Kidney Stones & WFPB

About

Instagram

YouTube

Disclaimer

›

›

›

21 Dec 2020

How prevalent are kidney stones?

"Kidney stones affect approximately 1 in 11 people in the United States, though 20 years ago it was only 1 in 20, a dramatic increase in the prevalence of this disease, which started going up after World War II." — Dr Greger in this video

Plant vs Animal Proteins for Kidney Health explained that reducing our intake of acid-forming foods (animal products: meat, eggs, cheese) and increase in intake of base-inducing foods (plant foods like whole grains, fruits & vegetables) may improve kidney health. Has this been put to the test? In the videos below, Dr Greger explains intervention studies along these lines.

Articles by Dr Greger:

(2017) The Best Diet to Prevent Kidney Stones
(2015) Who Should be Careful About Curcumin?
(2017) Treating Kidney Stones with Diet

Videos by Dr Greger: The 2019 video below is a 'Flashback Friday' video that combines and updates the content from the two earlier videos from 2015.

(2019) How to Prevent and Treat Kidney Stones with Diet

(9 mins) Transcript. Dr Greger's summary: "Interventional studies support the population data that animal protein consumption appears to markedly increase the risk of kidney stones. Decreasing animal protein and sodium intake appears more effective in treating calcium oxalate and uric acid kidney stones (nephrolithiasis) than restricting calcium or oxalates."

(2015) How to Prevent Kidney Stones with Diet

(4 mins) Transcript. Dr Greger's summary: "Interventional studies support the population data that animal protein consumption appears to markedly increase the risk of kidney stones."

(2015) How to Treat Kidney Stones with Diet

(6 mins) Transcript. Dr Greger's summary: "Decreasing animal protein and sodium intake appears more effective in treating calcium oxalate and uric acid kidney stones (nephrolithiasis) than restricting calcium or oxalates."

(2014) Who Shouldn't Consume Curcumin or Turmeric?

(5 mins) Transcript. Dr Greger's summary: "Just because something is natural and plant-based doesn't mean it's necessarily safe. Those who are pregnant, have gallstones, or are susceptible to kidney stones may want to moderate their turmeric consumption."

(2021) Do Vitamin C Supplements Prevent Colds But Cause Kidney Stones?

(4 mins) Transcript. Many of us reach out for Vitamin C supplements in response to common cold. This video is worth watching to understand the efficacy of Vitamin C to prevent (and treat) common cold, and the increased risk of kidney stones.

Oxalates

Articles at NutritionFacts:

(2015) What are the hazards of oxalates? by Joseph Gonzales is an excellent read with many details. An exerpt:

"Update: I have become concerned enough about kidney stone risk that anyone who eats cups a day (as they should!) of dark green leafy vegetables should probably stick to low-oxalate greens (i.e. basically any greens other than spinach, swiss chard, and beet greens). Video forthcoming, but just wanted to give everyone a heads up."
What about the oxalic acid in beets? This short Q&A article is also insightful.

Videos at NutritionFacts:

(2019) Oxalates in Spinach and Kidney Stones: Should We Be Concerned?

(5 mins) Transcript. Dr Greger's summary: "Even though dietary oxalates may have a limited effect on kidney stone risk in most people, there are some predisposing factors that can put anyone at risk."

(2019) Kidney Stones and Spinach, Chard, and Beet Greens: Don't Eat Too Much

(5 mins) Transcript. Dr Greger's summary: "Given their oxalate content, how much is too much spinach, chard, beet greens, chaga mushroom powder, almonds, cashews, star fruit, and instant tea?"

(2009) Oxalates in Cinnamon

(3 mins) Transcript. In this video, Dr Greger explains that oxalates in cinnamon are not of much concern ("So, is a spoonful of cinnamon too much, too? Harmful, harmless, or helpful? Even a few spoonfuls a day is not too much" — Dr Greger). However, oxalates in turmeric are of concern ("So keep it under a teaspoon of turmeric a day." — Dr Greger).

(5 mins, 2020) Eating Leafy Greens - Should We Be Concerned About Oxalates? Dr Klaper

YouTube video summary:

Dr. Klaper shares why it is so important to eat nutrition-packed leafy greens as part of a whole food plant-based diet. He shares that not all greens are created equal and we should take care when eating some oxalate-rich greens too often.

Ph Estimation Hack

How may we estimate the pH of our urine at home? Using this DIY at-home hack:

(2013) Testing Your Diet with Pee & Purple Cabbage

(5 mins) Transcript. Dr Greger's summary: "Plant-based diets tend to be alkaline-forming. This may help protect muscle mass, and reduce the risk of gout and kidney stones. The pH of one's urine can be estimated with natural pigments, using kitchen chemistry."

Additional Resources

Jack Norris, RD, has published a series of articles on oxalates (in the video below, Brenda Davis speaks highly of these articles):

Oxalate at VeganHealth by Jack Norris.
(2014) EPIC-Oxford: Kidney Stone Risk for Vegetarians not Increased
(2013) Oxalate — Kind of a Big Deal
(2013) Calcium Chart Updated — Calcium Absorption Modified

Recommendations by Jack Norris in the articles above:

Boil high-oxalate leafy greens and discard the water.
Meet the RDA for calcium. Eat high-calcium foods or take calcium with meals; calcium citrate if you have a history of calcium-oxalate stones.
Drink plenty of fluid.
Do not include large amounts of high-oxalate vegetables in your green smoothies.
Do not take large amounts of vitamin C.

(7 mins, 2022) Vegans Actually Have A Significantly Lower Risk Of Kidney Stones Compared To Nonvegetarians | Brenda Davis

Brenda Davis recommends oxalate articles by Jack Norris summarized above.

gurmeet@gmail.com