The goodness of lemon is familiar to us all. Lemon has various health benefits to offer. That is why it is one of the most widely used things in every kitchen. Lemon is enriched with vitamin C and also aids in the hydration of the body.
Hydrating effects of lemon make it even more desirable especially while dealing with kidney stones. Lemon juice actively helps in dissolving kidney stones and also flushes out the toxins.
Table of Contents
Let’s find out all the benefits of lemon juice for kidney stone:
Slows down the growth of kidney stones
Lemon juice contains citric acid as one of its main components. The citric acid prevents salts and minerals from sticking to the existing kidney stones and thus prevents the stone from growing. Also, citric acid prevents the formation of new stones by stopping calcium and oxalate from crystallizing.
Breaks up small kidney stones
Lemon juice is an excellent remedy for breaking and dissolving small kidney stones. Lemon juice contains the compound hydroxycitrate (HCA) naturally.
Hydroxycitrate has the ability to break up small calcium oxalate stones, thereby allowing them to travel more easily through the urinary tract, and eventually, these stone pieces are passed through the urine.
Increases citrate in the urine
Citrate in urine is a major inhibiting factor for kidney stones. Lemon juice increases the citrate levels in the urine without affecting the oxalate levels.
This citrate then binds with the urine calcium and thus prevents calcium from binding with oxalate to form stone-like structures. Researches suggest that 4 ounces of lemon juice every day can significantly improve urine citrate levels, thereby preventing new kidney stones from forming.
Increases the amount of urine passed
Lemon juice acts as a diuretic that increases the volume of urine to pass. As you tend to pass more urine, the chances of kidney stones passing through the urine increases. So, you must have lemon juice every day once or twice to prevent the pesky stones from staying in your kidneys for too long.
Reduces the pain of kidney stones
Not only does lemon juice help in passing kidney stones, but it is also an effective way to get relief from the intense pain of kidney stones.
To reduce kidney stone pain, mix ¼ cups of both virgin olive oil and lemon juice and drink the mixture, followed by some water. Drink this mixture at an interval of 1 hour until the pain subsides. If you are not comfortable with drinking the mixture, you can also make a salad and use olive oil and lemon as a dressing.
So, these are all the ways in which lemon juice works as a wonderful remedy for kidney stones. You will be surprised to know that there are other foods as well that have similar effects on kidney stones.
The other foods that can dissolve kidney stones:
- Basil Juice-Basil juice contains a wide variety of anti-inflammatory and anti-oxidant agents that alleviate kidney stone pain and flush toxins out of the body. Basil juice also contains acetic acid which is quite effective in breaking small stones.
- Pomegranate juice- Pomegranate juice is packed with numerous antioxidants that remove excess toxins from the body and improve the overall functioning of the kidney. Thus, pomegranate juice is a great remedy for preventing the formation of new kidney stones.
- Barley water- Barely water has the ability to flush out the toxins from the body and impart a cooling effect. It is a very old effective home remedy for kidney stones. 3-4 cups of barley water every day can amazingly slow down the growth of new kidney stones and pass the existing ones through urine.
- Lemongrass tea– Lemongrass tea also has diuretic properties that enable kidneys to produce more urine. This allows the easy passage of small kidney stones along with the urine. It is known for stronger diuretic effects than other beverages.
- Apple Cider Vinegar- Just like basil, apple cider vinegar also contains acetic acid which helps dissolve stones in the kidney. Drinking diluted apple cider vinegar ( 2 tablespoons of apple cider vinegar in 6-8 ounces of water) throughout the day can also alleviate the severe pain caused by kidney stones.
Wheatgrass Juice- Wheatgrass juice is another major diuretic that increases the chances of passing kidney stones naturally. Wheatgrass juice is also enriched with numerous nutrients that cleanse the kidneys and improve their functioning.
Take Away
You must have been wonderstruck to find out that there are so many natural ways to dissolve kidney stones. Though, you must remember that the process of dissolving and getting you rid of kidney stones depends entirely on your condition of kidney stones.
Lemon juice and other remedies show the quick result in mild cases of kidney stones. But, if your symptoms of kidney stones are serious, it is a must that you first seek medical advice through proper diagnosis. Doing so will update as to what all necessary steps you require to take pertaining to your diet and lifestyle. We, at Pristyn Care, can get you help in specialist consultation for kidney stones. So, just book your online appointment immediately!
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