A person who has experienced the pain caused by kidney stone will remember it for long time. The radiating pain stays till the stone passes out of the body our through urine. The stones can form again and you must know that it can be avoided with few simple preventive measures and determination to maintain healthy lifestyle.

There are many dissolved salts and minerals in urine that are responsible for formation of stones in kidney. Stones are formed when their levels are high in the urine. These stones are small in size but can grow gradually over a period of time and may cause trouble.

Recommendations:

Drink plenty of water: Consuming lot of drinking water will help dilute the stone forming substances. 2-3 litres of water per day is advised. The water can be in the form of beverages, citrus fruits, juices, etc.

Requisite intake of calcium: Calcium intake through regular food should be neither be excess or too little. You should consume adequately to control oxalate levels and thus reduce stone forming chances. Along with calcium foods, you should also have foods rich in vitamin D so that the body can absorb the calcium. On an average, 1000-2000 mg of calcium per day and little more units of Vitamin D will help absorb the calcium sufficiently.

Reduce sodium in diet: Someone who has already had kidney stone must strictly reduce the quantity of sodium intake in regular diet. Else, it can trigger the kidney stones with increase in calcium levels through excess sodium intake. Average sodium intake for healthy person per day is 2000-23000 mg. It must be less than 1500 mg for someone who already had kidney stone issue. This is also good to keep a check on blood pressure levels.

Eat little animal protein: Uric acid is another source to kidney stones. Animal protein diet like red meat, poultry, eggs and seafood spike the levels of uric acid and reduce the levels of citrate in urine, the chemical that controls stone formation. Anything around 40-80 gm of animal protein is okay to eat per day; the quantities also vary with respect to age.

Eat very less or no stone-forming foods: Apart from animal protein, foods like beets, chocolate, spinach, rhubarb, tea, and most nuts are high in oxalate, and colas are rich in phosphate, both can contribute to kidney stones. You may be advised to avoid these foods or eat very little by expert consultant if you are prone to kidney stones.

For healthy individuals, continue your routine and keep off from foods that can trigger kidney stones.