Nutrients for Kidney and Benefits of Pears

Apple, mango, banana and pear can be safely eaten by a person suffering from kidney stones, provided you don’t eat the seeds. Diet for a kidney stone patient will largely depend on the type of stones he or she has developed. Try the following dietary tips to prevent the development of kidney stones and deal wit the current ones –

Apple and Fruit Juices for Kidney Stone Treatment

• Irrespective for the type of kidney stone increase your fluid consumption. Excess fluids will not only hinder the formation of other stones by diluting the urine but also eliminate the existing tiny stones in the urine from your kidneys. Drink at least 3 to 4 quarts of fluid through out the day, in summers you may need to drink more to compensate for the fluid loss in sweating. Most of the fluid you drink should be in the form of water but you can also include other fluids like unsweetened fruits and vegetable juices, barley water, and sugarcane juice.
• More than 70-80 % of kidney stones are composed of calcium along with oxalate. If it is the same in your case then you will need to cut back foods rich in sodium, salt and oxalate. You can include calcium in moderation as restriction of calcium over a period of time can cause other health problems. Sodium should be restricted as excess can lead to calcium loss in the urine which can put you at a risk of developing more stones. Limiting your sodium intake to 2000-3000 mg per day can help to prevent further stones. If you have oxalate stones than limiting foods rich in oxalate can help to reduce the chances of stones. These foods include instant coffee, tea, peanuts, beans, beets, berries (strawberries, gooseberries, blueberries, blackberries and raspberries), oranges, concord grapes, cocoa, chocolates, rhubarb, dark green leafy vegetables, draft beer, sweet potatoes and tofu.  Besides the mentioned fruits rich in oxalate all the other fruits can be included in your diet as they (along with vegetables and whole cereals) are a good source of fiber. The insoluble fiber combines with excess calcium in the intestines and help to excrete it via stools, instead of kidneys.
• If you have developed uric acid stones than the intake of proteins and purines rich foods should be restricted. Foods high in purines include poultry, meat, fish, organ meats, shell fish, peas, spinach, lentils and mushrooms. You can include protein in the diet (moderation) from skimmed dairy products, eggs, salmon, pulses and sprouts.
• Any vitamin or mineral supplement (especially vitamin C and calcium) should be taken only after conforming to your specialist as certain supplements can increase your chance of developing a stone.