Kidney and urinary system stone disease threatens public health all over the world. One in every ten people in the society develops stones at some stage of their life, but especially deteriorations in nutrition, lifestyle and environmental factors cause the disease to occur more frequently.
The Prevalence in Women has Increased
Recent studies have revealed that the incidence of stone disease, which is known to be 2-3 times more common in men than in women, has now increased worldwide. We see the reasons for this in global warming, increasingly stressful living conditions and changes in eating habits. Fast-food style nutrition, soft drinks, genetically modified products, inadequate and unhealthy nutrition, inactivity and low water consumption ultimately lead to increased obesity and disrupt the balance in urine in favor of stone formation.
Neglected treatment or frequent recurrences Stone disease can cause permanent deterioration in kidney functions and kidney failure. 50 percent of patients who have passed a stone once pass a stone again within 5 years. Therefore, one should be aware of stone disease and take precautions to prevent or at least reduce stone formation.
The most important factor in preventing stones from forming is the amount of fluid taken. If people who are prone to stone formation do not drink enough water to produce at least 2-2.5 liters of urine per day, new stones will form as stone-forming substances precipitate in concentrated urine. A diet rich in protein and carbohydrates and poor in fibrous foods increases the risk of stone disease.
The biggest reason for the increase is obesity and malnutrition!
Stone stones have doubled all over the world in the last 30 years. The incidence of the disease increases significantly, especially in adolescent children and women. The main reasons for this situation are rapidly spreading obesity, eating habits rich in carbohydrates and salt, and a sedentary lifestyle. Insulin resistance, which occurs due to unhealthy nutrition and a sedentary lifestyle, eliminates the protective effect of the female hormone estrogen, causing women to be prone to stone formation. 1950's While in the past, stone disease was 7 times more common in men than in women, today it has been determined that this rate has decreased to 1.5 times.
How Should People with Stone Disease Eat?
Carbonated and still drinks that disrupt the urinary acid-base balance should be avoided. Dairy products such as milk and yoghurt and cheese, which are sources of calcium, should be consumed in reasonable amounts. Not consuming it at all also increases the risk of stone formation. You should also consume foods containing high oxalates, such as vegetables, beets, soy, black tea, chocolate, cocoa, dried figs, black pepper, hazelnuts, spinach, strawberries and blackberries, in moderation rather than excessively, and preferably with calcium-rich foods. In this way, excess oxalate combines with calcium and is excreted from the intestines before passing into the blood. Salt consumption and uric acid-rich animal proteins (red meat, offal and shellfish) should be reduced, and non-animal protein sources such as legumes should be preferred.
Citrate is one of the most important preservatives that prevent the formation of stones in the urine. It is a known fact that stone formation decreases when the citrate level in urine is increased. For this reason, lemons, citrus fruits and tomatoes, which are sources of citrate, should be consumed frequently. The simplest and most practical application is to squeeze lemon into the water you drink daily. Homemade lemonade is also my recommendation.
Special Diet Recommendations Should Be Followed
We must protect the body mass index, that is, we must avoid obesity. Let us note that regular physical activity adapted to our daily life, especially swimming and walking, is very important in reducing stone formation by accelerating metabolism.
Some diets recommended for weight loss are diets rich in animal protein and low in carbohydrates. If diets containing this content are followed, the level of calcium, oxalate and uric acid in the urine increases and citrate decreases, which facilitates stone formation. In patients with frequently recurring stone disease, metabolic analysis and special diet recommendations should be prepared.
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