1. Watch What You Eat
Although you may think you have a pretty healthy diet with lots of fruit, veggies and lean protein, some of these good-for-you foods may be contributing to the formation of your kidney stones. The foods you really need to watch out for are those that are high in oxalates: coffee, cola, nuts, beets, wheat bran, parsley, peanuts, rhubarb, spinach, strawberries, tea and chocolate. You should also try to limit your intake of meat, as animal protein can lead to excess uric acid and calcium in the urine, which may cause kidney stones to form.
Foods you should be eating include bran flakes, which help get rid of calcium and oxalate in the urine, whole-wheat bread, which contains stone-inhibiting magnesium, carrots and other vitamin-A-rich, kidney-friendly foods. You should also consume chicken -- a good source of vitamin B6, citrus fruit -- its acidity can help dissolve kidney stones -- and milk or other calcium-rich dairy products. Even though excess calcium in the urine can lead to kidney-stone production, it is nonetheless people who are calcium-deficient who run the greatest risk of developing kidney stones.
2. Get Plenty of Exercise
In addition to being just all-around good for you, exercise has specific benefits that help to inhibit kidney stone formation. Regular exercise will help to facilitate the passage of calcium out of your bloodstream and into your bones where it belongs. Not only do you get stronger bones, but there is less risk of excess calcium being passed in your urine, which can lead to kidney stones.
3. The Good and the Bad of Supplements
Vitamin A is necessary for a healthy urinary system, but do not exceed the recommended daily allowance of 5,000 IUs, as your body is unable to excrete the excess and high levels can lead to toxicity. Vitamin B6 works by lowering the amount of oxalate in the blood, which reduces the risk of stone formation. Magnesium is also stone inhibiting and may be taken in a combined supplement along with B6. If you prefer herbal remedies, you may wish to try drinking 1 to 2 cups of nettle-leaf tea each day, as nettle has long been known for promoting urinary health. You can make this tea by mixing 1 or 2 tbsp. of dried nettle leaf with 1 cup of hot water and steeping for 10 minutes. Supplements you need to avoid, however, include vitamin C, which your body tends to convert to oxalate, and calcium, including the kind found in antacids. Although both vitamin C and calcium are essential for your body's continued health, it is far safer to get your recommended daily allowance of these from actual food sources rather than high-dosage supplements.
4. Drink Water for Your Health
Drink six to eight glasses (8 oz.) of water per day, unless you are actively trying to pass a stone, in which case you may need to increase your intake to as many as 12 glasses. Not all of your daily fluid intake needs to be in the form of water, but in order for it to count towards your daily recommended amount, the beverages you consume should be free of caffeine and nonalcoholic. Go easy on the decaffeinated tea, though, as this can be high in oxalate.
