Making kidneys the lean, mean fighting machine….

English

Sam and Kevin are brothers between the 25-35 year age group, but quite different from one another. Kevin was always the studious sort.  On reaching adulthood, he was keen on maintaining a career as his priority. He was quite regular at the gym. But his younger brother loved athletics. His brother would undergo formal training in badminton, football, and several other sports. Sam knows very well, what high-energy sports would mean – their impact. So his daily regimen centers around fuelling up with bananas, eggs, chicken and at times bacon too.

To compensate for fast depleting calcium in his body, Sam guzzles quite a few milk drinks while on the move. Some are calcium based, while few are high in protein, yet others tout soy as their main ingredient. Sam thought he was taking good care of himself with such a well-regulated diet and other factors. He was building bone and muscle health. He was trying to tone his body while staying hydrated, taking enough rest, and maintaining an appropriate weight.

But despite this, Sam ended up in hospital. Shocking, but true. In a nutshell – Sam like many other 30-year-old men had a history of kidney stones. He did not realize that the additional calcium which he would consume at least twice daily would be counterproductive.

But despite the possibility of recurrence of kidney stones due to calcium supplements, one shouldn’t stop the intake. He or she should first consult the doctor.

All this made Kevin nervous. He knew kidney stones are formed when the urine contains high levels of calcium, uric acid, and oxalate.  So for those who are at risk of recurring kidney stones, need to get adequate calcium from food. You should not use those additional supplements: Christopher concluded after analyzing and dissecting information on the net. But here’s interpreting the key finding:

Co-relation between kidney stones and calcium supplements

In a study by Christopher Loftus, Cleveland Clinic, 2060 people with a history of kidney stones who had been through two CT scans within two years were studied. While 1500 among them had calcium supplements, 417 had Vitamin D every day but the remaining set of people didn’t use any supplements. The finding here was small stones would easily pass off unnoticed while the supplements causing larger stones would result in terrible pain. ..

Urologists say another finding among the calcium users is the rapid formation of new stones. But as mentioned earlier in this article, calcium from food does not have the same effect, as food also has other nutrients. Also, the food contains traces of the oxalate compound which easily bind with the calcium and is excreted without inducing complications. This makes it amply clear that calcium is not the enemy. While this study throws light on calcium intake, it is necessary to have an overall understanding of kidney stones, in order to prevent or treat it effectively.

What are kidney stones?

When excessive calcium deposits or crystals accumulated from waste products in the body form a lump-like stone and block some part of the urinary system such as the urethra or ureter and lead to pain, and/or infection of the urinary tract, it is known as nephrolithiasis or kidney stones. It affects men more than women with the incidence of three in twenty men and two in twenty women.

 What is Calcium Oxalate Stone

This type is one of the most prevalent among all kidney stones. Fruits, vegetables, certain teas, chocolates, nuts, seeds, grains, legumes are natural sources of oxalate. But sweet potatoes, spinach, beets, spinach should not be branded as high in oxalate and cut out completely, as the content of oxalate in the food depends on the soil in which it is cultivated and the state of ripeness when plucked for consumption.

Urologists say that when food with calcium and oxalate are consumed together result in the two binding together well in the stomach and intestines, before the kidneys process it, thereby decreasing the chances of kidney stones being formed. And for someone like Sam, this would surely be a better alternative than restricting or excluding food which provides oxalate!

 When does Uric acid stone occur?

This occurs due to the concentrated amount of purine, which is a natural chemical compound. Red meat, shellfish sugary food, and sweeteners, alcohol: You need to avoid all of these in large measure as they trigger uric acid levels. More fruits, vegetables and lots of water are the best way to cut the risk of developing uric acid stone and gout.

As for Sam, he consults a dietician who has drastically reduced his daily servings of cheese and animal protein.

Kidneys are extremely components of our body, and any distress to them should not be ignored. Contact a Urologist today.