A kidney stone is exactly that — a hard mass of minerals and salts that forms in the kidneys. Certain foods and drinks contain chemicals that can lead to these sometimes painful crystals. The stones come in several different types, and foods that are not so good for one kind may be OK to eat if you have another type.
If you’ve had a kidney stone, ask your doctor which it was. That’ll help you know which foods to avoid.
But if you aren’t sure — or if you just want to be careful about all types of kidney stones — a good rule is to stay away from too many salty foods and meats and other animal protein.
And don’t forget to drink lots of water. It helps dilute the waste in your urine to make stones harder to form.
Calcium Oxalate Stones
More people get this kind than any other. It forms when calcium in your pee combines with oxalate, a chemical that’s naturally in many foods.
High-oxalate foods. Many plants contain oxalate, so it’s hard to avoid it entirely. But some foods have much more than others. Try to limit:
- Spinach
- Rhubarb
- Almonds and cashews
- Miso soup
- Grits
- Baked potatoes with skin
- Beets
- Cocoa powder
- Okra
- Bran cereals and shredded wheat cereals
- French fries
- Raspberries
- Stevia sweeteners
- Sweet potatoes
If you eat or drink calcium-rich foods at the same time, they can help your body handle oxalate without turning it into a kidney stone. So pair your spinach salad with low-fat cheese. Or mix nuts or berries into yogurt. Drinking milk does not cause kidney stones.
Salt. If you eat a lot of sodium, which is an ingredient in salt, that raises the amount of calcium in your urine. Once you finish eating, any extra oxalate “sticks” to calcium in the kidneys. That can produce stones. So limit canned foods, packaged meats, fast foods, and condiments in your diet.
Animal protein. Limit beef, pork, eggs, cheese, and fish, because they may raise your chances of most types of kidney stones.
Vitamin C. Too much can make your body produce oxalate. So don’t take more than 500 mg a day.