Kidney stones are bothersome and painful, and anybody who has had one will recommend doing everything in your power to avoid them. Much has been made of the connection between kidney stones and vitamin C, but reliable medical research shows that the vitamin's bearing on the disorder is marginal at best.
The Vitamin C Connection
According to the American Urological Association, abnormally large doses of vitamin C (and vitamin D) may increase the risk of developing kidney stones. This is especially true for people who have a family history of kidney stones.
Basic Cause of Kidney Stones
Your urine is made of fluid, minerals and acids. When they're out of balance, your urine contains more calcium and uric acid than the fluid can dilute, and it contains low amounts of the things that keep the crystals from sticking together. Also, if your urine is particularly acidic or alkaline, you're more likely to develop stones.
Types of Stones
According to the Mayo Clinic, determining the type of stone you have is key to determining what caused it.
Calcium stones account for about 80 percent of all kidney stones. They usually are in the form of calcium oxalate High doses of vitamin D can increase the concentration of oxalate in urine. So can intestinal bypass surgery and a variety of metabolic disorders.
Struvite stones are commonly found in women and are almost always the result from urinary tract infections. Uric acid stones often result from a high-protein diet, gout, heredity or disorders of the body's blood-producing tissues. Cystine stones are rare and are caused by cystinuria, a hereditary disorder that causes the kidneys to excrete excessive amounts of certain amino acids.
Prevention
Doctors recommend drinking more liquid to prevent stones. A good rule, especially for those who already have had kidney stones, is to drink enough liquid to produce two liters of urine a day.
People who had stones once were told to avoid calcium, but doctors now say restricting calcium leads the body to absorb more oxalate, which can cause stones.
Doctors also recommend a diet low in sodium and animal protein.
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