Here, you will hear all the kidney stone prevention myths I’ve heard over the past 25 years, which have been interesting and frustrating, to say the least. If these potions, pills, wives’ tales, etc, worked, millions of people would not be making kidney stones!
Here is a list of the most common kidney stone myths in no particular order:
Drinking milk will increase your kidney stone risk.
It’s well known by now that we all need our calcium needs met to prevent kidney stones and protect our bones from osteoporosis. If you don’t drink milk, read this article on alternative ways to get calcium.
Kidney Stones and gallbladder stones are the same.
They have no relation to each other, but unhealthy lifestyle choices can be a cause for each of these medical conditions.
All kidney stones cause pain.
I’ve had many patients who had no idea they passed a stone until they saw it plop into the toilet bowl. Not all stones come with that terrible pain!
Tap water (hard water) is causing my stones.
Tap water will not cause kidney stones. There is extra sodium in soft water, but even so, I have not seen this as a problem in my long career. Dr. Coe and I both drink plain tap water.
Cranberry juice will prevent kidney stones.
Cranberry juice may help prevent UTIs but is not used to prevent kidney stones. If you drink cranberry juice, notice the nutrition label and pick the one without added sugar. Also, drinking cranberry juice will help increase your daily fluid intake, but don’t over-drink it. It still contains a lot of natural sugar. While we only track added sugar on the kidney stone diet (KSD), no one (especially diabetics) should be overconsuming juices with a ton of natural sugar.
You are a stone maker, and you can do nothing about it.
In all my years, I have never worked with a patient who was “just a stone maker.” Doctors will often categorize people like this, which can leave them feeling hopeless, frustrated, and afraid. A small number of people may still make stones following the KSD guidelines (bariatric patients and patients with other preexisting medical conditions). Still, at the very least, we can lessen the number of stones you are making. I promise.
Lemon juice will dissolve or help pass a stone.
Lemon juice may help dissolve uric acid stones only. Lemon juice increases urine citrate, which might be low in some kidney stone patients. Citrate is a natural kidney stone inhibitor. But if you already have sufficient citrate (and a 24-hour urine collection will tell you), drinking lemon juice may not help you. Please do a urine collection to see if adding lemon juice to your diet will be helpful. Read more about lemons here.
Only adults get kidney stones.
I work with children in my practice. Not many, but children do get stones, and kidney stone incidents are rising among kids and teens, most likely due to obesity rates from diet and lifestyle.
Only men get kidney stones.
The rate of kidney stones among women continues to rise and is very close to the rate at which men get them.
Drinking water alone will prevent kidney stones.
I have never seen urine collection results where the patient made stones only because of low urine volume. I am not saying it doesn’t happen worldwide, but I have not seen it after looking at THOUSANDS of urine collection results. Doctors often recommend patients drink more water, but there is always more to it than just water. ALWAYS ask your doctor to order a 24-hour urine collection to see what other kidney stone risk factors you have.
24-hour urine collections shouldn’t be done until the second stone occurrence.
There are many frustrating things in the kidney stone world, but the recommendation to WAIT FOR A SECOND STONE before doing a 24-hour urine collection is the worst. During my cancer diagnosis, if my doctor told me to wait for a second tumor, I would have lost my mind.
There are values on the test that will help explain WHY you’re making kidney stones.
24-hour urine collection must be done with your first kidney stone occurrence. You don’t want a second one! Watch this on the importance of urine collections for kidney stone formers.
Also, read what tests your doctor should order for the 24-hour urine collection here.
If you have one stone, it is doubtful you will get another.
Kidney stones are a common disease estimated to occur in approximately 12% of the population, with a recurrence rate of 70-81% in males and 47-60% in females.
Tea causes kidney stones.
Tea will decrease kidney stone risk when drunk in moderation (two cups per day). This is because it adds to your daily fluid intake. People who drink six or more cups per day of black long steeped tea can run the risk of increasing urine oxalate.
Beer will pass kidney stones.
No science says the beer will help to pass a kidney stone, although patients swear by it. Beer can increase fluid intake, which could help a stone already on the move to pass.
Only water will prevent kidney stones.
All fluids count, but make the majority of your fluid intake water simply because it has no calories, salt, or sugar.
Apple Cider Vinegar will break up stones.
There is no proof that ACV will break up stones, but I‘ve had many a patient with eroded teeth enamel, GERD, and sore throats from downing apple cider vinegar. Watch this popular podcast episode from my YouTube channel.
Celery juice will dissolve kidney stones.
Celery juice is high in oxalate, and no, it will not dissolve kidney stones.
Chanca Piedra will dissolve kidney stones.
Chance Piedra has been tested in vitro on animals, but there is no evidence that it’s helpful to humans. Many say it has helped them pass stones, but I always ask if the patient was already drinking copious amounts of fluids, not just the chanca piedra. This all being said, if you would like to try it, please do.
Soda causes kidney stones.
Soda is high in sugar, increasing your kidney stone risk (too much added sugar can increase urine calcium, which increases kidney stone risk and osteopenia). Also, the phosphoric acid in colas can increase acid production in your kidney. We all know soda is unhealthy; if you drink it frequently, cut back. Read this on how added sugar increases kidney stone risk.
Big kidney stones are more painful than small kidney stones.
I have heard grown men and women tell me their stone was less than 2mm, but it might as well have been 10mm when it passed. Stones, when looked at under a microscope, can be like shards of glass ripping down your ureter.
Lemonade will help pass my kidney stones.
As a fluid, it could aid in helping to pass your kidney stones. But that’s simply because it’s fluid; water would help as well. Lemons and lemonade could help make a current uric acid stone smaller or aid in breaking it up, but there is nothing else magical about lemonade for other stones except that it is more fluid. Please use sugar-free. Here’s more on the use of lemons and lemonade for kidney stone prevention
Basil juice/tea will break up kidney stones.
No science on humans says basil juice or tea will break up kidney stones.
Horsetail, wheat grass, and dandelion tea.
Again, no science on humans says any of these herbs help prevent kidney stones. If you’d like to try them, feel free. The oxalate levels are unknown.
Stop eating all plants and fruits.
Patients told me their doctor told them to stop eating plant foods to lower their oxalate. Oxalate is typically not an issue once patients stop eating the highest-oxalate foods every day and get their calcium needs met. Read more about oxalate here.
You must stop eating meat to prevent kidney stones.
You can safely eat meat and STOP making stones. Read more about meat and kidney stone prevention here.
You have to eat meat to prevent kidney stones.
I see you vegans and vegatarians! Of course, you do not have to start eating meat to lessen kidney stone risk. Read more about this here.
My CT said I have no stones, yet I still have pain. I was told they always pick up kidney stones.
CT scans are really good at finding stones most of the time, but sometimes they can miss one. If the CT scan doesn’t take pictures of the whole ureter (the tube that carries urine from the kidney to the bladder) and stops before it gets to the bladder, it might miss a stone that’s lower down. Also, if there’s a stone at the very bottom of the ureter, close to the bladder, it can be mixed up with other small, round calcifications called phleboliths, which can look similar on a CT scan.
Kidney stones can be prevented by incorporating the goals of the Kidney Stone Diet (and medication in some cases). I am here if you need anything!
Your friend and advocate,
Jill
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