You have probably received advice from family members or coworkers in the form of home remedies to get rid of kidney stones. In this article, we will inform you about what can or cannot truly help you.
The causes of kidney stone formation depend on many factors and are specific to each person. However, when a kidney stone forms, it is because at some point the urine has been too concentrated in certain mineral salts that have crystallized and grown to form a kidney stone. If the stone has had enough time to grow, its expulsion can cause pain or it can block the flow of urine in the urinary system and create a lot of pressure in the kidney, which is known as renal colic.
In general, professionals recommend drinking plenty of water daily to prevent the formation of stones, as well as to try to expel them spontaneously when they are small. While it is best to avoid alcoholic beverages or sodas and other sugary drinks, any infusion with a diuretic effect can help the stone elimination process as it is a liquid that will promote urination. Infusions with a diuretic effect include those based on horsetail, dandelion, parsley, or verbena.
However, be careful with all homemade products that promise to dissolve your stones. It is important to know that only uric acid stones can be attempted to be dissolved non-surgically, but they require close monitoring by your doctor as it involves significantly raising the urinary pH and keeping it very alkaline for a certain period, and this cannot be done with just any product. Most stones are composed of calcium oxalate, a mineral salt whose crystallization is independent of urinary pH. Products based on plants called "stone breakers" have no clinical evidence of inhibiting or dissolving stones apart from the diuretic effect we mentioned earlier.
In addition to the general measures your doctor gives you, such as drinking more water, having a balanced diet, and engaging in regular physical activity, they may also recommend products like Lit-Control, based on urinary pH modulators and specific crystallization inhibitors depending on the type of kidney stone you have. You may need to avoid certain types of foods; click on the following links to find out which ones would be best for your type of stone:
