Dr. Vu Thi Thanh - Acting Head of the Department of Clinical Nutrition, Bach Mai Hospital - said that kidney stones are one of the common urinary tract diseases, which can cause pain, affect kidney function and quality of life. Most cases of kidney stones can be prevented early if maintaining a scientific diet and lifestyle.
Kidney stones form when minerals and salts in the urine such as calcium, oxalate, uric acid, phosphate or cystine crystallize into crystals and then develop into stones. Of these, about 80% of cases are calcium-containing stones, mainly oxalate calcium and calcium phosphate. This process is more favorable when the urine is concentrated or the body lacks substances that inhibit crystallization such as citrate and magnesium.
Drinking too little water is the most important risk factor. When the amount of water put into the body is not enough, the urine becomes concentrated, increasing the concentration of minerals and creating conditions for stones to form. In addition, a diet high in salt also increases the amount of calcium excreted through the urine, thereby increasing the risk of stone formation.
Consuming too much animal protein such as red meat, organs and purine-rich seafood also makes urine more acidic, increasing the risk of uric acid stones and calcium oxalate stones.
The habit of eating a lot of oxalate-rich foods such as spinach, chocolate, strong tea or nuts but completely abstaining from milk and calcium-rich foods is also a common mistake. Lack of calcium in the diet causes the body to absorb more oxalate, thereby increasing the risk of gravel regeneration.
Prolonged high-dose vitamin C abuse or excessive vitamin D supplementation can also increase the risk of stone formation. People with gout, recurrent urinary tract infections, or family history of kidney stones are also at high risk.
Dr. Vu Thi Thanh recommends that adults should drink about 2.5 - 3 liters of water per day, prioritize filtered water, and can also supplement with lemon juice or orange juice because it contains citrate which helps limit crystallization and stone formation. The amount of sodium should be below 2,000mg/day, equivalent to about a teaspoon of salt, and limit processed foods, canned foods and instant noodles.
In addition, it is necessary to maintain a reasonable amount of calcium from natural foods such as milk, yogurt, cheese or small fish eaten with bones instead of completely abstaining. People should also reduce red meat, increase protein sources from plants, use controlled oxalate-rich foods and supplement with potassium and magnesium-rich foods such as bananas, avocados, dragon fruit and green vegetables to support kidney protection.
