Why do I have kidney stones?

Kidney stones are hard deposits that are made of minerals and salts which form inside your kidneys. Let’s look at the common reasons behind them and their known remedies.

Symptoms:

• Back pain

• Lower abdominal pain

• Deep dull ache on one side of the abdomen

• Groin pain

• Blood in the urine

• Painful urination

• Urge to urinate with inability to do so

• Nausea

Cause #1: Oxalate stones formation

Oxalates are the chemical compounds in certain foods that can form calcium oxalate stones in the kidney and create a lot of discomfort and pain in that area. These stones take the form of crystals and are very sharp-edged, therefore they can cause aching and inflammation in the area of the kidney.

One thing to know is that if you consume oxalate foods with calcium (for example cheese) together in one meal they will bind in the intestine and the oxalates will not get absorbed into the blood. When oxalates alone get absorbed into the blood they form stones in the kidneys.

Remedies:

• Drink more fluids (2.5 liter/day)

• Do this massage technique

• Consume more citrates to dissolve stones:

  • lemon water / juice

  • lime water / juice

  • potassium citrate

  • magnesium citrate

  • calcium citrate

  • hydroxycitrate supplement

• Avoid foods high in oxalates:

  • spinach

  • avocado

  • grapefruit

  • potato

  • dates

  • beer

  • wheat

  • beans

  • canned pineapple

  • grapefruit

  • almonds

  • cashews

  • pine nuts

  • peanuts

  • walnuts

  • pecans

  • pistachios

  • kiwi

  • rhubarb

  • macadamia

  • chocolate

• If you like to eat any of the above, add some calcium (like goat cheese) and fiber to the meal

• Additional remedies to dissolve or prevent kidney stones:

• consume chondroitin sulphate

• avoid calcium carbonate

• consume barberine

• consume phytic acid supplement

• eat moderate amounts of protein

• consume chanca piedra tea mixed with dandelion tea (16 oz/day, let tea bag to stay in water for 20 minutes)

• consume more vitamin A (retinol)

• consume more vitamin K2

• consume foods high in fiber

Cause #2: Uric acid stones

Uric acid stones are different from calcium oxalate stones. They can be caused by several different things. If your body has too acidic a pH, this can be the reason behind uric acid stone formation. Or if you consume too many carbs on a regular basis they can also cause this problem. A large amount of protein in the diet is another reason for uric acid stones.

Remedies:

• Avoid the intake of acidifiers:

  • avoid apple cider vinegar

  • avoid betaine hydrochloride

  • avoid kombucha tea

• Consume potassium citrate

• Consume more vegetables (7 to 10 cups daily)

• Consume lemon water

• Avoid refined carbs and sugar

• Consume moderate amounts of protein (3 to 5 oz / meal)

• If you are not on a ketogenic diet consume 1⁄4 teaspoon of sea salt daily

Cause #3: Gut microbiome problems

You have certain microbes in your digestive system that use oxalates as food. They will degrade and break down up to 95% of the oxalates. Additionally, consuming purified bile salts will help the oxalates to bind with calcium in your gut, which will prevent the oxalates from causing kidney stones.

(Note: If oxalates bond with calcium in your intestines, this prevents stones from forming in your kidneys because oxalates alone will not be absorbed to your blood. Only if you don’t have good digestion in your stomach, or don’t eat calcium and oxalates together in one meal, can you have stones forming in the kidneys.)

Remedies:

• Take probiotics

• Take hydroxycitrate

• Take purified bIle salts

• Consume fermented vegetables:

• sauerkraut • pickles • kimchi

If you are on a ketogenic diet:

On the ketogenic diet the environment of the body becomes slightly more acidic (due to ketones) and that is one of the reasons for uric acid stones formation. Additionally, a keto diet can make you lose sodium and anytime the sodium goes lower, uric acid stones can start forming.

(Note: If you suspect you have uric acid stones, apply the remedies below. You should know that on keto you could still have oxalate stones in the kidney, in which case apply the remedies from the Cause #1.)

Remedies:

• Increase the intake of potassium (vegetables)

• Take a potassium citrate supplement

• Take lemon/lime juice

• Consume sea salt (1 teaspoon / day)

• Consume vitamin K2

Other causes:

• Massive amounts of vitamin D (over 100,000 IU for many months)

• Antibiotics (cipro specifically)

• Kidney damage

• Too much calcium

• Antacids

• Diabetes

• Calcium carbonate consumption (bad calcium)

• Calcium deficiency

• High-carb diet