Indian Diet for Kidney Stone Patients
We have been taught since our childhood that in order to maintain a healthy body all our organs must work in consonance with each other. But how many of us actually focus on keeping our bodies healthy? In the present times, people are suffering from many kinds of Problems, and due to our lifestyle curing them has become quite challenging. The most prevalent issues are the Kidney Stones also called Nephrolithiasis. When Urine becomes concentrated, some salts and minerals are not able to go through the filter they bind together, leading to stones. Around 12% of our population is prone to this problem. They normally do not cause any permanent damage but are really painful.
In our present article, we are going to talk about everything you need to be aware of regarding Kidney Stones, foods that the patients must eat, what they must avoid, along with the preventive measures.
So, let’s get started.
What Foods the Patient Must Incorporate in His Diet?
Diet plays a crucial role in the life of a patient undergoing any kind of treatment. A proper diet helps in preventing the creation of stones and even helps in dissolving them. Those who have a stone should follow a proper diet plan provided by the healthcare expert. However, there are certain products that must be avoided. Let us now talk about each of the items in detail and why should the patients have them in their diet. If you follow the proper diet chart, there are good chances you will get cured.
1. Taking lots of liquids:
Water is a very essential way to remove these stones. An average healthy person must drink around 10-12 glasses of water daily. It acts as a medium and allows the minerals to pass through the filter.
2. Cauliflower:
It has Vitamin C, K, and B along with a digestive fiber. It is also low in sodium and potassium.
3. Egg:
For the ones undergoing the treatment, egg whites are perfect. They fulfill high protein needs and contain less phosphorus. The protein it contains is kidney-friendly.
4. Garlic and Onion:
Both of them have a good amount of manganese, Vitamin C, B6, and other elements that prevent inflammation. We are very well aware that stone patients must intake less sodium or salt content in their food. Garlic comes as a tasty alternative to salt, it is very flavourful and adds a lot of nutritional value. Onion contains prebiotic fiber that also helps in digestion.
5. Olive Oil:
A patient must incorporate this item in his diet, as it contains fat and does not have phosphorus. It is really useful for those with enhanced problems. It also has oleic oil that prevents swelling.
6. Cabbage:
It comes under the category of green leafy vegetables and has a lot of vitamins, minerals, and other essential nutrients. It has a low content of salt, potassium and is an amazingly good source of Vitamin K, C, and B. It also contains a digestive fiber that enables efficient bowel movement.
7. Radish:
Radish, an amazing vegetable with less sodium, phosphorus, and potassium is also a good source of Vitamin C. This Vitamin is very useful as it helps in dissolving the stone.
8. Turnips:
Turnips are perfect for the ones who are on a Renal Diet. It has a lot of fiber and Vitamin C content along with enough required quantity of Vitamin B6 and manganese.
9. Pineapple:
Unlike other tropical fruits, Pineapple is low on potassium, which must be avoided by those with kidney stones. It has a high content of digestive fiber, manganese, and Vitamin C. It also consists of an enzyme known as bromelain that prevents swelling.
10. Berries:.
Cranberries contain phytonutrients that avoids any kind of infection. It is beneficial for those with any kind of Kidney issues and UTIs. Blueberries, on the other hand, consist of anthocyanins that prevent many kinds of diseases and even cancers. Both of them have low minerals that lead to stones, which makes them perfect fruits for the patients.
One thing that you must bear in mind is that there is no need to avoid a calcium diet as it binds to oxalate, and decreases the presence of oxalate in urine so there is a low chance of having a stone.
What Are The Foods That The Patient Must Avoid?
1. High Animal Protein:
Products such as fish, meat etc. contain large amounts of protein that are essential for the building of muscles. But consuming too much protein might make it difficult for the kidneys to eliminate the waste which might worsen the condition. However, the required amount of protein can be obtained by other fruits and vegetables.
2. Foods With Excess Amount of Sodium
Salt plays a significant role in the amount of fluid that the body retains. Excess of fluids might increase the risk of various diseases. For those who have a kidney disease, their kidneys might not be able to maintain the proper balance. As a result they need to stay away from such items that have large amounts of salt.
3. Foods With Excess Amount Of Potassium
Potassium increases the pressure on the kidneys that might lead to damage and hence must be avoided. You can rather go for the low potassium fruits and vegetables such as berries and Cauliflower.
4. Items Consisting Of Phosphorus
Phosphorus generally helps in the development of teeth and bones. But if you have an advanced kidney problem
you need to avoid it. Choose items with less phosphorus content such as corn and rice.
5. Fizzy And Alcoholic Beverages:
We are well aware that alcohol is harmful for our liver. Studies have shown that it also poses harm to our kidneys, because consumption of liquor dehydrates our body and prevents the kidneys from clearing out the toxins. Moreover, it also increases the blood pressure which might further aggravate the situation.
Conclusion and Suggestions
Two kinds of commonly found stones are calcium and Uric acid. Calcium stones are the most prevalent ones. Diet and medical treatment are given based on the particular kind of stone you have to avoid them from reoccurring. Now that we have seen the kinds of food items that a patient must eat, let us now have a look at some of the preventive steps to avoid them.
It is rightly said, “Prevention is better than cure”. Instead of dealing with pain and then taking medication, it is better to prevent the problem in the first place itself. There are many ways to avoid its formation.
- Drink lots of water along with other liquids to avoid them.
- Avoid any kind of fizzy or carbonated drinks.
- Avoid any item that has too much salt, sugar, or protein in it.
