Kidney Stones: AVOID COFFEE
You are suffering from the excruciating pain of "renal calculi" e.g. kidney stones, while waiting for the stone to pass by itself as your doctor has advised. Is there something else to do? You could certainly benefit from some natural remedy for kidney stones.
The origin of kidney stones
Kidney stones are formed by the body from unprocessed minerals in the renal system. Most of them consist of calcium oxalate. They occur in about 10% of the population but men are four times as likely to get them as women. They tend to recur, so that once you have had one, you have a 75% chance of having more in the next 20 years.
Dr MERCOLA underlines a few reasons why kidney stones form. Drinking too much coffee and caffeine beverages is one of them. People who are prone to kidney stones should limit if not suppress their daily intake of caffeine. Two cups of coffee daily is already too much, say researchers; and if you add caffeinated sodas, your'e in for trouble. Don't put yourself at risk of enduring this incredible pain of a kidney stone!
What's more, Dr MERCOLA continues: "Coffee may interfere with your body's ability to keep homocysteine and cholesterol levels in check, most likely by inhibiting the action of the vitamins folate, B12 or B6. In addition to increasing risk of kidney stones, coffee -- more accurately caffeine -- has been said to increase risk of high cholesterol, stroke, rheumatoid arthritis." Now, you can think twice about this little cup of coffee several times a day... there is danger.
http://articles.mercola.com/sites/articles/archive/2004/09/22/kidney-stones-coffee.aspx
Now there can be other origins, some of them linked to certain drugs. Studies have shown that people taking Xenical, a drug used to fight obesity, might be prone to the development of kidney stones, particularly if their diet contains a high amount of oxalate-rich foods. It was discovered that with Xenical, oxalate levels appeared in the urine four to eight times higher than the baseline value. This is believed to lead to the formation of kidney stones. (This information appeared in Yahoo News, July 23, 2004).
Dr. MERCOLA comments: "This drug does not work to solve the cause of obesity in any way, shape or form." Period. http://articles.mercola.com/sites/articles/archive/2004/08/11/xenical-part-two.aspx
It is possible to have kidney stones without noticing, because many will pass when very small. You might have a pain when urinating but you probably would not notice that you had passed something that could be as tiny as a grain of sand.
Severe case: see your doctor
Larger stones can block the urethra and that is when the severe pain is caused. You may also see blood in the urine. This comes from the lining of the organs being damaged by the uneven surface of the stone. If you have pus or pain during urination you should tell your doctor as this may be a sign of infection.
Even in cases where the stone is large enough to cause pain, the majority of them do pass naturally. There are certain things you can do to help this happen, or make it happen faster.
Dealing With Kidney Stones at Home
The best treatment to help a stone pass is simply to drink plenty of water. Aim for 2-3 liters spread through the day.
Consuming more soup, fresh fruit and raw vegetables is another way to increase your intake of water, as they contain much more than dry cooked foods and grains. Be careful however to avoid over consumption of oxalate which contributes to the forming of the most common type of stone.
Avoid food high in oxalate
Examples of foods that contain high levels of oxalate include spinach, rhubarb, chocolate, tea, parsley, beetroot, strawberries, wheat flour, pepper, sweet potatoes and some nuts.
Also, cut down on salt and alcohol which have a dehydrating effect, and meat and dairy products which cause uric acid to form in the kidneys.
Some people take diuretics to increase the water flow through the kidneys. Some herbal teas have a natural diuretic effect, for example dandelion and stinging nettle. Taking one of these teas several times a day may help the stone to pass more quickly. Unless you have other medical reasons for taking them, prescribed diuretics should not be necessary.
In Argentina, people drink "maté" on a daily basis. This plant is considered to help in eliminating uric acid from the body and in preventing the formation of kidney stones.
Have the stone analyzed
You should strain your urine so that you catch the stone when it passes. Your doctor can have it analyzed to see what minerals it is formed from. This will tell you how you need to alter your diet in future to give you the best chance of preventing a recurrence. For most people, a diet that is lower in protein and salt is recommended.
Do not to take large doses of vitamins and minerals until you have had your stones or your urine analyzed.
A doctor should always be involved in treatment of renal calculi because of the possibility of infection and complications. A natural remedy for kidney stones should only be used in conjunction with medical advice.
The Lemon Juice Diet
- The first morning, take the juice of a half-lemon with some water when you get up, before anything else. Wait for half an hour before having breakfast.
- Do this again for 4 or 5 days.
-Then, each morning, take the juice of a whole lemon with water. Do this for 3 days.
- Now that your organism is used to it, continue the diet by adding a half-lemon to what you take the previous day, for instance:
- Day 9: 1 lemon 1/2
- Day 10: 2 lemons
- Day 11: 2 lemons 1/2
- Day 12: 3 lemons
etc.
- Continue until you 10 lemons.
- Then, do the process backwards: 9 lemons 1/2, 9 lemons, 8 lemons 1/2 etc.
- Until you get to 1 lemon for 3 days, then a half-lemon for 4 or 5 days (repeating the process you did at the beginning).
The Lemon Diet is very beneficial and cleansing for the body, beside the fact that it is an efficient home remedy in case of kidney stones.
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