Kidney
Stones
Natural Remedies Detailed Report
Frequently Asked Questions
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Passing
kidney stones can be the most painful experience ever and the pain has
been compared to giving birth. Find out what natural remedies can speed
this up and prevent it from happening again in the future.
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Fluid Intake
- To cure kidney stones, drink water! Lots of it. Drink at least 6
glasses daily. 8 to 10
glasses would be best. This is the best cure and is a must do before
you consider the other options.
Diet Change - This is the second step. A diet change will
prevent future stone formation. Click
here to jump right to the details.
Natural Remedies
- Natural remedies can be considered once you've started to drink more
water and made some adjustment to your diet. To go right to natural
remedies, click
here.
FAQ
(Frequently Asked Questions)
What is a kidney
stone?
How common is this
problem?
What are the typical
sizes of the stones?
What symptoms can I
expect?
How would my doctor
diagnose it?
What causes it and
what are some risk factors?
Can I use natural
and
herbal remedies and supplements to cure it?
What diet should I
consider?
Does eating certain
foods increase the risk of getting them?
Foods you may want
to consider taking to reduce the risk
What about the DASH diet
guidelines? Does it work for prevention?
Does kidney
cleansing programs work?
What are some
homeopathic remedies?
Can I suffer from
stones during pregnancy? What can I do about it?
Video - Kidney Stones
What
are some natural and home remedies for kidney stones?
Below is a quick summary of natural remedies, vitamins and minerals
that have
been suggested for treating and curing kidney stones.
For details and the dose to use, see our article focused on Natural Remedies for
Stones in the Kidney.
Natural Remedy |
What experts say about them |
Water |

|
Magnesium
|

|
Vitamin
B6
(Pyridoxine) |
|
Vitamin
A |
|
Vitamin
E |
|
Inositol
hexaphosphate
(IP-6) |
|
Aloe
vera |
|
Uva ursi
|
Helpful
|
Horsetail |
Helpful
|
Juniper |
Helpful
|
Dandelion
root |
Helpful
|
Marshmallow |
|
Gravel
root |
|
Parsley |
|
Goldenrod |
|
Hydrangea |
|
What is a
kidney stone?
Kidney stones,
also known as renal
calculi or urinary calculi, are rock-like crystals that form inside the
kidneys or in the
urinary bladder.
These
crystals may be made up of calcium, magnesium,
phosphate, cystine or uric acid. 80% of the cases the stones found
are made up of calcium oxalate crystals. The remaining 5 to
10%
are made up of uric acid. A rare type of stones is struvite stones that
are produced by bacteria in those suffering from urinary tract
infections.
How
common is this problem?
It is
estimated that about 10 to 15% of United States adults will
get stones
in the kidney. Dietary
habits are a major cause of the increase in stone formations.
The
North American diet, unfortunately, is high in fat, protein and sugar
and low in
fiber. Women are not immune to this condition
either.
What are
the typical sizes
of kidney stones?
The size of the stones various from the size of a grain of sand to
large
stones the size of a marble.
The table below gives you an idea of how the size of the stone can
affect the treatment options.
Stone size |
What can you expect |
smaller
than 2 mm
|
These stones pass
without any symptoms. You may not even know that you have kidney stones.
|
between
2
to 4 mm
|
These may block the
flow of urine and cause severe pain and other symptoms of
having
stones in the kidneys.
90% of time, these stones will pass on their own. But oh, the pain you
will experience!!
|
over
6 mm
|
More pain!!
Medical
treatment will be required 99% of the time. Ultrasound waves
(extracorporeal shock wave lithotripsy) therapy would be considered to
break these larger stones so that they can pass. Worst case, surgery
may be required.
|
Picture of a kidney stone (ouch!!)
(6 x 8 mm)

What
symptoms can I expect
if I have kidney stones?
The
severity of the symptoms depends on how large the stones are and
whether
the blockage is partial or complete. Complete blockage of the urine
flow by a large stone is a medical emergency as it can lead to damage
to
the kidney and bladder and kidney infection. Smaller stones usually can
be passed in the urine by itself and you don't usually experience any
symptoms.
Symptoms of having stones may include:
- nausea and vomiting
- pain, often very severe, near the kidney
area,
on one side or near the lower back, belly or in the groin.
- frequent urination
- blood, pus or substances appearing in urine
- cloudy urine
- fever and chills (a sign possible severe
blockage and/or possible infection)
How would
my doctor diagnose
it?
Your
family doctor can send you to a lab to get an ultrasound. They may be
able to see the location, size and quantity of stones in the kidneys.
X-ray image of the kidney can also be done.
Smaller stones may pass on their own causing no symptoms. Larger stones
may required medical treatment either with a non-surgical lithotripsy
machine ("stone cracker") or (worst case) surgery.
What
causes kidney stones
and what are some risk factors?
There are many
different theories as to why some people develop kidney
stones and others do not.
Experts
believe that dietary habit is a major factor for the increased risk of
getting stones in the kidney. Other factors that may be possible
include:
-
dehydration
-
urinary pH imbalance (high acidity promotes
the
formation of uric acid kidney stones)
-
insufficient water intake leading to
dehydration
-
being overweight / obesity
-
lack of physical activity
-
deficiency in minerals such as potassium and
magnesium
-
allergic reactions or sensitivity to certain
foods
-
infections that interferes with urine flow
-
genetic factors that affects kidney function
-
genetic disorder affecting the body's
ability
to process calcium
-
various
metabolic diseases that make kidney stones more likely to be formed
(such as sarcoidosis, vitamin D toxicity, cancer, hyperparathyroidism,
high levels of cystine in urine, Cushing's syndrome and others)
Can I use
natural or herbal
remedies to cure it?
Yes.
Natural remedies and a dietary change are much more
effective for preventing the formation of new stones than
curing the large stones you already have. Once the larger
stones are removed or passed out of your kidney, natural remedies can
be used to prevent stones from forming in the future.
What diet should I
consider if I suffer from kidney stones?
The most
important thing...
First
and foremost, make sure you drink enough water to prevent dehydration.
Dehydration causes the urine to be more concentrated and that increases
the chance of stone formation. Experts recommend drinking a minimum of
1.5 Liters
(about 6 glasses) of water daily. Drinking 8 to 10 glasses is even
better. This is THE
best way to avoid kidney stones.
If the
kidney stones are made up of
calcium...
It
is mostly likely caused by the body excreting too much
calcium into the urine (called hypercalciuria). A diet low in calcium
is recommended. Doctors may prescribe potassium citrate to increase
urine levels of citrate. Citrate prevents the formation of calcium
stones.
Foods that cause high oxalate levels in the urine increases the risk
of calcium stone formation. Avoid foods with high oxalate
content
such as
rhubarb, spinach, cocoa, nuts, pepper and tea.
If
the kidney stones are made up of uric acid...
A diet
that is low in meat,
fish and poultry will help reduce the formation of these stones. Eating
these foods causes more uric acid to be formed in the blood and
excreted into the urine.
Does
eating certain foods
increase the risk of
developing kidney stones? Foods to try to avoid.
Yes. Your diet can either increase or decrease the risk of stone
formation. How to avoid kidney stones? Let's start by seeing what you
are eating...
Foods to AVOID |
What experts say about them |
Rhubarb
Spinach
Chocolate
Soybeans
Cocoa
Nuts
Starfruit
Pepper
Tea
|
For calcium stones...
These foods are high in oxalate content. A high level of oxalate in
urine increases calcium stone formation.
|
Dairy
products
(milk and cheese) |
For calcium stones...
Common sense would tell you to cut out calcium intake if you suffer
from calcium kidney stones.
However, current studies show that calcium in your diet binds oxalate
in the gut and reduces
the amount that gets in. So less oxalate gets into your bloodstream and
thus less of it shows up in urine. Check with your doctor if you plan
on taking additional calcium supplements.
|
Meat
Fish
Poultry |
For uric acid stones...
These
foods increases uric acid levels in the urine. Avoid or cut down eating
them if possible. Population studies showed that eating more protein
increases the risk of uric acid kidney stones.
|
Alcohol
Caffeine
salt
|
For any types of stones...
Avoid liquids that might dehydrate you. Water is the best "natural
remedy" for kidney stones.
As
well, caffeinated drinks cause more calcium to show up in the urine.
However population studies show that caffeine seems to protect against
kidney stone formation. Until we see clear evidence of benefit or harm,
limit your caffeine intake to a reasonable level.
|
Vitamin
C |
Avoid
taking too much vitamin C. Limit it to less than 2,000 mg daily.
Studies done in human show that vitamin C is converted to oxalate and
this can increase the risk of forming calcium oxalate stones in the
kidney.
|
Foods you
may want to
consider taking to reduce the risk of kidney stone
formation. Here is the list of foods to take.
Foods to TAKE |
What experts say about them |
Water
|
For any types of stones...
This
is a must do. Dehydration causes the urine to be concentrated and this
increases the likelihood of stone formations. Drink 6 to 10 glass of
water daily.
|
Orange
juice
Blackcurrant
juice
Cranberry
juice
|
Drinking
orange juice seems to reduce the risk of calcium and uric acid stones
formation.
A study showed that blackcurrant juice can be useful in treating uric
acid stones because of its alkalizing effect.
Cranberry juice acidifies urine so it can be useful in treating
struvite stones and urinary tract infection.
|
Diet
sodas, especially those with citrus flavour
Diet
Sunkist Orange
Diet
7-Up
Diet
Canada Dry
Note:
Diet Coke with Lime does not contain citrate.
|
For calcium stones...
Some soda pop contains citrate (listed on the left column) which is
known to stop calcium stone formation.
However, be aware that this may not be the best solution to the
problem. Our best recommendation is to drink plain water.
|
Lemon
juice mixed with water
Orange juice |
For calcium stones...
This natural remedy will help acidify your urine and reduce the risk of
further calcium stones formation.
|

What
about the DASH diet guidelines? Does it work?
Following the DASH diet guidelines
not only lowers high
blood pressure,
but a new research study published in October 2009 in the Journal of
American Nephrology shows that it also reduces the risk of developing
stones in the kidney. (DASH stands for Dietary Approaches to Stop
Hypertension, originally designed to help lower high blood pressure.)
Does
kidney stone cleansing
programs work?
A
kidney cleanse is designed to remove stones by dissolving
stones
and by preventing future formation of stones. There are many
kidney detoxification programs available.
Consider a vegetable
and fruit juice diet. Vegetables to consider include green vegetables,
parsley, celery and carrots. Fruits to consider include lemons and
especially watermelon.
Ultimately, it's the amount of fluid
(water) that you are taking that will go a long way to cleanse your
kidney of stones. The more water you drink, the more water gets to
the kidney to flush out whatever stones are there.
What are
some homeopathic
remedies I can use?
Ask your
homeopathic practitioner for the best remedy for your
condition. Homeopathic remedies you may want to consider include:
- Belladonna (Atropa belladonna)
- Dioscorea
- Lycopodium (Lycopodium clavatum)
- Nux Vomica
- Lachesis
- Berberis Vulgaris
Can I
suffer from kidney
stones during pregnancy? What can I do about it?
Yes. It is
possible. You would follow the same recommendations as for
treating and preventing stone formation.
Often,
women get stones only during pregnancy. This is suspected to be due to
dehydration during pregnancy
although other factors may also be involved.
Your doctor will be able to decide on the best course to take as some
treatments should not be used during pregnancy.
Related
to Kidney Stones
What is a Good Diet for Stones in the
Kidney?
The List of Natural
Remedies for Kidney Stones
Return
to Health Conditions
List
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