Kidney stone pain can be unbearable, but your diet can have a major impact on stone formation. If you’re trying to avoid forming stones, here are 7 kidney stone diet tips.

Kidney Stone Diet Tips

1. Increase fluid intake

• The average person should drink between 12-16 cups of water per day. People with cardiac and renal issues should follow the advice of their specialists.
• It is best to drink enough fluids to keep your urine colorless and odorless.
• The fluid does not have to be just plain water, but that is what is best when it comes to preventing kidney stones.

2. Maintain a low salt/low sodium diet

• 2300 mg or less in the normal population and 1500mg or less in people with high blood pressure and other cardiovascular diseases.
• Higher levels of sodium in your system raises your calcium levels and decreases the citrate in the urine – increasing the risk of stones.

3. Eat more fresh, non-processed foods, like fruits and vegetables, fresh meats

• This is a good recommendation for anyone in general, but very important for people who are prone to making kidney stones.

4. In general, limit your intake of meat

• High meat intake can increase uric acid, calcium, and oxalate concentrations in the urine, which can all lead to increased risk of stone formation.
• It is recommended to only eat 6-8 oz of meat per day (inclusive of beef, pork, poultry, and seafood)

5. Maintain a normal dietary calcium intake

• Calcium from high calcium foods and normal dairy intake can reduce your risk of stone formation.
• It is better to get calcium from normal food sources than from supplements, as too much calcium can increase the risk of stones.

6. Increase your intake of citrus fruits and juices

• Citrate in these foods inhibits stone formation by binding to calcium, which makes it unable to bind with oxalates and form stones.
• Lemon and lime have been proven to be best sources of citrate, followed by oranges and then grapefruits.

7. Decrease the amounts of foods that are high in a substance called oxalate.

Oxalate is a naturally occurring substance found in a wide variety of foods. Examples:

For more information on what foods to avoid, limit, or enjoy freely, download and print our Low Oxalate Diet information sheet.

We hope you’ll find these kidney stone diet tips useful!