Calcium oxalate crystals are shaped like needles and are the most common kind of kidney stones. If you have kidney stones, you may experience severe pain around your side and back, nausea, vomiting and a continual urge to urinate. Small stones usually pass through your system, but may be painful. Larger stones may require surgery. Including herbal teas in your diet can help to alleviate kidney stones naturally. Consult your health-care provider before starting any herbal treatment.
Herbal Actions
Herbs for kidney stones formed from calcium oxalate crystals work in various ways. Antilithic herbs help remove small stones. Anti-inflammatory and analgesic herbs will reduce pain and irritation in inflamed tissue. Demulcents will soothe tissue as the stone passes. Check with a qualified practitioner for advice about dosage and preparation of herbs to include in your diet to remove kidney stones.
Cornsilk
Cornsilk, or Zea mays, is the silky strands that make up the female flower of the corn plant. Herbalists use cornsilk to treat urinary tract problems, kidney stones, arthritis and prostatitis. In his 2003 book, “Medical Herbalism: The Science and Practice of Herbal Medicine,” clinical herbalist David Hoffmann, FNIMH, AHG, recommends cornsilk as a demulcent to reduce the inflammation and irritation from kidney stones. In their 2000 book, “The Herbal Drugstore,” Dr. Linda B. White and medicinal plant expert Steven Foster state that cornsilk will relax urinary tubes and help to reduce stone formation. Do not combine cornsilk with diuretic drugs.
Stoneroot
Stoneroot, or Collinsonia canadensis, is a perennial herb native to North America. Herbalists use the roots and rhizomes to treat and prevent stones throughout the urinary system. The plant is rich in essential oil, tannins, saponins and alkaloids, and has antilithic and diuretic actions. Herbalist David Hoffmann recommends it for calculus and refers to this herb and other antilithics as the core of treatment for kidney stones. He notes that you can use it to prevent stones, or to help your body pass them naturally. Do not combine stoneroot with other diuretics.
Wild Yam
Wild yam, or Dioscorea villosa, is a climbing vine found throughout Central America. The rhizomes are rich in saponins and have potent anti-inflammatory and antispasmodic actions. In their 2001 book, “Herbal Remedies,” naturopathic doctors Asa Hershoff and Andrea Rotelli state that it will help you pass small kidney stones. Herbalist David Hoffmann recommends it to relieve spasms in your urinary tract as the stone passes through. Do not use this herb if you are pregnant.
References
- “Medical Herbalism: The Science and Practice of Herbal Medicine”; David Hoffmann; 2003
- “The Herbal Drugstore”; Linda B. White, M.D., Steven Foster; 2000
- “Herbal Remedies”; Asa Hershoff, N.D., and Andrea Rotelli, N.D.; 2001
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