Six Surprising Foods That Can Cause Kidney Stones

If you’ve never had kidney stones, consider yourself lucky.

These nasty little nuggets of salt and minerals can cause pain that’s often called “worse than childbirth” along with nausea, vomiting, and blood in your urine. They can also be as large as ping pong balls.

What’s worse? Truck drivers, who often hold in their urine for hours at a time and drink less liquids to avoid stopping for bathroom breaks, can be especially susceptible to kidney stones.

Fortunately, there are dietary changes that you can make that can help you reduce your risk of going through the agony of passing a kidney stone.

Avoid These Six Foods To Put The Brakes On Kidney Stones

1. Canned soups. Many truckers reach for canned soups when they’re looking for a healthier option, but the high sodium levels in these products can increase your risk for kidney stones. If you can’t make your own soup, look for low sodium options.
2. Red meat. Animal proteins like red meat contain purines, which have been shown to aid in the formation of uric acid kidney stones. You don’t have to cut it out completely, but make an effort to minimize your red meat consumption.
3. Soda. People who drink one can of regular cola per day are 23% more likely to develop kidney stones than people who drink less than one can of cola per week.
4. Processed frozen foods. A Hungry Man fried chicken frozen dinner is cheap and convenient, but it contains a very large amount of sodium, Remember that sodium makes your kidneys dump extra calcium into your urine and can increase your risk of kidney stones.
5. Beer. Alcohol increases the levels of uric acid in your blood, contributing to the development of kidney stones.
6. Lunch meat or hot dogs. These foods contain both animal protein — which increases your risk for kidney stones — and high sodium levels — which also increases your risk of kidney stones.

And most importantly, drink plenty of water! Drinking enough water to keep your urine a light yellow is perhaps the most effective way to prevent kidney stones.

Sources:
The National Kidney Foundation
NIH
Prevention