If someone in the family has kidney stones, housewives should pay attention to foods for meals. There are types of vegetables, tubers, and fruits that kidney stones should limit.
Diet plays an important role in preventing recurrence and controlling the progression of the disease. Among them, tomatoes are a familiar food but are often recommended to be restricted for people with kidney stones, especially calcium oxalate stones - the most common type of stones today.
The first important reason is the relatively high oxalate content in tomatoes. Oxalate is a natural compound that can combine with calcium in urine to form oxalate calcium crystals. When the amount of oxalate introduced into the body exceeds the excretion capacity, the risk of kidney stones will increase. For people who have had kidney stones, consuming a lot of oxalate-rich foods such as tomatoes, spinach, or beetroot can increase the risk of recurrence.
The second reason is that tomatoes are mildly acidic. Although this acidity is not too strong, for people with sensitive constitutions or affected kidney function, a acidic urine environment can facilitate the development of certain types of stones. In particular, the use of tomatoes in concentrated form such as tomato sauce, tomato juice can increase the amount of acid and oxalate absorbed in a short time.
In addition, tomatoes are often used with salt or salty spices in cooking. High sodium levels increase calcium excretion through urine, thereby indirectly increasing the risk of calcium stones forming. Therefore, not only tomatoes themselves but also the way they are processed and combined with food also contribute to kidney health.
However, it should be emphasized that restriction does not mean complete elimination. Tomatoes still provide a lot of vitamin C, lycopene and antioxidants that are beneficial for health.
People with kidney stones can use tomatoes in small quantities, not often, and should eat them with calcium-rich foods to reduce oxalate absorption. At the same time, drinking enough water every day is also an important measure to help dilute urine and limit the formation of stones.
