Kidney stone rates are rising, sending more than half a million people to emergency rooms each year1. Now more than ever, healthcare professionals stress the need for people to learn how to take better care of their kidneys and keep them healthy.
One who is helping to lead this trend is award-winning urologist Marshall Stoller, MD, who heads UC San Francisco’s urinary stone division. “Once a stone is large enough that it needs to be treated, it’s been forming for as long as two years,” says Stoller. “Many people think having stones is just bad luck. But there are many proven things you can control to keep your kidneys healthy, including increasing your intake of citrate.”
Marshall’s foundational four-step kidney health plan is also good for your heart
Reduce salt intake
Limit animal protein intake
Drink adequate amounts of fluid
Get some form of daily exercise
If this sounds a lot like heart-health advice, that’s because it is. “Statistics show that people who have kidney stones have an increased risk of also having a cardiac event,” Stoller explains. “It has to do with body chemistry. Kidney health should be addressed systematically. Often, whatever is happening in the heart is also happening in the kidneys.”
More pointers for following a kidney-healthy lifestyle
Follow a “stone wise” diet. “Servings of animal protein should be no larger than the palm of your hand, per meal. Limit your salt intake. The recommended daily limit is 2,300 mg/day. Most people eat twice that much or more! Remember, eating at home does not mean reheating take-out food, which is typically very high in sodium.” The National Kidney Foundation has some great advice for preparing flavorful, low-sodium meals.
Increase your citrate intake. “Citrate helps prevent stone formation by reducing the ability of calcium in the urine to bind with oxalate. Back in the early 90s, scientists found that lemonade increased citrate levels in the urine, but we now know that increase is not nearly high enough. To support daily kidney health with citrate, a better approach is to drink a citrate blend, developed by kidney health experts. Available over the counter as Moonstone Kidney Health Beverage, it contains the right amounts of citrate salts, lemon juice and vitamin B6 to optimize the body’s chemistry. It is also a convenient way to increase hydration.”
Maintain the recommended calcium intake. “There’s a misconception among the healthcare and lay communities that calcium stone formers should avoid calcium. The opposite is true. If you have excess calcium in your urine, it could be coming from your bones. Replenishing your calcium supply supports overall health, especially your bones. High calcium diets are not associated with increased kidney stone risk.”
Increase your fluid intake. “You should be urinating between 1.5 to 2 liters per day. You can generally tell when you are getting an adequate amount of fluids because your urine will be dilute or almost clear, not bright yellow.
Go when the urge strikes. “When you hold urine for long periods of time, you’re giving the calcium and oxalate extended time together, increasing the risk of forming stones.”
Consider changing your sleep posture throughout the night. If you are already a stone former, do you tend to have stones on one side more than the other? “While not proven scientifically, sleeping in one position for most of the night could give the concentration of calcium and oxalate in your kidneys extra time to bond.”
Stoller encourages everyone, even those without a personal or family history of kidney stones, to adopt a kidney-healthy lifestyle. “Kidney stones are happening to people at earlier ages these days. And the earlier you have a stone, the more likely you are to have chronic kidney disease later in life. Simple lifestyle changes, such as increasing your citrate levels by drinking Moonstone, may help your kidneys to stay healthier for the long term.”
Kidney stone rates are rising, sending more than half a million people to emergency rooms each year1. Now more than ever, healthcare professionals stress the need for people to learn how to take better care of their kidneys and keep them healthy.
One who is helping to lead this trend is award-winning urologist Marshall Stoller, MD, who heads UC San Francisco’s urinary stone division. “Once a stone is large enough that it needs to be treated, it’s been forming for as long as two years,” says Stoller. “Many people think having stones is just bad luck. But there are many proven things you can control to keep your kidneys healthy, including increasing your intake of citrate.”
Marshall’s foundational four-step kidney health plan is also good for your heart
Reduce salt intake
Limit animal protein intake
Drink adequate amounts of fluid
Get some form of daily exercise
If this sounds a lot like heart-health advice, that’s because it is. “Statistics show that people who have kidney stones have an increased risk of also having a cardiac event,” Stoller explains. “It has to do with body chemistry. Kidney health should be addressed systematically. Often, whatever is happening in the heart is also happening in the kidneys.”
More pointers for following a kidney-healthy lifestyle
Follow a “stone wise” diet. “Servings of animal protein should be no larger than the palm of your hand, per meal. Limit your salt intake. The recommended daily limit is 2,300 mg/day. Most people eat twice that much or more! Remember, eating at home does not mean reheating take-out food, which is typically very high in sodium.” The National Kidney Foundation has some great advice for preparing flavorful, low-sodium meals.
Increase your citrate intake. “Citrate helps prevent stone formation by reducing the ability of calcium in the urine to bind with oxalate. Back in the early 90s, scientists found that lemonade increased citrate levels in the urine, but we now know that increase is not nearly high enough. To support daily kidney health with citrate, a better approach is to drink a citrate blend, developed by kidney health experts. Available over the counter as Moonstone Kidney Health Beverage, it contains the right amounts of citrate salts, lemon juice and vitamin B6 to optimize the body’s chemistry. It is also a convenient way to increase hydration.”
Maintain the recommended calcium intake. “There’s a misconception among the healthcare and lay communities that calcium stone formers should avoid calcium. The opposite is true. If you have excess calcium in your urine, it could be coming from your bones. Replenishing your calcium supply supports overall health, especially your bones. High calcium diets are not associated with increased kidney stone risk.”
Increase your fluid intake. “You should be urinating between 1.5 to 2 liters per day. You can generally tell when you are getting an adequate amount of fluids because your urine will be dilute or almost clear, not bright yellow.
Go when the urge strikes. “When you hold urine for long periods of time, you’re giving the calcium and oxalate extended time together, increasing the risk of forming stones.”
Consider changing your sleep posture throughout the night. If you are already a stone former, do you tend to have stones on one side more than the other? “While not proven scientifically, sleeping in one position for most of the night could give the concentration of calcium and oxalate in your kidneys extra time to bond.”
Stoller encourages everyone, even those without a personal or family history of kidney stones, to adopt a kidney-healthy lifestyle. “Kidney stones are happening to people at earlier ages these days. And the earlier you have a stone, the more likely you are to have chronic kidney disease later in life. Simple lifestyle changes, such as increasing your citrate levels by drinking Moonstone, may help your kidneys to stay healthier for the long term.”