Nutrition tips to lower kidney stone risk

Kidney stones affect roughly one in ten people over a lifetime. Dehydration, high sodium intake, excessive processed foods, red meat, low calcium and added sugars are identified as major risk factors.

Nutrition experts recommend limiting salt and processed snacks, reducing red‑meat consumption, and ensuring sufficient calcium through dairy products or calcium‑fortified plant milks. Citrus fruits such as lemons, oranges and limes provide citrate, which can inhibit crystal formation, while low‑oxalate vegetables like kale and bok choy supply calcium without raising urinary oxalates.

Herbal diuretic teas are also suggested to increase urine output and help prevent stone formation. Plants commonly cited include horsetail, rabbit‑tail, cherry‑vine, corn silk, nettle and other diuretic herbs.