Sodium is one of the nutritional factors that significantly affects the risk of kidney stones. When eating too much salt, the amount of calcium excreted through urine increases, increasing the risk of calcium stones.
This is why experts recommend limiting dinner dishes such as: processed meat (sausages, ham, bacon); canned food; instant noodles; fast food; dipping sauces that are too salty.
For people who have had uric acid stones or have high uric acid levels, eating too much red meat, animal organs or seafood in the evening also needs to be limited.
Animal protein increases the amount of uric acid in the urine and makes the urine more acidic, creating favorable conditions for uric acid stones to form. At the same time, too much protein intake also reduces the amount of citrate in the urine - a substance that plays a role in preventing the crystallization of stones.
You should only eat a moderate amount of meat and prioritize replacing a portion with a plant-based protein source such as beans, legumes or lentils if it is suitable for your health condition.
It is important not to arbitrarily cut calcium completely in the diet. Contrary to popular beliefs, calcium from food helps to bind to oxalate right in the digestive tract, reducing the amount of oxalate absorbed and excreted through the kidneys, thereby contributing to reducing the risk of stone formation.
Sugary drinks, especially sugary drinks containing fructose-rich corn syrup, are also considered factors that increase the risk of kidney stones.
Despite limiting risky foods, the most effective measure to prevent kidney stones is still to maintain sufficient water intake.
Healthy people should drink enough water to create about 2-2.5 liters of urine per day, unless contraindicated by a doctor. Water helps dilute minerals in the urine, reducing the possibility of them crystallizing into stones.
If you eat dinner with a lot of protein or salt, not supplementing enough water before bed will cause urine to condense for many hours, increasing the risk of crystallization of mineral crystals.
Dinner should prioritize green vegetables with low oxalate content, fresh fruits, whole grains, and moderate amounts of protein from fish or poultry.
A serving of milk or yogurt, if not contraindicated, to provide enough calcium from food.
