Kidney Stones

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Kidney Stones

Let’s take a minute to smash a couple of myths about kidney stones. For starters, they’re not really stones at all. They’re usually small, rough hunks of calcium that crystallize in your urine.

Second, kidney stones probably aren’t caused by a diet too high in dairy products. Even though the stones are made from calcium, research shows that a diet high in calcium actually decreases your risk of forming them.

But one common belief about kidney stones is true: They can hurt like crazy. If a stone gets lodged in your urinary tract, you may feel extreme pain in your groin, lower back, inner thighs or genitals. If this happens, see your doctor immediately. Stubborn stones sometimes have to be surgically removed. The natural remedies in this chapter—in conjunction with medical care and used with your doctor’s approval—may help prevent the recurrence of kidney stones, according to some health professionals.

See Your Medical Doctor When... You see blood in your urine. You experience sharp pain in your groin, lower back or testicles.

Food Therapy

“Magnesium has been shown to prevent all types of kidney stones, so I’d recommend eating more foods rich in this mineral,” says Julian Whitaker, M.D., founder and president of the Whitaker Wellness Center in Newport Beach, California. “They include pumpkin seeds, tofu, wheat germ, seafood and dark green leafy vegetables such as spinach.” (For other food sources of magnesium, see “Getting What You Need” on page 142.)

But the most important dietary therapy is to drink a lot of water, according to Dr. Whitaker. He says people who are prone to stones or who are recovering from them need at least ten eight-ounce glasses of water each day. Water helps decrease the concentration of stone-forming elements in the urine, he explains.

Juice Therapy

For those prone to kidney stones, cranberry is the juice of choice, says naturopathic physician Michael Murray, N.D., author of The Complete Book of Juicing. He explains that high levels of urinary calcium have been linked to kidney stones and that cranberry juice reduces the amount of calcium in your urine. He recommends two eight-ounce glasses daily as a preventive. Of course, if you develop kidney stones, see your physician immediately, he says.

For information on juicing techniques, see page 93.

Reflexology

Work the kidney, bladder, diaphragm and parathyroid gland reflexes on the hands or feet, says St. Petersburg, Florida, reflexologist Dwight Byers, author of Better Health with Foot Reflexology. Also work the ureter points on your feet. To help you locate these points, consult the hand and foot reflex charts beginning on page 582. For instructions on how to work the points, see “Your Reflexology Session” on page 110.

Vitamin and Mineral Therapy

If you’re prone to developing kidney stones, supplement your diet with 800 milligrams of magnesium and 100 milligrams of vitamin B₆ each day, advises Julian Whitaker, M.D., founder and president of the Whitaker Wellness Center in Newport Beach, California. He says that these two nutrients have been found to prevent stones from recurring.