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Recurrence Prevention Stone Disease

Fluid and dietary modifications suggested for people forming urinary stones

Stone disease of the urinary tract tends to recur. Diet has a major role to play in the occurrence and recurrence of stone disease. The following precautions will help you decrease the chances of recurrence.

Fluids

  1. Increased water intake for a urine output of 2 – 2.5 liter/day is one of the most important and the least expensive forms of conservative measures to reduce stone recurrence.
  2. Keep yourself well hydrated all the time; drink liquids at regular intervals. Increase intake according to activity (exercise, outdoor, etc.)
  3. Avoid cola drinks
  4. Avoid hard water (with high mineral content)
  5. Fresh citrus juices (particularly orange) without added sugar may have some stone-preventing properties; beware of sweetened products

Kidney Stones Treatment

Diet

Dietary fads with innumerable do’s and don’ts are common parlance, many of which have not been adequately studied. The diet for stone-patient is that of ‘moderation’; there are no absolute do’s and don’ts’. The following precautions may help you formulate a diet plan –

  1. Avoid excessively high amount of protein, particularly animal protein
  2. Take fruits, vegetables and salad every day
  3. Restrict salt intake; a practical way is to avoid sprinkling salt on fruits and salads, minimize fast food and use low-sodium salt
  4. Restrict refined sugar intake (e.g. glucose, sucrose, fructose), must you, take limited amount of sugar-free
  5. Restrict excessive consumption of fat; there is some evidence that consumption of fish oil (containing eicosapentaenoic acid) reduces the risk of recurrence of stones
  6. Keep a check on your weight by exercise and diet regulation; restriction on sugar and fat will help.
  7. Take adequate portion of milk / milk products (e.g. curd, yoghurt and cottage cheese) which are rich source of calcium in your diet. Both excess and deficiency of milk / milk products are detrimental in terms of stone recurrence. These are best taken with meals; calcium in milk decreases absorption of stone-forming oxalate in diet.
  8. Avoid excessive consumption of oxalate-rich food items; you don’t have to avoid completely. Some examples are – blackberries, blueberries, strawberries, plum, spinach, rhubarb, okra, beet greens, chocolate, cocoa, tomato, etc.