kidney stones

Question
i have calcium oxalate dihydrate stones. i have passed 50 odd stones now, and 10 months ago i had to have one surgically removed. i really need a list of foods to avoid. i use to have a list but have misplaced it in the passed. could you please send me a list of foods to avoid. i remember some of them, like okra, tomatoes, kidney beans, soy beans, dr. pepper and coke. and also limited to two cups of coffee a day. but i need the whole list. could you help me in this matter and if you find any thing else out that can assist me further with my stones would be much apprecated.                                       thank you very much,    rose cagle

Answer
Hi Rose,

The following is from the gastromd.com website:

Most kidney stones are made up of calcium and oxalate. Information about the causes, symptoms and treatment of kidney stones can be found at The Kidney Stone Web Site, Kidney Stones, and other web sites. Kidney stones occur in men more than women, and may have a variety of causes including your diet, your family genes, and other factors.

Doctors used to prescribe a low calcium diet for preventing kidney stones. This approach makes little sense if you understand how calcium is managed in the body. Calcium levels in the blood are kept pretty steady by balancing the absorption of calcium from diet and taking calcium from bones when needed. Changing the amount of calcium in the diet causes very little change in the blood level of calcium The kidney filters substances from the blood, so changing the dietary intake of calcium does not change the amount of calcium that is filtered by the kidneys.

Perhaps the most important step you can take towards preventing kidney stones is drinking 8 to 10 8 oz. Glasses of water every day. Having enough water in your body will help to reduce the concentration of calcium in the fluid that your kidney filters. High concentrations of calcium and oxalate, phosphate or other minerals are needed to form stones.

Another approach to preventing kidney stones in adults is to eat calcium rich foods and avoid oxalates. This works in two ways 1) reducing the amount of oxalate available, and 2) if calcium is present in the diet with oxalate, then calcium and oxalate bind in the intestine. This way, less calcium and oxalate enter the blood so that oxalates are not available to bind with calcium in the kidney. You should not use calcium supplements unless you talk to your doctor.

Very high intakes of sodium and protein may cause kidney stones. You should use little salt in cooking or at the table and avoid many high sodium processed foods. See the low-sodium diet section for more details. Most people should have 2 portions of protein foods per day. The portions should be about the size of a deck of cards or a quarter-pound hamburger after it is cooked.

High Oxalate Foods to Avoid
If you avoid the foods listed below you can reduce your oxalate intake. A longer list of high oxalate foods can be found at The Kidney Stone Web Site http://hometown.aol.com/rogerbaxtr/pages/Kidney_Stone_Page.html If you eat a large amount of foods on this other list, eating less may be helpful.

Chocolate
Tea
Spinach
Beet tops
Peanuts
Almonds
Pecans

Another website notes the following:

Although there are many foods that contain large amounts of oxalate, eight foods have been shown to be most at fault for raising urine oxalate levels. They are rhubarb, spinach, strawberries, chocolate, wheat bran, nuts, beets, and tea.

Foods High in Oxalate:

Beans (string, wax)
Legume types (including baked beans
canned in tomato sauce)
Beets
Blackberries
Carob powder
Celery
Chocolate/cocoa other chocolate drink mixes
Dark leafy greens
Spinach
Swiss chard
Beet greens
Endive, escarole
Parsley
Draft beer
Fruit cake
Eggplant
Gooseberries
Grits (white corn)
Instant coffee (more than 8 oz/d)
Leeks
Nuts, nut butter
Okra
Peel: lemon, lime, orange
Raspberries (black)
Red currants
Rhubarb
Soy products (tofu)
Spinach
Strawberries
Summer squash
Sweet potatoes
Tea
Wheat bran
Wheat germ

Hope that helps!

Karen
www.getfitwithkaren.com  

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