What Drinks Cause Kidney Stones?

Kidney stones are hard masses that form from minerals in your urine. Chemicals in urine typically prevent the formation of kidney stones. However, they can develop if you don’t drink enough water and consume too much of specific foods and beverages.

One reason it’s essential to think carefully about what you drink is that a beverage’s ingredients matter. What’s in a drink affects whether it helps prevent kidney stones. This article explains.

Drinks To Avoid to Lower Your Kidney Stone Risk

No beverage beats plain water for proper hydration, kidney stone prevention, and good overall health. If you drink other beverages regularly, keep the following points in mind:

• Colas are high in phosphate, which promotes the formation of kidney stones. Drink colas in moderation or eliminate them from your diet.
• Beverages with added sugar increase your kidney stone risk. Be aware that sugar comes in multiple forms and goes by different names, including corn syrup, cane sugar, honey, agave nectar, brown rice syrup, and others.

The recommendations above are helpful for everyone to follow. However, beyond them, it’s important to know there are different types of kidney stones, each with a unique composition and beverages that can increase the risk. The different types are:

• Calcium oxalate kidney stones. This is the most common form. Beverages with stevia sweeteners or cocoa can increase your risk of developing them. More than 500 mg of vitamin C daily also increases your risk.
• Calcium phosphate kidney stones. Milk (because of its high animal protein content) and fresh fruit juices can raise your risk.
• Uric acid kidney stones. Soy milk and alcohol are the primary culprits of this type.
• Cystine kidney stones. This type of stone is caused by a rare condition called cystinuria, which causes a natural substance to enter the urine. The key to preventing these kidney stones is to keep your urine from getting too acidic, mainly by avoiding certain foods like meat and drinking more water.

Your doctor is the best source for advice on how to avoid kidney stones. They understand your overall health and can use that information to determine if you’re more likely to develop a specific type of kidney stone. Then, they can advise you on what foods and beverages to consume and which to avoid.

Sweating and Kidney Stones

If your work or exercise regimen causes you to sweat regularly, remember that losing fluid that way dehydrates your body, increasing your risk of kidney stones. Be sure to increase your fluid intake when you anticipate or are sweating heavily.

Talk With Your Baptist Health Doctor About Kidney Stones

Passing a kidney stone can be extremely painful, and if a stone is too large to pass, you might need surgery. Fortunately, you can significantly reduce your risk by drinking plenty of water throughout your day and avoiding colas and other sugary drinks.

Your doctor can tell you how many ounces of water are appropriate for you based on age and gender and advise you on beverages to avoid.

You can use our online provider directory to find a Baptist Health physician if you don’t have one.