Carbonated Drinks
Carbonated drinks (i.e., soda, energy drinks, and certain bottled juices) will heighten the risk of developing kidney stones and even put you at risk for kidney disease. “Cola is high in phosphate, another chemical which can promote formation of [calcium oxalate] kidney stones,” says Healthline. As an alternative, if you can’t drink your water plain, use frozen berries, slices of citrus, or a splash of natural cranberry or pomegranate juice.
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Dairy Foods
We eat dairy products because they are high in calcium to build strong bones. However, for those prone to kidney stones, calcium is not a friend. In fact, it increases the excretion of calcium in the urine, making waste elimination more difficult and encouraging kidney stones to form.
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High-Oxalate Foods
What many people might not realize is that there are actually a few different types of kidney stones. The most common is calcium oxalate stones. “It forms when calcium in your pee combines with oxalate, a chemical that’s naturally in many foods,” says WebMD. Anyone who has suffered from this type of kidney stones should avoid high-oxalate foods.
This one is difficult because a lot of high-oxalate foods are plant based, which are actually the healthiest foods to eat! It might be impossible to completely eliminate any of these from your diet, but WebMD advises people try to limit their intake of: spinach, rhubarb, almonds and cashews, miso soup, grits, baked potatoes with skin, beets, cocoa powder, okra, bran cereals and shredded wheat cereals, french fries, raspberries, Stevia sweeteners, and sweet potatoes.