How could diet affect Kidney Stones?

    Last Updated: October 25, 2023

    In people who are prone to getting kidney stones, dietary factors can play a role in the risk of developing stones.[1]

    Specific types of diets have also been studied for their potential effect on kidney stone risk. Low-carbohydrate, high-protein diets such as the Atkins diet may have a detrimental effect on urine composition (e.g., higher urinary calcium and uric acid, lower urinary citrate levels), potentially increasing the risk of forming kidney stones.[2][3]

    In contrast, the DASH diet[4] and Mediterranean-style diets[5] have been associated with reduced risk of developing kidney stones.

    Note that many of the observational studies on diet and kidney stones examine the association between diets and any type of kidney stone. There are also specific dietary recommendations for preventing kidney stones depending on the type.

    References

    1. ^D H Hosking, S B Erickson, C J Van den Berg, D M Wilson, L H SmithThe stone clinic effect in patients with idiopathic calcium urolithiasisJ Urol.(1983 Dec)
    2. ^Shalini T Reddy, Chia-Ying Wang, Khashayar Sakhaee, Linda Brinkley, Charles Y C PakEffect of low-carbohydrate high-protein diets on acid-base balance, stone-forming propensity, and calcium metabolismAm J Kidney Dis.(2002 Aug)
    3. ^Friedman AN, Ogden LG, Foster GD, Klein S, Stein R, Miller B, Hill JO, Brill C, Bailer B, Rosenbaum DR, Wyatt HRComparative effects of low-carbohydrate high-protein versus low-fat diets on the kidney.Clin J Am Soc Nephrol.(2012-Jul)
    4. ^Taylor EN, Fung TT, Curhan GCDASH-style diet associates with reduced risk for kidney stones.J Am Soc Nephrol.(2009-Oct)
    5. ^Leone A, Fernández-Montero A, de la Fuente-Arrillaga C, Martínez-González MÁ, Bertoli S, Battezzati A, Bes-Rastrollo MAdherence to the Mediterranean Dietary Pattern and Incidence of Nephrolithiasis in the Seguimiento Universidad de Navarra Follow-up (SUN) Cohort.Am J Kidney Dis.(2017-Dec)