In this episode of the Kidney Stone Diet podcast, Jill Harris discusses the importance of understanding nutritional deficiencies and their impact on preventing kidney stones. She explores how deficiencies in hydration, calcium, and other nutrients can increase the risk of kidney stones, particularly in individuals with malabsorption issues or those who have undergone bariatric surgery. She emphasizes a balanced diet and gives practical strategies to reduce kidney stone risk, while also encouraging listeners to maintain hope and consistency in their diet.
Takeaways
- Nutritional deficiencies can significantly increase the risk of kidney stones.
- Hydration is crucial; insufficient water intake leads to concentrated urine and stone formation.
- Calcium deficiency can lead to higher oxalate levels, increasing stone risk.
- Malabsorption issues, such as those from bariatric surgery, can complicate nutrient absorption.
- Citrate plays a protective role against kidney stones by surrounding calcium in urine.
- Eating less processed food can help reduce nutritional deficiencies.
- Consistency in dietary practices is more important than perfection.
- Bariatric patients often require higher calcium supplementation due to malabsorption.
- There is always hope for kidney stone formers; lifestyle changes can lead to improvement.
00:00 Introduction
00:05 Exploring the Deficiency that Causes Kidney Stones
03:27 The Impact of Malabsorption on Stone Formation
03:57 Different Types of Deficiencies and Their Effects
05:21 Addressing Deficiencies through Diet and Medical Interventions
06:16 Consistency and Enjoyment in Maintaining a Healthy Lifestyle
07:41 The Link Between Deficiency and Kidney Stone Risk
08:45 Resources for Kidney Stone Prevention
09:12 Encouragement and Hope for Kidney Stone Formers
Jeff Sarris (00:00)
What deficiency causes kidney stones? Let’s talk about that.
Jill Harris (00:05)
Okay, so you know, it’s interesting, right? There’s many ways. So it’s a very general, it’s a very general question because you can have deficiencies medically, nutritionally, and then there’s being deficient in not meeting the Kidney Stone Diet goals. So if you’re deficient in calcium,
If you’re deficient in not getting enough water, so if you looked at it that way, that way, that’s going to increase your risk for kidney stones, right? Because if you’re not drinking enough water, you’re definitely going to be deficient in hydration. Your urine will be saturated with crystals, and then you can form kidney stones from that. If you’re not getting enough calcium, you’re deficient, your body’s deficient in getting enough calcium, then oxalate
can not be released in the stool and you can have higher oxalate levels because of that. So that’s one way to look at it. Another way to look at it is say you have had a bariatric surgery. There will be nutritional deficiencies. You won’t absorb calcium well. A lot of bariatric patients are on pretty high supplements of calcium and they have to be.
because their body’s just not absorbing it. When you’ve had a bariatric surgery, you know, your stomach is like the side of an egg. It depends on what kind of bariatric, this is a weight loss surgery. There are a few different ones, but typically these patients will have malabsorption issues, meaning they eat stuff, but they may have lot of diarrhea. They may not be absorbing nutrients. They may have dumping syndrome from too much sugar. There’s all kinds of things.
It’s complicated and that’s not what we’re here to discuss in bariatric surgery. But these patients can have malabsorption issues which can lead to deficiencies, nutritional deficiencies also for people of malabsorption issues. If you look at their urine collection, there are other things that are going on. They could be deficient in citrate. That’s something that we care about in kidney stone prevention.
That’s a molecule in our body that basically citrate surrounds calcium in the urine and protects calcium so other crystal forming agents cannot connect to her like phosphate, like oxalate. So people who have male absorption issues, their citrate will be low, therefore their shield is low from protecting calcium from these other crystals trying to get her, okay? So when we have…
a of calcium in our urine because it’s not being absorbed for many different reasons. Phosphate and oxalate will look for calcium and if there’s not enough citrate surrounding her, I always say calcium’s a girl, I don’t know why, then they can join and form a stone. Also, if you have malabsorption issues, you are not peeing as much in a lot of cases. The fluids are going out through the back end instead. People who have
Crohn’s people who have colitis these bowel disease patients will have male absorption issues the same little bit different but a lot the same lower citrate Lower urine pH they’ll be deficient in that their urine pH will be much more acidic all things that can increase stone risk So, you know, it’s complicated this stuff So deficiency can mean many different things if I if a patient was asking me that I would say what are you specifically?
thinking about? Is it, is it, you know, you’re deficient in not getting enough calcium? Are you deficient because you have malabsorption issues? Are you deficient because you have medical issues going on? Are you on chemo? Are you going through cancer treatment? There’s so many reasons why we could be deficient. Are you deficient because you’re eating
Twinkies and drinking Coca -Cola all day long you’re gonna be deficient in a lot of things right mainly nutrition so Can deficiency equal higher kidney stone risk? I’m gonna slap a big YES on that Yes, it can in all of those different buckets it can increase your kidney stone risk. So how do you get? more How do you how do you get less deficient? Well you eat healthier
Number one, if you’re somebody who’s eating a lot of processed food, you eat less processed food and then you get your nutrients back and you will be less deficient that way. If you have something like Crohn’s or colitis or severe IBD, if you have bariatric surgeries or any abdominal surgery that will lead to malabsorption issues, that is when you may need medications, you need to talk to your doctor or your dietician and you need to come up with a plan on how to actually combat
what’s going on so you can decrease your kidney stone risk and start absorbing what you can better. This is real problem for people with bowel issues and abdominal issues. They’re not getting enough nutrients due to their medical condition. And then for those of you who are deficient in meeting the Kidney Stone Diet goals, do better, practice more.
I’m not looking for perfection. If you all know me, you know I do not care about being perfect. That bores the hell out of me. But I want you to be in the game. I don’t want you to give up. You didn’t get your calcium needs met this week because you were on vacation. So what? When you get home, get right back on track. You ate too much salt because you were celebrating a lot of graduations or whatever. Over the weekend, no one cares. Too bad, so sad. Get right back on track when you can. That’s how we do it here. That’s how we do it here.
Every day, there was a quote I read and I’m going to probably screw it up. I forget what it is. I’m not even going bring it up. rent is due every day, something like that. Have you ever heard this? the point is, it’s a good one too. I’m really mad. I don’t know where I heard it. But what we do here is we just, do you have it?
Jeff Sarris (06:29)
Hmm, I don’t know offhand.
I think I have it here. So success is never owned. It’s rented and the rent is due every day.
Jill Harris (06:43)
Yes, yes, yes, that’s right. It’s due every day. So what that means is success, consistency equals success, not perfection, not perfection folks. Stop it with that. Cause what happens is, you know, we have a chocolate chip cookie. We’re like, my God, I can’t do nothing. I’m terrible. We beat ourselves up. And then we just stop. We quit. All I’m asking you to do is please don’t quit.
You can have whatever you want, get right back on track. Have your treat, get back on the street. That’s what we do here. We don’t talk about perfection. Life is too long to try to be perfect, folks. You gotta live your life. You also have to enjoy your food. So, enjoy your treat, get back on the street. That’s the latest thing I’ve been saying. Always trying to think of new ones. But deficiency of any sort, yes, they can absolutely lead to kidney stones.
if you’re prone to them, but bariatric patients and bowel disease patients is very prevalent in that community because of the deficiencies they’re suffering from. They have a higher kidney stone risk. And so, you know, it’s a real thing. It’s a great question. I’m glad you looked at Google and somebody was asking that because it’s a good one.
Jeff Sarris (08:00)
Yeah, and if you don’t know the Kidney Stone Diet goals inside and out, you can just go right to kidneystonediet.com and you can get an overview of all the goals right on the homepage. Or if you want to dive deep, we have the kidney stone prevention course, meal plans, everything else, can find all of that at kidneystonediet.com.
Jill Harris (08:17)
Also, if you want to know if you have a deficiency, guys, you’ve got to get your 24 hour urine collections done. Have a consult with me. I’ll prep you real well for that doctor office visit. And then you can get that stuff fixed and stop making stones. You absolutely can. Now I will say this, people with malabsorption issues, we can’t guarantee that they won’t continue making stones, but I sure the hell have helped people lower their risk and make a lot less. So let’s put it that way. Yep.
Jeff Sarris (08:45)
Yeah, for sure. And yeah, if you’re out there with a question, yeah, it’s all good.
Jill Harris (08:47)
There’s always hope. I’m sorry, Jeff, but there is. Kidney stone formers, I’m so passionate about them because they’re the underdogs. They’re walking around being told they’re just stone formers for the rest of their life. That’s absolutely bulldo people. There is always hope. 26 years. I see it every day what people do. You can too. All right, I’m done, Jeff. Go ahead.
Jeff Sarris (09:09)
Yeah, no, that’s perfect because yeah, you know where that line is. No one is just a stone former. There are always things that can be done. And that’s why we even tagged this and live a better life because that’s what we’re out to do is help you live a better life. But with that, think we’ll wrap. And if you have a question, the number is 773-789-8764. We would love to hear from you. Leave a voicemail or send a voice memo to podcast at kidneystonediet.com and we will see you next time.
Jill Harris (09:12)
Yes. No.
Yes.
Yes.
Bye guys!
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