Kidney stones can be an uncomfortable and painful experience for anyone who has suffered from them. The pain can range from a dull ache in the stomach to a very severe pain in the lower back and can sometimes be accompanied by nausea and blood in the urine. The National Kidney Foundation reports that more and more people are suffering from kidney stones, with about one in ten people in the US alone likely to suffer from them at some point in their lives. If you have kidney stones or have suffered from them in the past, then please read on about how you can use apple cider vinegar for kidney stones.
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What are kidney stones and what are their causes?
Kidney stones, or kidney stones, form when there is a build-up of minerals in the kidneys or bladder. The minerals turn into small crystals and usually pass painlessly in the urine.
However, sometimes the crystals get larger and do not empty. They will then lodge in the kidneys and urinary tract thus causing a great deal of pain. There are a number of factors that make this happen, some of these are:
- Not drinking enough water
- Consuming foods with excess sugar and / or salt
- Being overweight
- Have a sedentary lifestyle
- Hereditary factors
Kidney stones can range from the size of a small grain of sand to the size of a pebble. Some have even become the size of a golf ball. There are 4 main types of kidney stones:
- Calcium oxalate. This is the most common type of kidney stone and is caused when calcium combines with oxalate in the urine. It can be caused by eating too many foods such as potato chips, peanuts, chocolate, beets, and spinach.
- Uric acid. This is more common in men and occurs when there is too much acid in the urine and can be caused by eating too much red meat, organ meat, and shellfish.
- Struvite. Found mainly in women, these can turn into large stones and are usually caused by an infection in the kidneys.
- Cystine. These are rare and are caused by a genetic disorder.
Symptoms produced by kidney stones
One of the main symptoms that you have kidney stones is pain in the lower back, abdomen or groin. The pain usually comes in waves and can sometimes be extremely painful. In fact, it has been described as one of the most painful medical conditions a person can experience. There could also be pain when urinating.
Some other symptoms are:
- Pink, red, brown color in urine
- Nausea or vomiting
- Constant urge to urinate
Of course, if you experience any of these symptoms, you should see your healthcare professional as soon as possible.
If you think you may have kidney stones, then you can use apple cider vinegar for kidney stones as this can help start their dissolution.
Treat kidney stones with apple cider vinegar
First of all, it is good to know how apple cider vinegar works to dissolve kidney stones.
Apple cider vinegar contains acetic acid. However, when acetic acid is ingested in our body it has an alkaline effect. A healthy body has to be more alkaline than acidic, and calcium oxalate, cystine, and the uric acid form in urine have too much acid.
Apple cider vinegar stimulates the production of alkaline substances and helps urine and blood to become more alkaline. This results in the wear and tear of the kidney stones and also helps prevent more stones from forming.
It is also important to use only apple cider and vinegar, in a natural state, unfiltered. It should also contain the “mother” in it, the cloudy sediment in the bottle. It contains all the enzymes and nutrients necessary to obtain its health benefits. Here are some ways to use apple cider vinegar to get rid of kidney stones:
Refreshing toner
Mix 1 to 2 teaspoons of apple cider vinegar in a glass containing 6 to 8 ounces of water and drink frequently throughout the day. Drinking a mixture of water and apple cider vinegar will help dissolve kidney stones and get them out of your body.
A little honey can be added to improve the taste, and the combination of honey and apple cider vinegar has many health benefits. You can also add apple cider vinegar to smoothies. Drinking apple cider vinegar is not only good for kidney stones, but it also has many other health benefits.
You can also drink apple cider vinegar every day to prevent kidney stones. To do this, mix 1 to 2 tablespoons of apple cider vinegar in a large glass of water and drink once a day. The acetic acid in apple cider vinegar will help regulate your pH levels and help prevent more kidney stones from forming.
In salads
You can also use raw apple cider vinegar to make a healthy salad dressing. Just substitute apple cider vinegar for your regular vinegar for your salad dressing.
This is a simple recipe for a vinaigrette: In a glass tumbler mix 1/4 cup of raw apple cider vinegar, 1/3 cup of extra virgin olive oil, 2 tbsp. fresh lemon juice, 1 clove minced garlic, 1 tablespoon mustard, 1 tablespoon raw honey (or as needed for sweetness), salt and pepper to taste. Seal the lid and shake well until the honey dissolves and the ingredients are combined. Adjust the flavor to taste if necessary.
Now you know how to use apple cider vinegar for kidney stones, but what else can you do to reduce your risk of kidney stones in the future?
Other measures to reduce the risk of kidney stones
A good preventive measure that has already been mentioned, is to drink a large glass of water daily with 1 or 2 tbsp. of mixed raw apple cider vinegar. However, there are other practical steps that can be taken to reduce your risk of developing kidney stones.
Lemon juice
Lemon juice contains citric acid that affects the body’s pH levels in a similar way that acetic acid does. So, this means that the citric acid in lemon juice will also lower the acid levels in the urine and thus reduce the risk of kidney stones.
Use lemon juice in the same way that you use apple cider vinegar, and make sure it is always consumed raw.
Do not use bottled lemon juice found in supermarkets, as these products are often pasteurized and do not contain your enzymes and nutrients. Add it to smoothies, salad dressings, and warm water. There are also many other health benefits of drinking lemon juice mixed with water.
Stay hydrated
It is important to maintain good hydration. But, to prevent kidney stones, it is more important to make sure that you pass a lot of urine during the day.
This is especially true in hot weather or when exercising strenuously. This is because the more you sweat, the less water passes through your kidneys and this can lead to a build-up of the minerals that form kidney stones.
You should drink enough water so that your urine is always light and clear.
Reduce salt
Salt can increase the chance of developing kidney stones because it causes the kidneys to excrete more calcium which then combines with oxalate in the urine to form stones.
Foods rich in oxalate
The Mayo Clinic recommends eating fewer oxalate-rich foods, such as rhubarb, beets, okra, spinach, chard, sweet potatoes, nuts, tea, and chocolate if you tend to form calcium oxalate stones.
However, the National Kidney Foundation states that it is a common misconception that cutting out oxalate-rich foods in the diet will reduce the likelihood of calcium oxalate kidney stone formation. The foundation claims that in theory this could be true, but this approach is not smart from an overall health standpoint as oxalate is found naturally in many foods, including fruits and vegetables, nuts and seeds, grains and vegetables.
Since most oxalate kidney stones form when they bind to calcium while urine is produced by the kidneys, the foundation recommends instead eating and drinking calcium-rich and oxalate-rich foods together during a meal. By doing so, oxalate and calcium are more likely to bind to each other in the stomach and intestines before the kidneys begin processing, so kidney stones are less likely to form.