When life hands you kidney stones, drink lemonade. This is one of the approaches researchers from the University of California San Diego Health System recommend when you experience calcium-based kidney stones. These masses of minerals can build up in the nephrons of your kidneys, causing pain and blood in your urine as the stone blocks your kidney or moves through it. Because experiencing kidney stones once makes you more likely to have them again, engaging in preventive methods, such as increasing your lemonade intake, can help.
Lemonade and Citrate
Lemons contain the highest natural amount of citrate for any food. One of the reasons calcium kidney stones can form is due to the lack of citrate in your kidneys. Citrate is responsible for making the urine your kidneys filter more alkaline. Without it, your urine becomes acidic, and acidic urine can facilitate kidney stone formation. By adding citrate back into your diet via lemonade, you can help to reduce the likelihood that kidney stones will form again.
Recommended Intake
To maximize the amount of citrate you consume, use reconstituted lemon juice to prepare a mixture of lemon juice and water to reduce kidney stone formation. The UC San Diego Health System recommends adding 4 oz. of lemon juice to 2 L of water and drinking this mixture throughout your day. Drinking this on a daily basis can help you reduce the rate your kidney stones form from 1.00 to 0.13 stones. Avoid adding extra sugar, however, as sugar can add calories to your daily diet and cause you to gain weight.
Fluid Benefits
One of the reasons why you should aim to consume about 2 L of water per day of your lemonade mixture is that your kidneys filter about this amount of fluid every day. This rate of consumption ensures your urine remains diluted, which further reduces the likelihood that kidney stones will develop. If your urine is not clear or yellow-tinted, you may not be drinking enough fluids.
Considerations
While other citrus fruits, such as oranges and grapefruits, contain citrate, they may not be suitable substitutes for lemonade in kidney stone prevention. Many juices have calcium and oxalate added to them, both of which can contribute to kidney stones. While you do not need to avoid calcium-containing foods entirely, lemonade is the preferred choice over other citrus options.
