Complete Guide on Keto Diet and Kidney Stones

From Rapid weight loss to lower blood pressure and maintaining blood sugar levels, a keto diet or a low-carbohydrate diet can offer many positive effects. However, like with any other diet, there are many factors involved in overall health benefits. Keto diet and Kidney stones [1] are often co-related with each other and taken as a risk factor that has been associated with the ketogenic diet.

Some argue that this diet involves too much protein, while some claim that mineral imbalances are the fault. But are these claims truthful? While the ketogenic diet is apparently moderate in protein, it is not particularly high. And the window of time where there may be a mineral imbalance is relatively short.

What are Kidney Stones?

We all know that kidney dysfunction’s when stones are formed. Some people face developing these stones, but only a few of us know how they are developed. Let’s get some knowledge!

Our urinary tract includes the renal, ureters, and bladder. Urine is made, carried, and processed in the body by the urinary tract. Urine is formed by the kidneys and the waste of your body. The urine then reaches the bladder through the ureters, where it is deposited.

 

Your urine is leaving the body through the urethra. These are formed in either kidneys or only one, and certain stones travel to the ureter from the kidney. The ureters are pipes that link the bladder with the kidneys. The ureteral stone is formed when a stone leaves the kidney and gets in a ureter.

The Relation Between kidney stones and Ketones

The lack of water throughout your keto diet or low-carb diet might be one of the causes of kidney stones. You should bear in mind that the body goes through a ketosis state during your ketogenic diet that helps the ketones to eliminate urine. Some many minerals and salts are often eliminated through the elimination of ketones. Sodium removal mainly occurs because it is positively charged.

The idea here is that the ketones are full of negative charges and involve positively charged compounds. The elimination of sodium can be observed for this reason. It begins to accumulate when there is an excess amount of sodium in the kidneys, and the formation of calcium stones begins. This is why keeping yourself hydrated and avoiding the risk of this is necessary.

Causes of Kidney/Calcium Stones

Although anyone can have a kidney stone, some people are at higher risk of following a low-carbohydrate diet. Men have more possibilities than women to have them. The removal of waste and fluid from the blood to create urine is among your kidneys’ primary tasks. However, these waste products can build up and produce kidney stones if you have too much waste or do not have enough fluid.

Calcium:

The most frequent type of stone is calcium stones. Calcium oxalate stones, in particular. Too much salt is a risk factor for calcium stones because they replenish less calcium as your kidneys are working to discard the sodium. This means that less calcium is transferred back into your blood from your urine and is thus stuck hanging around in your kidneys.

Uric Acid:

Uric acid stones may form when your urine contains excess corrosive acid and causes a risk for kidney stones. Eating many fish, shellfish, and meat, especially organic meat, may increase the amount of uric acid in the urine.

 Reasons:

•  You had this before
•  There are patients from your family (Inherited)
•  Consuming High Oxalate Foods
•  You do not drink enough water.
•  You have a high-protein, sodium, or sugar intake.
•  You are fat or overweight.
•  You had a gastric bypass procedure or other bowel operation.
•  Polycystic kidney or other cystic kidney disorders are present.

Symptoms

A heavy, intense pain on the back and side are the typical symptoms of kidney stone. Sometimes this feeling is focused on the lower abdomen or groin. Sometimes the pain begins abruptly and spreads. It will come and go as the body attempts to remove the stone.

 

In men, the pain may radiate to the groin. Renal colic pain comes and goes, although it can be severe. People with kidney colic tend to be restless. Other symptoms may include:

• A sense of prolonged urination.
• Urinate more frequently and experiencing burning during urination.
• Blood-based urine is dark or crimson. Often urine has tiny red blood cell numbers that you cannot see through your naked eyes.
• The feeling of vomiting and nausea.

You may not have any pain or symptoms in the case of a small kidney stone as the stone moves through your urinary tract.

Keto Diet/Low-Carb Diet and risk of Kidney Stones

Many sources say that the ketogenic diet can cause stones of the kidneys. Most reports say that the ketogenic diet is responsible for producing kidney stones due to its high protein content. [2] The ketogenic diet, however, is not high in protein— it is high in fat. This theory is not right because of the high-fat content, rather than proteins, of the ketogenic diet. Some people might adopt the diet wrongly. The risk of kidney stones in these cases is higher than in others.

If you are doing Keto Diet or low-carb diet and have a Kidney Stone developed in your body, that might be due to the high oxalate in the food you consume. [3]

The Mistake People make while following Keto Diet or low-carbohydrate diet

Many foods contain high oxalate content and following a keto diet might be a victim of these foods.

Example 1

When people start KETOGENIC DIET or a low-carb diet, they often switch to almond flour instead of the regular one due to high carb content. Now, almonds have a high oxalate value which can cause kidney stones very easily. Now imagine joining almonds with chocolate, which is also a high oxalate product. It would be a win-win situation for kidney stones.

Example 2

Everyone loves spinach. Even Popeye ate it way too much to get stronger. But, it might not be suitable for everyone as it has high oxalate content. If you combine it with some other products with high Oxalate, it will definitely cause kidney stones.

What researchers have to say about Kidney Stones?

Kidney stones are one of the most adverse effects of the keto diet or low-carb diet. The Journal of Child Neurology has released studies showing that 13 out of 195 subjects developed kidney stones in children adopting the keto diet to treat children with epilepsy. The study found a decreased risk of kidney stones in children supplementing oral potassium citrate. There is more chance of having a kidney stone risk in the keto diet because of the high protein intake and not following proper diet procedures.

High consumption of animal proteins increases the acidity of the urine and calcium and uric acid content. This combination enhances your vulnerability, although high uric acid can increase your risk for gout. Keto diet and kidney stones have an expected relationship if you do not follow the rules properly. The diet you follow has proved to be unproblematic.

Suppose there are varying nutritional amounts and no adequate amounts of vitamins in your diet, the risk of kidney stones increases. You must carefully and with precise accuracy carry out the keto diet or a low-carb diet.

Speak to your health care provider if kidney stones are a problem during a keto diet or a low-carb diet.

Prevention of Kidney Stones

When you are in Ketosis – you get rid of calcium in your urine, and when you are eating spinach, tea, chocolate & cruciferous vegetables – these are all high in oxalates. These oxalates combine with the calcium and create Kidney stones. [4]

So, when you consume calcium through your food and high oxalates foods – they will combine in your digestive system instead of going into the blood and out through the urine through the kidneys. So when you are not consuming enough calcium in food, it ends up in the kidneys. It would help if you ate more calcium to protect your kidneys. Also, people get low on citrates. You need to use lemon juice regularly. 2-3 ounces every meal.

1. Maintain high potassium vegetables in your food.
2. Take Citrate Potassium and products that include Citrate
3. Consume Citrus Fruits like lemons and oranges (because of their citrates).
4. Take some Sea salt
5. Take Vitamin K2 as a major cause of kidney stone formation if you are likely to be kidney stones as a K2 deficiency.

The best way to avoid most kidney stone formation while on a low-carb diet is with sufficient liquids. It is worth taking 8 to 12 cups of water or any liquid a day. If you have kidney disease and need to be limited to several fluids, ask your doctor how much fluid or water you can have each day.

If your doctor learns what your kidney stone is made of, he or she can give you detailed nutritional advice to avoid possible symptoms. If you are suffering from any illness or preexisting health conditions that can cause kidney stones while following a low-carb diet, you must take appropriate medical care. [5]

Your doctor may prescribe medicine to help prevent calcium and uric acid stones from forming. Talk to your doctor if you have had a kidney stone or are at risk of getting a kidney stone and discuss the best prevention methods.

Conclusion

Kidneys, in the back of your abdomen, are a pair of bean-shaped, fist-sized organs. Each kidney produces urine 24 hours a day, which drains into the bladder. The kidneys also make hormones, including calcitriol, the sources of vitamin D, that help keep your blood pressure control and bones healthy.

In short, your kidneys are like the Department of Waterworks in the Great City. Without functioning kidneys, we cannot survive, so we must support them by following a healthy diet and lifestyle.

Before trying the keto diet or a low-carb diet, individuals with kidney disease, diabetes, risk of heart disease, or other medical conditions should talk to their healthcare provider. To help minimize the risks of complications and nutrient deficiencies, you might want to consult a dietician to plan a decent diet and monitor your nutrient content while on this diet.