Prevent Kidney Stones with DASH Diet

The guidelines for preventing heart disease and strokes, from The American Heart Association and The American College of Cardiology recommend the DASH (Dietary Approaches to Stop Hypertension) diet, which "emphasizes on eating fruits, vegetables, whole grains, low-fat dairy products, poultry, fish and nuts."

A new study claims that this eating plan can also help people in preventing and treating kidney stones. People with kidney stones are advised to a follow a diet low in “oxalate.” This is because; kidney stones are mostly formed when oxalate binds to calcium while the kidneys make urine.

"Previous studies have recommended that those with kidney stones follow a low-oxalate diet to reduce one's chances of forming another stone," Dr. Kerry Willis, senior vice president for scientific activities at the National Kidney Foundation, said in a foundation news release.

"However," Willis added, "many high-oxalate foods are healthful and a low-oxalate diet can be very restrictive. The DASH diet reflects a more balanced diet and as a result may be easier and more realistic to follow long term."

The research showed that a DASH diet rich in fruits, vegetables, legumes and nuts, moderate in low-fat dairy and low in animal proteins, refined grains and sweets could help prevent kidney stones.

However, high levels of oxalate are found in many nutritious foods, such as beets, navy beans, bulgur, kale, almonds, sweet potatoes, rice bran, rhubarb and spinach, the researchers pointed out.

"Most people do not eat single, isolated nutrients, such as oxalate, but rather meals consisting of a variety of foods," study leader Dr. Nazanin Noori, at the Hospital for Sick Children in Toronto, said in the news release. "So a practical diet plan for kidney stone prevention should be based on the cumulative effects of foods and the impact overall dietary patterns have on risk for stone formation rather than single nutrients."

The study was published in the March issue of the American Journal of Kidney Stones.

Source: HealthDay Reporter

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