Composed of minerals and acid salts, kidney stones may form when the urine becomes too concentrated, if the balance between urinary minerals, salts and fluids is disrupted or if your urine is low in the substances that prevent minerals and salts from sticking together. Often very painful, the stones must pass through the urinary tract. In addition to pain, you may experience nausea, vomiting, chills and fever, as well as blood in the urine. One type of kidney stone is called a mulberry stone.
Mulberries
Mulberries are the fruit of the Morus genus of tree. The leaves of one variety, Morus alba or white mulberry, also provide food for silkworms. According to Subhuti Dharmananda, Ph.D., director of the Institute for Traditional Medicine, mulberry is used in Chinese medicine as a blood tonic. It has also been used to treat urinary incontinence and is thought to benefit the kidneys. The fruit is considered sweet but rather bland, although the juice is popular in beverages in China, Japan and Korea.
Kidney Stones
There are four main types of kidney stones and a few very rare types. Cysteine stones are the least common, and result from a hereditary disorder that causes the kidneys to excrete excessive amounts of some amino acids. Uric acid stones are often found in people with gout, but they may also occur in those who are dehydrated or who eat a high-protein diet. Struvite stones are connected with urinary tract infections; they can grow quickly and become fairly large. The most common type of stone is the calcium oxalate stone.
Calcium Oxalate Stones
Calcium oxalate stones tend to form when the concentrations of calcium or oxalate in the urine get too high. If you have had intestinal bypass surgery, take high doses of vitamin D or have a metabolic disorder, you are more likely to develop a calcium oxalate stone. These stones often are composed of small round pieces clumped together. The stone actually resembles a mulberry fruit and may be called a mulberry stone.
Other Considerations
Although mulberries are high in calcium, there is no indication that eating a diet high in calcium-containing foods increases the risk of developing kidney stones. If you choose to drink mulberry juice it will provide you with fluid, which is helpful in kidney stones, but there is no evidence that it will have any other effect on kidney stones. However, if you tend to form calcium oxalate stones, your doctor may recommend you restrict high oxalate foods. High oxalate foods include rhubarb, Swiss chard, beets, sweet potatoes, tea and soy products.
References
- MayoClinic.com: Kidney Stones; April 2011
- “Journal of Zhejiang University Science B”; Chemical Composition and Antioxidant Activity of Certain Morus Species; M. Imran et al.; December 2010
- “International Journal of Food Sciences and Nutrition”; Comparison of Mineral Contents of Mulberry (Morus Spp.) Fruits and Their Pekmez (Boiled Mulberry Juice) Samples; M. Akbulut and M.M. Ozcan; May 2009
- Institute for Traditional Medicine; Fruit as Medicine: Morus Fruit (Mulberry); Subhuti Dharmananda, Ph.D.; September 2003
