How To Prevent Kidney Stones With Simple Tricks That Take Less Than 10 Minutes
Plus learn the easy way to pass small stones at home if your doctor gives you the okay
Key Takeaways
- Start with simple habits like staying hydrated and eating more fiber-rich foods.
- Walking may reduce kidney stone risk by helping curb inflammation and oxidative stress.
- Swapping some animal protein for legumes can help lower levels of stone-forming compounds.
Sunshine, backyard barbecues, fresh produce… Summer brings so many wonderful things! Unfortunately, it’s also the season when you’re most likely to get dehydrated—and develop kidney stones as a result. When you’re not properly hydrated, your urine may become too concentrated to dilute the minerals and salts that form these painful stones. Luckily, we’re revealing how to prevent kidney stones with simple, science-backed tips that don’t take much effort or time.
What causes kidney stones?
Kidney stones form where there’s a buildup of excess minerals such as calcium (calcium-based stones are the most common type of kidney stones), oxalate and phosphates. Risk factors include a diet high in sodium and low in fruits and vegetables, obesity and type 2 diabetes. Women in menopause also have a higher risk of kidney stones, as declining estrogen impacts how the body handles calcium.
If you do develop kidney stones, you may notice symptoms such as sudden and severe flank pain, blood in your urine, nausea or vomiting. The earlier you can catch kidney stone formation, the easier it is to treat without surgery. In fact, small stones often pass on their own with the right self-care techniques. (Learn more about kidney stone treatment.)
Woman's World Answers
How to prevent kidney stones: 4 easy tips
While minor kidney stones can often be managed at home, your best bet is learning how to prevent kidney stones before they even start. Here’s what helps:
Eat more avocados
The foundation of everyone’s favorite dip, avocado, is also a potent tool for preventing kidney stones. “Avocados are great because they’re an excellent source of soluble fiber,” says Melanie Betz, RD, also known as The Kidney Dietitian. “People who consume more fiber tend to have fewer stones. In fact, there was a really cool study published last year that found that for every five grams of fiber someone consumed, they lowered their risk of kidney stones by 10 percent. That’s not even one full avocado!”
Tip: Need a fiber-rich snack on the go? Toss Harvest Snaps Lightly Salted Baked Green Pea Snacks in your bag. They have 4 grams of fiber per serving and about 50 percent less sodium than regular potato chips.
Enjoy a scenic stroll
There’s no better time of year to enjoy a leisurely walk through the farmers market or botanical garden—particularly when you can prevent kidney stones in the process. An analysis of over 80,000 women published in the Journal of the American Society of Nephrology found just a couple of hours of easy movement like walking per week can cut kidney stone risk by up to a third by curbing oxidative stress and inflammation that contribute to kidney stone formation.
Sip a strawberry smoothie
What do you get when you blend sweet strawberries with creamy milk or yogurt? A tasty treat that also helps keep kidney stones at bay. “When you consume adequate calcium, you significantly reduce how much oxalate you absorb from food,” Betz says. This prevents stone-forming oxalate from building up in urine. And diets high in potassium-rich foods like strawberries are linked to lower risk of kidney stones, per Mayo Clinic researchers.
Swap your protein
Throwing veggie burgers on the grill instead of hamburgers or chicken is an easy (and affordable!) way to lower your risk of kidney stones. Animal protein is linked to higher levels of stone-causing uric acid, according to a study in The Journal of Urology. You can also limit animal protein by swapping out half the meat in a dish for budget-friendly canned beans, Betz suggests. “I recently made lasagna roll-ups. I used half the ground beef the recipe called for and added a can of lentils to get the best of both worlds.”
How to make passing kidney stones easier
If you do develop minor kidney stones, your doctor may suggest you try to pass them at home. One of the best ways to do this? Drink plenty of water, up to 12 glasses a day. You can make it easy to stay hydrated while out and about by filling a reusable water bottle, like the toxin-free glass Bohdi Bottle, and tucking it in your purse before healing out. Also smart: Consider an anti-inflammatory like ibuprofen to help your muscles relax so you can release the stone more easily.
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