Diet may beat kidney stones

Monday August 17th, 2009

Researchers have found another benefit of healthy eating - it helps prevent kidney stones.

Eating a healthy diet cuts the risk of developing the stones by as much as 45 per cent, according to kidney specialists.

The findings come from an analysis of the diets of more than 200,000 Americans.

The study tested the benefits of the so-called DASH diet, developed to help reduce blood pressure.

It involves a large amount of fruit, vegetable, nuts, low-fat dairy products and whole grains. It is low in salt, sweet drinks and red meat.

The researchers found a total of 5,645 kidney stones amongst those in the study.

The findings are reported in the Journal of the American Society of Nephrology by Dr Eric Taylor, of the Maine Medical Center.

The researchers write: "Many of the medications used to treat kidney stones have unpleasant side effects. This study indicates that adopting a DASH-style diet may be an effective alternative."

Journal of the American Society of Nephrology August 13, 2009, doi 10.1681/ASN.2009030276.

Tags: Internal Medicine | North America | Nutrition & Healthy Eating

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