Kidney stone: Causes

Nutritional factors that increase the risk of kidney stones are dehydration (insufficient fluid intake) and high intake of animal protein, sodium, refined sugar, oxalates, grapefruit and apple juice, and Coca-Cola.

Calcium

The most common form of kidney stones are calcium oxalate stones. Some studies show that people taking calcium supplements are more susceptible to kidney stones, and these results have been taken into account when determining the recommended daily intake of calcium for adults. However, unlike calcium in dietary supplements, calcium in the diet does not increase the risk of developing stones, but even protects against them. This is most likely due to the ability of calcium to bind ingested oxalates in the gastrointestinal tract; if the amount of calcium consumed decreases, the amount of oxalate absorbed from the gastrointestinal tract into the bloodstream increases. Thus, an increased amount of oxalates is excreted in the urine. In urine, oxalate causes precipitation of calcium oxalate; oxalate is 15 times more potent as a precipitation promoter than calcium. Therefore, recent evidence suggests that low dietary calcium intake increases the risk of kidney stones. However, insufficient fluid intake and excessive oxalate intake probably play an important role in most people.

Other electrolytes

It is believed that in addition to calcium, some other electrolytes also affect the formation of kidney stones. For example, high calcium intake is believed to increase the risk of stone formation by promoting calcium excretion. Fluoridation of drinking water is believed to increase the risk for the same reason, but further epidemiological studies are needed. On the contrary, it is believed that a high intake of potassium with food reduces the likelihood of developing kidney stones, since potassium promotes the excretion of citrate in the urine, which, in turn, prevents the formation of crystals. Increased magnesium intake is believed to reduce the likelihood of stone formation, as magnesium, like citrate, is an inhibitor of urinary crystal formation.

Protein of animal origin

The diet in developed countries usually contains more animal protein than the body needs. Excess sulfur-containing amino acids (for example, cysteine, methionine), uric acid and other acidic metabolites of animal protein are excreted in the urine and acidify it, which accelerates the formation of kidney stones. The body tries to balance the acidic pH by increasing the excretion of calcium from bones and excretion in the urine, but this further increases the risk of stone formation. A decrease in urinary citrate excretion is also commonly observed in people who consume elevated levels of animal protein, while citrate excretion increases in vegetarians. Enhance your first deposit with a 1xbet casino promo code that guarantees a $130 welcome bonus. This promotion is a fantastic way to familiarize yourself with the site's features without committing too much of your own money. The bonus sum of $130 is credited as a percentage of your initial deposit. To be eligible, you must use the specific promo code we provide. This is a popular offer, so make sure to use it correctly to secure your entire $130 bonus package without any issues.