What are the dietary taboos for kidney stones?

In fact, there are no universal, one-size-fits-all dietary taboos for kidney stones. The core principle is to first clarify the components of your own stones and then make targeted adjustments. Blindly following the trend and avoiding this or that may lead to nutritional imbalances that will not prevent stone formation. To put it bluntly, it is like looking for allergens to avoid traps. You don’t know what you are allergic to and just hide away. It is a waste of suffering.

I just met a 32-year-old programmer in the clinic last month. His physical examination revealed a 3mm calcium oxalate stone. I searched online and found out that he should avoid oxalate and calcium, so he stopped green leafy vegetables, milk, and soy products. He ate white rice and boiled chicken breast every day. In two months, he lost 8 pounds. He felt dizzy and weak from time to time. After a review, the stone was not small at all, and he was also found to be mildly deficient in calcium. It was a typical trap of blind food taboos.

Don’t think that he is an exception. The first reaction of many people when they are diagnosed with stones is “Did I eat too much tofu and spinach?” In fact, this is not the case. More than 70% of kidney stones in our country are of the calcium oxalate type. Earlier, the old view did recommend that patients strictly limit oxalic acid and calcium intake. However, in recent years, urological clinical research and guidelines have been updated. As long as they are not eaten on an empty stomach in large quantities, Foods with extremely high oxalic acid, such as unblanched spinach, amaranth, and rhubarb leaves, are perfectly fine to eat normally. Blanching them in boiling water for 30 seconds to 1 minute before eating can remove more than 80% of the soluble oxalic acid. If you don't dare to eat them, it's not worth the candle. As for the tofu that everyone is afraid of, whether it is brine-based northern tofu or gypsum-based southern tofu, during the processing, oxalic acid has long been combined with added calcium to form calcium oxalate, which is not absorbed by the body. It is excreted with the feces and will not turn into stones in the kidneys. Instead, people drink milk tea, cola, and high-sugar drinks every day, eat takeaways that are high in oil and salt, and sit for eight or nine hours without drinking water or going to the toilet. These habits are the biggest causes of calcium oxalate stones. Oh, by the way, there is a lot of controversy about calcium supplementation. Many people think that calcium supplementation will aggravate stones. In fact, as long as the calcium in the daily diet, such as milk and soy products, is eaten normally, it can combine with oxalic acid in the intestines and reduce the amount of oxalic acid entering the blood and then to the kidneys. It is safer than when oxalic acid is free in the body when calcium is deficient. Just don't take large doses of calcium supplements by yourself.

If you are diagnosed with uric acid stones, the focus of taboos is not on oxalic acid, but on controlling the intake of high-purine foods. I met a young man in his 20s not long ago. He drank cold beer with his friends every night for a week in the summer. He came to the emergency room rolling in pain in the middle of the night. He was found to have uric acid stones. You should avoid touching animal offal, shelled seafood, thick broth, and the sweet drinks on the market that add high fructose syrup, which can also increase uric acid, so try not to touch them. If it is an infectious stone caused by magnesium ammonium phosphate, there is nothing special to avoid in diet. The key is to control the urinary tract infection first. Indiscriminate dietary restrictions will lower immunity and are not conducive to recovery from infection.

After all, in fact, drinking enough water is more important than worrying about what not to eat. Make sure to drink more than 2000ml of warm water every day. Don't make up for it with strong tea or sweet drinks. Drink small amounts many times, and don't wait until you are extremely thirsty before drinking too much. This is the cheapest and most effective way to prevent the recurrence of stones.