In an era where everyone is clamoring for calcium supplements, there is a group of people who steer clear of calcium-rich foods. These individuals suffer from urolithiasis, what we commonly refer to as "kidney stones," "bladder stones," or "urethral stones." Does eating too many calcium-rich foods make you more prone to developing stones?
Kidney Stone Diet: Drink plenty of water, and don't deliberately avoid high-calcium foods
How to prevent kidney stones through diet?
"In terms of diet, there are two things you can do: either reduce the chance of these components meeting in the urine, or keep them in an unsaturated, non-crystalline state in the urine. This is the best way to prevent stone formation," believes the director of the Department of Urology. "Drinking plenty of water and maintaining a balanced diet are the two major dietary weapons for preventing kidney stones."
Drinking plenty of water is a well-known method for preventing kidney stones. Because drinking more water can dilute the concentration of these components in the urine, thereby reducing the incidence of stone formation. This method is especially suitable for people living in hot environments who sweat a lot.
The general public believes that oxalate is widely present in many plant-based foods. To avoid calcium oxalate stones, it is necessary to reduce the consumption of foods high in oxalate. Doctors especially remind people not to deliberately reduce the intake of foods rich in oxalate or calcium, as this can more easily cause stones.
This is because if you consume foods rich in both oxalate and calcium at the same time, these substances mostly bind and form precipitates in the digestive tract, which are then expelled from the body with stool, thereby reducing the chance of these ions meeting in the urine to form calcium oxalate crystals. If you strictly separate calcium-rich foods from oxalate-rich foods, you create more opportunities for oxalate to be absorbed by the body, increasing the oxalate content in the urine. As soon as this meets calcium ions in the urine, it increases the risk of forming calcium oxalate stones in the urinary system.
Since drinking milk alone or eating foods high in oxalate alone can actually increase the incidence of stones, it is recommended to pay attention to consuming foods rich in calcium, such as meat and dairy products, at the same time as eating vegetables and other foods rich in oxalate. Such a balanced diet is an important dietary measure to reduce the occurrence of kidney stones.