Kidney stones are usually accumulations of mineral salts (combined with calcium) which can lodge anywhere along the course of the urinary tract.  What causes these pebbles of pain?  Often, when minerals such as calcium, or oxalic acid, in your urine is too high, you begin to get a buildup of crystals that are normally flushed away during urination.  The buildup of these crystals in the kidneys eventually begins to form into a hard deposit or stone.  Calcium-containing stones are the most common.

Symptoms of kidney stones include pain (radiating from the upper back to the lower abdomen), frequent urination, pus or blood in the urine, and sometimes, chills and fever.

If you've had one stone, your risk of recurrence is high.  Nevertheless, the majority of cases of kidney stones are entirely preventable.  Let’s talk about what you can do about preventing and treating them on your own.

Royal Recommendations for Prevention and Treatment

1. Eat a more vegetarian-type diet and keep protein to a minimum.  Studies show that those who ate higher amounts of fresh fruits and vegetables had a lower incidence of stones.  This is true even among meat eaters.  Bran supplementation, or changing to whole wheat bread, increases your fiber intake, which lowers urinary calcium.  (See “Constipation.”)

2. Studies also indicate that refined carbohydrates, including sugar, help precipitate kidney stones.  Sugar stimulates the pancreas to release insulin, which causes extra calcium to be excreted in the urine.  When this happens, a signal is sent to the body to produce more vitamin D, resulting in increased intestinal absorption of calcium and continued urinary concentration of calcium.  (See “Allergy—Food.”)

3. Limit your consumption of dairy products.  Over-consumption of milk and antacids, known as “milk-alkali syndrome,” is known to cause kidney stones.  Using these products as a source of calcium is unsound medical advice and it increases your risk of kidney stones.  Milk fortified with vitamin D adds to the problem by increasing urinary calcium, lowering magnesium levels, and increasing the risk of stone formation.

4. Avoid oxalic acid containing or producing foods such as alcohol, asparagus, beans, beets, cabbage, caffeine, celery, chocolate, grapes, green peppers, lamb, nuts, pepper, rhubarb, spinach, strawberries, and black tea.

5. Increase your fluid intake.  Usually 6-8 glasses of distilled, spring, or reverse osmosis water is adequate.  Avoid using tap water for drinking or cooking.  Quality cranberry juice, without the sugar additives, can help to acidify the urine.

6. Reduce your salt intake.  White salt, as opposed to sea salt, is more likely to increase water in the tissues and make the process of waste excretion more difficult.  This also applies to high-salt seasonings such as ketchup, mustard, and processed foods (e.g., luncheon meats and snack foods).

7. If overweight, lose a few pounds.  Regular aerobic-type exercise (such as brisk walking), 20 minutes three or four days a week, is a good place to start.  This puts calcium back into your bones where it’s needed most.  Inactivity tends to promote accumulation of calcium in the bloodstream.  (See “Obesity.”)

8. Check your heavy metals.  (See “Chelation Therapy.”)  For example, cadmium levels are often higher in cigarette smokers and individuals that live in areas where the drinking water is soft.  Mercury from amalgam fillings and aluminum from various compounds are other sources of heavy metals to consider.

9. Supplements found to be of benefit include:  vitamin A (which helps to heal urinary tract damaged from kidney stones), vitamin C (which acidifies the urine thus, making more difficult for stones to form), vitamin K (which may be obtained found chlorophyll, or green, leafy vegetables or injection), magnesium (which reduces calcium absorption and prevents calcium stone formation), vitamin B₆ (which reduces oxalate, a common mineral salt found in kidney stones), the amino acid glutamic acid, digestive enzymes, and kidney glandular (to strengthen the kidneys).  Avoid the amino acid L-cystine which can crystallize in the kidneys and form large stones.  Citrate, a natural energy substrate of the body, complexes with calcium and inhibits stone formation.  This may be taken as magnesium, potassium, or sodium citrate.

10. Herbals to consider are ginkgo biloba, goldenrod, khella, madder root, queen of the meadow, and aloe vera.  Aloe vera can prevent stone formation and also reduce the size of a stone during an acute attack.  Khella is effective in relaxing the ureter and allowing the stone to pass during an acute attack.  Queen of the meadow is helpful in reducing back pain and chills that can occur during an acute attack.

11. Homeopathics known to be of benefit:  Berberis Vulgaris (for sharp pains of the kidneys, worse when urinating, and burning in the urethra after urination), Lycopodium (pain in the back, often right-sided and worse before urination), Nitricum Acidum (when oxalic acid is the main ingredient), and Sarsaparilla (when pains are most acute during and after urination).

If all else fails, pain medications may be necessary to ease the passage of a kidney stone.  Sometimes, a stone must be surgically removed.  Most often, the stone will eventually pass on its own with time and copious amounts of fluid.  To learn more about healing and health optimizing therapies, go to www.NewHopeMedical.org or call NEW HOPE MEDICAL CENTER at (702) 476-0000 (direct line) or toll free (866) HEAL-NOW!