteins like eggs, beef, chicken, and pork raise your risk of kidney stones. Reducing your intake of these can help with prevention. However, it is important to include other sources of protein in your diet. Consider non-meat sources, such as soy, beans, lentils, and peas.
Avoid Dietary Oxalate
If you’re prone to calcium oxalate stones, avoid foods containing the compound oxalate. Reducing your intake of the following foods can help:
Nuts, nut butters, and nut oils
Peanuts (which are technically legumes, not nuts)
Spinach
Rhubarb
Wheat bran
Boost Calcium
Contrary to what the name implies, consuming calcium doesn't actually cause calcium oxalate kidney stones. In fact, moderately increasing your calcium intake can help prevent them. Proper levels of calcium prevent minerals in your urine from forming stones. High calcium, low oxalate food sources include calcium-fortified juice, cereals, bread, and certain fruits. It is best to discuss calcium supplementation with your healthcare provider before adding it to your routine.
Limit Sodium
Consuming too much sodium raises your risk of calcium oxalate and calcium phosphate kidney stones. Aim to consume less than 2,300 milligrams (mg) of salt a day. A good way to start reducing your sodium intake is to limit foods high in sodium, including processed or canned foods, meats, condiments, and fast food.
Physical Activity
Staying physically active helps manage or prevent obesity, lower your blood pressure, and improve other risk factors for kidney stones. Alongside strength-training, most adults should aim for a minimum of 150 minutes of moderate activity a week, such as cycling, swimming, jogging, or brisk walking.
Medications
If you’ve had kidney stones and other means of preventing recurrences haven’t worked, there are several prescription medications that may help. These include:
Urocit-K 10 (potassium citrate)
Thiazide diuretics like Diuril (chlorothiazide) or Mykrox (metolazone)
Aloprim (allopurinol)
Certain antibiotics (effective for struvite kidney stones)
Urease inhibitors such as Lithostat (acetohydroxamic acid)
Surgery and Procedures
Hyperparathyroidism (overactive parathyroid glands) can cause elevated levels of calcium in your blood, raising your risk of kidney stones. Surgery to remove an abnormal parathyroid gland, which is sometimes performed to treat this condition, can help prevent kidney stones from forming.
What About Supplements?
There are many vitamin, mineral, and herbal supplement formulations that are marketed for kidney stones and kidney health. Coming in many varieties, these including everything from vitamins B6 and vitamin D to probiotics and herbs (often chanca piedra, or Phyllanthus niruri). However, a 2023 review found that none of these supplements have shown any clinical benefit. Talk to your healthcare provider before starting a new herbal regimen.
Discuss With Your Healthcare Provider
If you have a history of kidney stones and are worried about recurrences, communication is key. Talk to your healthcare provider about steps you can take to reduce your risk. Let them know before changing your diet, taking any supplements, starting new medications, or if there are any changes to your health. They can point you toward support and resources and refer you to other professionals, such as dietitians or nutritionists, who can help you incorporate any necessary dietary changes.
A Quick Review
Kidney stones are mineral formations that can develop in your kidneys. They can block urine flow, causing pain and other symptoms. Risk factors include having personal or family history of kidney stones, having high blood pressure or diabetes, and consuming a diet high in animal protein and salt. Kidney stone prevention methods include drinking more fluids, making dietary changes, increasing physical activity, and sometimes taking prescription medications.
For more Health.com news, make sure to sign up for our newsletter!
Read the original article on Health.com.
