How to Avoid Kidney Stones with Natural Treatments
Kidney function is urinary in manner – in fact the purpose of the kidneys is to create and process urine sending it out through the ureter to the bladder. In the process, they are cleaning your blood and removing excess water and waste products. When because of disease, stones, cysts or infection the kidneys cannot function normally, the resulting problems can be quite critical and can lead to kidney failure, which has severe symptoms. Although we have two kidneys and can function with only one, the chances of infections, inflammation and other problems are heightened. When the kidneys cease to function all together, hands and feet swell and listlessness sets in. If left untreated it can lead to coma, seizures and eventually death. The key to keeping good kidney function is partially through dietary treatment and partially lifestyle related. For kidneys to function well and avoid the creation of stones, avoid succumbing to infection, and retain health to avoid acquired diseases and cysts, they need plenty of water. Water is a natural toxin remover and when the kidneys have enough water, they can pull toxins from the blood stream to be expelled through the urine. Drinking 6 to 8 oz of water 8 to 10 times throughout the day is recommended. Calcium is a main proponent in the prevention of kidney stones. Although most people think that since 80% of stones are calcium oxalate, the key is to ingest less calcium. This is unfortunately exactly the wrong thing to do. Calcium bonds to foods containing oxalate and is generally carried out of the body through the gastro-intestinal tract. When there is not enough calcium to bond with, oxalate ends up in the kidneys and in the urine. Ironically, oxalate is a strong promoter of calcium oxalate precipitation. It is, in fact, about 15 times stronger than calcium – hence the stones. Protecting the kidneys is partially a process of watching what you eat and getting plenty of water to drink. There are also many natural supplements and treatments you can take to ensure good kidney function and to prevent kidney disease, stones and the growth of cysts. One final word of caution – many problems in the kidneys can work their way upwards from the urinary tract. Urine infections can be particularly prone to this kind of cross migration so be sure you add diuretic juices to the list of natural treatments you plan to employ.
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