Kidney stones can be a severe health issue.

It can be painful to pass these stones, and people who have had kidney stones before are more likely than others to experience them again. ( 1 Trusted Source).

There are some things you can do to reduce the risk.

This article describes kidney stones and eight ways to combat them.

Watch this video to find out the best home remedies for kidney stones. Volume 0% 

What are kidney stones called?

Kidney stones, also known as nephrolithiasis or hard waste material, are crystals formed by solid waste that builds up in the kidneys.

Four main types of stones exist, but 80% are calcium oxalate. Other less common types include struvite (2 Trusted Source), uric acids, and cysteine.

Although smaller stones usually do not cause problems, larger stones can block your urinary tract as they exit your body.

It can cause severe pain, vomiting, and bleeding.

Kidney stones can be a severe health issue. About 12% of American men and 5% of women will experience kidney stones in their lifetime. ( 3 Trusted Source).

Studies have shown that if you develop a stone in your kidneys once, you’re up to 50% more likely than not to get another one within the next 5-10 years ( 4TrustedSource, 5TrustedSource, 6TrustedSource).

Here are eight natural ways to reduce your risk of developing another kidney stone.

Summary Kidney Stones are solid lumps that form from crystallized waste.

In the kidneys. The stones are a common problem.

It is very painful.

Staying hydrated and drinking lots of fluids can help prevent kidney stones.

Fluids dilute the substances that form stones in urine and increase their volume, making them less likely to crystallize. (3 Trusted Source).

Not all fluids have the same effect. A high intake of fluids, such as water, is associated with a reduced risk of kidney stones ( 7 Trusted Source and 8 Trusted Source).

The cancer risk is also lower when you drink beverages like tea, beer, orange juice, 10 Trusted Source, and 11 Trusted Source.

This is true for both sugar-sweetened and artificially sweetened sodas . It is the same for sugar-sweetened and artificially sweetened ( 9TrustedSource).

These are important factors for kidney stone risk (a . These factors are associated with a higher risk of kidney stones ( 12 Trusted Source and 13 Trusted Source).

Several studies have linked the consumption of colas sweetened with sugar or artificially sweetened to an increased risk for kidney stones due to the phosphoric acid content ( 14 Trusted Source, 15 Trusted Source).

Summary: Staying well hydrated can help prevent kidney stones. While it is essential to stay hydrated,

Some beverages can reduce the risk, while others can increase it.

1. Citric acid is a powerful antioxidant.

Citric acid can be found in citrus fruits, vegetables, and others. This plant compound is particularly abundant in lemons and limes ( 16 Trusted Source).

Two ways that citric acid can help prevent calcium-oxalate stones (17 Trusted Source).

1. Stone prevention
2. formation:
3. It can bind to calcium in the urine and reduce the risk of a new stone.
4. formation (18 Trusted Source, 19 Trusted Source).
5. Stone prevention
6. enlargement:
7. It prevents calcium oxalate from forming crystals by binding with the existing calcium oxalate.
8. Getting bigger. You can pass these crystals faster before they become larger.
9. larger stones (16 Trusted Source, 19 Trusted Source).

Eat more Citrus Fruits such as oranges, grapefruits, limes, or lemons.

Add some lemon or lime juice to your water.

Summary Citric acid is a plant-based compound that can help prevent kidney stone formation.

From forming. Citrus fruits provide a great source of nutrition.

1. Limit foods that contain oxalates.

Oxalate is an antinutrient found in leafy greens ( 20 Trusted Source), fruits, vegetables, and cocoa.

Your body also produces a large amount of it.

High oxalate intake can increase the excretion of oxalate in urine. This is problematic for those who are prone to calcium-oxalate crystals. (21 trusted sources).

The oxidation of calcium can form crystals, leading to the formation of stones (21 Trusted Source).

Foods high in oxalate are also very healthy. Therefore, a low-oxalate, strict diet is not recommended for everyone who forms stones.

Only people with high oxalate levels (17 Trusted Source) in their urine should follow a low-oxalate dietary plan.

Consult your doctor or dietitian before changing your diet to determine if you could benefit from limiting the intake of foods high in oxalate.

Summary Oxalate-rich foods can cause problems for some people. However,

Seek advice from a professional before restricting these foods.

Not all people who form stones need to use this.

1. Avoid taking high doses of vitamin C

According to studies, vitamin C (ascorbic) supplements may increase the risk of kidney stones. (22 trusted sources, 23 Trusted Sources, and 24, Trusted Sources).

High intakes of supplemental Vitamin C can increase the excretion in urine of oxalate since some vitamin C is converted to oxalate by the body (25 Trusted Source and 26 Trusted Source).

According to a Swedish study, men in their middle age and older years who take vitamin C supplements are twice as likely as those who do not ( Source).

Note that consuming vitamin C in food, such as citrus fruits, does not increase the risk of developing a stone (27 Trusted Source).

Summary Some evidence suggests that vitamin C supplementation in high doses may be harmful.

Men are at increased risk for calcium oxalate stones.

1. Calcium is essential

There’s a common misconception that you should reduce your calcium intake to lower your risk of developing calcium-containing kidney stones.

This is not true. A diet high in calcium is associated with a reduced risk of kidney stones (28TrustedSource, 29TrustedSource, 30TrustedSource, 31TrustedSource).

In one study, men who had formed kidney stones containing calcium were given a diet that included 1,200 mg of calcium daily. This diet also contained low animal protein and sodium ( 29TrustedSource).

The men were at a lower risk for developing a second kidney stone in 5 years compared to the control group, who ate 400 mg of calcium daily.

Calcium in food tends to bond with oxalate, preventing it from being absorbed. The kidneys don’t need to go through the urinary tract.

Calcium is found in dairy products such as milk, yogurt, cheese, and cheese.

The recommended daily allowance for adults is 1,000mg of calcium per day. The RDA for women over 50 years and all adults over 70 is 1,200mg daily.