Oxalate Kidney Stones

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This page is dedicated to Oxalate Kidney Stones.

Calcium Oxalate makes up the vast majority of kidney stones. Calcium and Oxalate come together to make kidney stones.

Calcium oxalate is a very insoluble salt, wich means that it takes very little calcium and oxalate together in solutions to form crystals.

Approximately 80% of stones are composed of calcium oxalate.

When calcium intake is low, more oxalate is available for absorbtion and the risk of stone formation increases. A normal calcium intake is recommended to prevent oxalate kidney stones formation.

High intake of animal protein increase urinary excretion of calcium and reduce urinary pH, so, protein intake in excess is not recommended for people with a hystory od oxalate kidney stones.

Citrate is the best inhibitor of kidney stones. The more citrate in your urine, the less likely you are to form a calcium oxalate crystal.Additionally, the more diluite a urine is, the less likely it is to make a calcium oxalate crystal.

Overingestion of sodium provides for less calcium reabsorption to the blood causing calcium excretion in larger quantities via the urine. A low-sodium diet is expected to conversely increase the reabsorption of sodium and calcium from the proximal tubule into the blood so that less remains in the urine, reducing stone risk. So, it is recommended to reduce the dietary sodium intake to maintain the right balance of sodium and calcium in the blood and urine.

Nutrition Recommandations for oxalate kidney stones:

Drink 4 quarts of fluids throughout the day, with most in the form of water.

Avoid high oxalate foods and magadoses of vitamin C.

Maintain adequate calcium intake.

Avoid high intake of animal proteins and sodium.

Limit foods with significant amounts of oxalate such as spinach, beets, rhubarb, wheat germ, chocolate, peanuts, sweet potatoes, liver, grits, grapes, green pepper, celery, strawberries and black tea.

Other useful indications:

Curhan, Willett, Speizer, and Stampfer (1998) found that grapefruit juice was directly associated with kidney stone formation in women,(Curhan, Willett, Rimm, Spiegelman, & Stampfer, 1996).

Wabner and Pak (1993) found that orange juice was equally as effective in reducing the lithogenic qualities of urine as was potassium citrate supplementation among 11 men in a prospective crossover study. Coe, Parks, and Webb (1992) found a favorable change in urinary citrate among six female participants who consumed calcium-fortified orange juice in an 11-week, crossover study.

As another source of citrate, lemonade is often recommended to patients with stones. Seltzer et al. (1996) found that the intake of lemonade in 12 calcium stone formers could aid in reducing risk factors for stone formation. In this study, lemonade increased urinary citrate in 11 of 12 subjects with hypocitraturia (daily urinary citrate less than 320 mg) by a mean value of 204 mg per day. Lemonade is an inexpensive alternative to potassium citrate supplementation.

McHarg, Rodgers, and Charlton (2003) studied the effects of cranberry juice on the urinary qualities expected to impact the risk of stone formation. In a randomized crossover study, 20 South African men were given two different diets with and without cranberry juice, and urinary measurements were analyzed. Use of cranberry juice, which was high in both vitamin C and oxalate, resulted in improvements in urinary properties expected to reduce the risk of calcium oxalate stone formation, specifically increased urinary citrate, and reduced urinary oxalate and phosphate.

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