In this episode, Jill Harris discusses the critical role of calcium in kidney health, emphasizing the importance of balanced intake to prevent kidney stones. She explores common misconceptions about calcium consumption, the risks of excessive intake, and the significance of community support in managing kidney stone prevention. The conversation highlights the need for moderation in dietary choices and the impact of marketing on health decisions.
Takeaways
- Calcium is essential for kidney health but must be balanced.
- Excess calcium can lead to kidney stones due to reabsorption.
- People often misinterpret dietary advice, thinking more is better.
- Community support is vital for those managing kidney stone risks.
- Understanding personal health needs is crucial for effective dietary changes.
- Moderation is key in calcium intake; aim for 500 mg at a time.
- Hydration and proper nutrition are essential for kidney stone prevention.
- Marketing can mislead consumers about health products.
- Education empowers patients to have better conversations with doctors.
- Regular follow-ups and urine analysis are important for kidney stone formers.
00:00 Understanding Calcium’s Role in Kidney Health
02:04 The Balance of Calcium Intake
05:18 Community Support and Resources for Kidney Stone Prevention
08:18 The Importance of Moderation in Nutritional Choices
Jeff Sarris (00:00)
You may know that you need calcium to prevent kidney stones, but you also don’t want too much calcium. Let’s talk about that.
what do say we dive in? Why is too much calcium a problem for kidney stones?
Jill Harris (00:11)
Yeah, shout out to Drummond. Good question. You know, this is what we like to do as humans, and this is why a lot of people got kidney stones. I need to lose weight. I sure do. What about this paleo diet? I’m gonna try it. everything. Look at this. Almond flour. I can still have baked goods. I’m gonna use almond flour. and smoothies with spinach and almond milk.
I’m digging it. And because it’s healthy and I am losing so much weight, I’m going to eat as much as I want. Boom! Jill gets a phone call in six months. There you go. New stone, right? So we humans, if we are told to do something, typically we think more is better. Just as if people, when I tell them lower sodium is important, they’ll forget the 1500.
what I’m asking and then they’ll be like let’s go down to 400 and then pass out. So people tend to take a goal and do less or more depending on what they think that’s going to bring them. When typically goals are goals and that’s good, right? So calcium, Drummond who I care about very much on the Facebook page. He’s very kind and I enjoy his posts. Drummond, calcium, why too much?
because we’re not going to absorb all the extra and that excess does wind up in our kidneys, right? And if we’re not peeing a lot, we have all this excess calcium in there that the body’s like, I don’t need all this. And so what happens is it gets reabsorbed, it gets back in the kidney, we’re not peeing enough, that calcium is looking for other crystals like oxalate and phosphate, and they join stones.
So in this case, as in so many other cases in kidney stone prevention, too much is not good. Now, when I’m looking at 24-hour, it will increase your stone risk. That’s one of the reasons for like Tums and all the vitamins and the calcium pills, especially Tums. If you go to the drug store, you’ll even see Tums. It will say, ooh, new amount, 1,000 milligrams of calcium.
Now unless you’ve made a kidney stone or know anything about what I’m talking about, which most people don’t, they’re like, shit, this must be good because there’s even more calcium in that and I got bone disease so let me get some of this. Okay. And now you’re taking three thumbs a day, 3000, 3000, you know, all this calcium, 300, whatever, 3000, sorry, milligrams of calcium a day. Your body don’t.
and now all this excess calcium is in. And you’ll see it dumped out in the urine on the urine collection. So when I’m looking at urine collections and I see a really high calcium amount, I will say, especially for people who are calling me for the follow-up urine collection. So people will call me the first one. I explain everything so they have a really good conversation to have with their doctor. So they’re educated going in and they can make the most
time with their doctor. Most, what am I trying to say Jeff? The best use of, yeah, yeah, yeah, that’s what I want. I want people to be empowered. That’s why that urine analysis consult is so important. I made that based upon my experience going through all my cancer stuff. I’d be in and out of doctor’s offices so quick I didn’t know my head from my butt. And I’d go home and I’d be like, my God, I don’t even remember what they said but.
Jeff Sarris (03:32)
Yeah, the most effective use of their time. Yeah.
Jill Harris (03:55)
Now that I’m looking at my labs, what does this mean, this mean, and this one? And good luck getting through the portal. I mean, you know, you don’t get what you need. So I prep people before they have their doctor’s office appointment so they know exactly what they’re talking about. And the doctors like this, ooh, Tim knows what’s going on. Let me sit down and let me take a minute and listen to him and you will get better help. Trust me, folks.
So that’s why I made that service. It’s one of our most valuable services by far. So anyway.
Jeff Sarris (04:25)
Yeah, that’s the beauty because the starting line then in that conversation with the doctor is moved forward. It’s like, like in golf, they have the different levels of T’s you’re moving up to that front T you’re like ready to swing in the like meat of everything right away, which I think that’s why it’s so valuable. And like, it can be so overlooked in that not knowing that what we don’t know slows us down really from getting where we want to be.
Jill Harris (04:37)
Absolutely.
We, what we don’t know, we don’t know, right? So that’s it. So, so they come to me, I’ll say, get enough calcium. I always say, by the way, two folks, don’t do too much, because I know what people want to do, because what my job is, is studying human habits. That’s what I do. So when people come to me, they’re like, how do you know I’m going to do that? Because I’ve been doing this for 26 years now, had an anniversary. So 26 years now.
I know what you’re going to do based upon thousands and thousands of people that I’ve talked with over the years, which is so unbelievable, right? So I get kind of a preview of what you might do. So my advice is based upon that. You may say, Jill, I would never think that. You’d be surprised how many people do, so I’m going to offer it anyway. So I will say when I’m talking to people, we need to start bringing calcium back into your diet. Some people have never had it.
And then because you don’t want bone disease, and many kidney stone formers have bone disease, by the way, because they’re losing calcium. And so we want to get enough calcium, but not too much, Drummond, because the body doesn’t want the excess, and it winds up excess in the urine. And so when I then see the follow-up test, I’ll see a higher urine calcium, and I’ll be like, listen, Crystal, what the hell is going on here? Well, Jill.
I know you said don’t have too much, but I got nervous and I realized when I saw my calcium number, because what you taught me, that I was probably going over. And so now her risk of stones has increased. So pay attention to what I say, folks. Don’t go over your amount. So some people are always like, okay, I still get my period. I need a thousand or some folks like me are like, I don’t get my period. Thank the dear Lord above. I only need, I need 1200. Look,
I’d rather you go a little under than over anyway. So look, even if you’re a couple hundred under, okay, it’s better than being over because there’s stuff you’re not counting. The average person without trying to get calcium is getting a couple hundred in their food. Buy vegetables, English muffins have a hell of a lot, you wouldn’t even look for it there. But there’s just things you’re eating. You’re gonna get bips and boops of calcium from other foods. So I’d rather you be a little under than over with calcium, especially
if you’re a stone former. That’s it. It’s a great question Drummond. Drummond, I’m so happy I saw that before as we were, we had an intermission, Jeff and I am like, ooh, Drummond just asked a great question. Also, I wanna say I love you Mia because she said she wanted me to say how much I love her. So there you go, Mia, I love you. You know that though. You know that. the Facebook group is my family.
Jeff Sarris (07:14)
Yeah, for sure.
Hehehe.
huh.
Yeah, that is such a great community there.
Jill Harris (07:39)
the Facebook group, the accountability group, we have a support group for Kidney Stone Formers, that is a paid service thing, cheap as hell, $24 a month, I’m giving away two, four, six hours a week in there, folks, by the way. So it’s basically a free friggin’ but I love it. It makes my day, it’s wonderful.
Jeff Sarris (07:56)
You
Yeah. And that’s direct access to Jill in a group setting every single week, multiple days a week. is amazing. You can find that and everything at kidneystonediet.com. And when you mentioned Tums, just, the thousand milligrams, whenever I see some of the, what is it? The rehydration drinks, the, I, like some of them on the front, not to name any names, but they’ll say a thousand milligrams of sodium, like per packet. I, every time I see that I’m like,
Jill Harris (08:18)
MMMM
I know.
Jeff Sarris (08:28)
Ooh, because I’m, you know, people aren’t necessarily having one and that’s all their sodium that they’re having. And so like, there’s just so many of these things that like more just isn’t better.
Jill Harris (08:34)
Jeff.
Yes, and I do want to say this, because I didn’t say it in the video, and most people don’t watch to the end of any YouTube video, but you shouldn’t be having more than 500 milligrams of calcium at a time. And then you should space it all out throughout the day, by the way. So no more than 500 milligrams at a time, and space your calcium consumption throughout the day. Breakfast, lunch, dinner, if you’re not doing breakfast and lunch. If you’re fasting, it’s harder with calcium. And now,
because a just just said the sodium part. Please know this folks, unless you’re a friggin athlete, today was the Chicago marathon. They may have been drinking high sodium electrolyte drinks because they’re sweating, they’re working. But you see electrolyte drinks and I see people that haven’t been in the gym or worked out since 1947 and they’re drinking all this electrolyte stuff thinking that’s doing something for them. And it’s just marketing bulldo folks.
marketing bulldo and Jeff is right turn it around Buster Brown and look at the sodium in those drinks also for people with chronic kidney disease CKD you don’t need all the potassium in those drinks those drinks should be sold only to athletes and I mean athletes athletes honestly so those drinks make me mad I have a lot of strong formers because of those drinks there it’s unfortunate to tell you the truth yeah it is
Jeff Sarris (09:56)
Yeah. yeah. That definitely is. But yeah, so with that, if you have any questions, the number is 773-789-8764. And we would love to feature your voice on a future episode. And as always, you can find everything at kidneystonediet.com. But with that, we’ll wrap and see you next week.
Jill Harris (10:18)
And don’t forget to subscribe because most people don’t ever subscribe to the channel but I know you’re watching. So it comes about like 70% of people who watch your show don’t subscribe. So don’t be in that high range. Subscribe. Click the red button. Bye guys.
Jeff Sarris (10:35)
See ya.
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