Oxalates are compounds commonly found in foods like spinach, teas, chocolate, nuts and colas. When oxalates combine with other minerals in your kidneys, such as calcium, hardened masses known as kidney stones can develop. In addition to reducing the amount of oxalates you consume in your diet, there is a surprising step you can take: drinking more lemonade.
Benefits
Lemon contains a high amount of citrate, also known as citric acid. Increased amount of citrate in your body can help to inhibit the formation of oxalate kidney stones. Because oxalate kidney stones are more likely to form in an acidic environment, citrate is a more alkaline compound that helps to reduce the acidity. If you have a tendency to form oxalate kidney stones, it is likely you naturally have lower levels of citrate in your urinary tract, according to the “Los Angeles Times.”
Recommended Intake
To reap the benefits of lemonade in reducing oxalate kidney stones, you can combine 4 ounces of reconstituted -- pure -- lemon juice with 2 liters or 8 cups of water per day, according to UC San Diego Health System. You can mix this amount in a pitcher and pour servings throughout the day to ensure you get enough fluids and citrate in your diet.
Fluid Benefits
In addition to the benefits of lemonade as a citrate-containing beverage, increasing the amount of fluids in your daily intake can help reduce the chance oxalate kidney stones will form. If you don’t drink enough fluid in your daily diet, the minerals can become more concentrated in your kidneys and make kidney stones more likely to form. However, you do want to avoid drinking fluids high in oxalate, including teas and cola, to reduce the likelihood stones will form.
Results
Drinking 8 cups of lemon juice plus water has the potential to reduce the rate of stone formation from 1.00 to 0.13 stones per person, according to UC San Diego Health System. If you combine drinking lemonade with other preventive steps, such as reducing the amount of sodium in your diet, you may be able to further reduce your risk for kidney stones. Calcium oxalate stones are more likely to form when you eat a diet high in sodium because the extra sodium pulls calcium from your bones, increasing the amount of potential stone-forming calcium in your kidneys.
References
- UC San Diego Health System; Five Ways to Prevent Kidney Stones: From Lemonade to Surgery; April 2010
- "Los Angeles Times"; Fear Kidney Stones? Drink Lemonade; Janet Cromley; February 2007
- MayoClinic.com; Kidney Stones; January 2010
- Southern Illinois Urology; Dr. Hatchett's Kidney Stone Prevention Tips; R. Lawrence Hatchett, M.D.
