10 Natural Remedies for Kidney Stones

If you have ever experienced a kidney stone, you know just how painful and agonizing they can be.  While there is no definitive cause for kidney stones, they form when urine contains crystal-forming substances such as calcium, oxalate, and uric acid.  Often times, your urine lacks substances that prevent crystals from combining, which more often than not leads to the formation of kidney stones. There are a variety of risk factors for kidney stones, but the two largest factors are lack of water consumption, and diet.  While unpredictable in nature, there are still plenty of ways that you can potentially avoid kidney stones.

1. Lemon Juice and Olive Oil

While this combination might not sound very appealing, it has been shown to help dissolve kidney stones.  The citric acid in the lemons helps to break down the calcium-based kidney stones.  Try to drink this mixture 2-3 times a day for up to three days or until you pass the kidney stones.  It can also help relieve symptoms associated with kidney stones such as abdominal pain.  You should also make sure to drink sufficient amounts of water in order to get the desired result.

2. Pomegranate

Eating pomegranate as well as drinking pomegranate juice has been shown to provide a plethora of health benefits.  Some of these benefits include, lowering cholesterol and blood pressure, helping reduce the chances of other cardiac issues, and many more.  In addition to all of these benefits, it has also been shown to be a natural remedy for kidney stones. You can either eat pomegranate plant, or drink pomegranate juice.  Both the seeds and juice of pomegranate have properties that can help in the treatment in kidney stones.

3. Watermelon

Watermelon is another type of food that can help kidney stones. Watermelon contains potassium, which is a critical ingredient to enable healthy kidneys, and it also helps regulate acid levels in urine. Eating watermelon can help in combatting kidney stones for a variety of reasons.  Watermelon contains a high concentration of water, which can help flush out the stones from the kidneys.  Also, watermelon is a great fruit to make juice from.  If you own a juicer, you can juice the watermelons and then add limes or mint to the juice to not only make it taste great, but also to increase the cleansing benefits of the drink.

4. Celery

Celery is an effective vegetable for kidney stones. Raw celery, like watermelon, works as a diuretic, meaning that it is a great promoter of urine which in turn can help flush out the stones.  Celery juice can help clear out toxins that can lead to the formation of kidney stones.  If you have kidney stones, try to drink a glass of celery juice daily in order to fend off more stones from forming.  Celery seeds are also a great way to treat kidney stones.  You can drink tea made with celery seeds to reduce the uric acid build-up in the body.

5. Kidney Beans

Kidney beans have been shown to be effective in kidney stone prevention.  Given the name, kidney beans have been used for years to promote healthy kidneys.  One way to consume them is to remove the beans from the pod, if possible, and then boil the pods in boiling water for up to 6 hours.  The liquid can then be strained and taken throughout the day for one day to ease pain associated with kidney stones.  An easier, less time consuming way to get this source of kidney beans would be to add them to a soup or salad and it should have a similar effect.  

6. Basil

One of the best herbs used to treat kidney stones is basil.  Basil works as a tonic for the kidney and is beneficial to its overall health.  It can also help expel stones from the urinary tract.  One remedy involving basil that you can try is to take one teaspoon of basil juice and raw honey and eat that combination for up to six months.  Basil tea is also a great way to handle kidney stones as well as help ward them off in the future.  

7. Change in diet

One of the most important changes to make when dealing with kidney stones is to adjust your diet.  Unhealthy diet is the most common cause of kidney stones. Try to avoid alcoholic beverages and processed foods.  Also, try and add more fruits and vegetables to your diet, if possible, especially some of the ones we have mentioned above.  It is also important to avoid foods that have high levels of oxalate such as rhubarb, beets, spinach, soybean, okra, peanuts, and sweets like sugary foods and chocolate.

8. Parsley Leaf Extract

Parsley, much like celery, works as a diuretic and can help increase the flow of fluids through the kidneys and flush out the stones, as well as get rid of any excess bacteria and germs.

9. Uva Ursi Leaves

Uva ursi may be used to reduce inflammation and urinary tract infections that often occur as a result of kidney stones.  The herb also works as a diuretic to increase urine flow to the kidneys and possibly limit the chances of more stones forming.

10. Plant Extracts

Plant extracts such as parsley, uva ursi, and buchu leaf extract can have a huge impact in helping manage your kidney stones.  Supplements containing some of these plant extracts together can have an even stronger impact in helping manage your kidney stones.  For more tips and information, feel free to reach out to us here at PürMedica.   

These are all great ways to help manage kidney stones and also to stop them from returning.  However, if you have tried these remedies and are still not getting the results you want, you can also purchase Vesipür, a PurMedica product that helps manage kidney stones.