When Life Gives You Lemons You Make (Good) Lemonade

If you’ve never had kidney stones, chances are that you have either a relative or a business associate that has had this painful problem before. The pain is often compared to childbirth. What are the symptoms of kidney stones?

Usually, the first symptom of a kidney stone is extreme pain, which begins suddenly when a stone moves in the urinary tract and blocks the flow of urine. Typically, a person feels a sharp, cramping pain in the back and side in the area of the kidney or in the lower abdomen. Sometimes nausea and vomiting occur. Later, pain may spread to the groin.

If the stone is too large to pass easily, pain continues as the muscles in the wall of the narrow ureter try to squeeze the stone into the bladder. As the stone moves and the body tries to push it out, blood may appear in the urine, making the urine pink. As the stone moves down the ureter, closer to the bladder, a person may feel the need to urinate more often or feel a burning sensation during urination.

If fever and chills accompany any of these symptoms, an infection may be present. In this case, a person should contact a doctor immediately. [Source:  NKUDIC, Kidney Stones in Adults]

The usual medicine prescribed to prevent kidney stones is potassium citrate; taken in pill or liquid form. But if you’re one of those people that prefers to take less medication, you might be interested in a tasty alternative – lemonade.

Here is the lemonade recipe: Mix 1 cup of concentrated lemon juice with 7 cups of water. Drink about 1 or 2 quarts of unsweetened or low-sugar lemonade per day. 

According to Roger L. Sur, MD, director of UC San Diego Comprehensive Kidney Stone Center, drinking four ounces of reconstituted lemon juice in two liters of water per day – was shown to decrease the rate of stone formation from 1.00 to 0.13 stones per patient. [Source: UC San Diego, April 22, 2010, Five Ways to Prevent Kidney Stones: From Lemonade to Surgery]

Another approach recommended by physicians – drink a shot glass of lemon juice right before bedtime. Be sure to rinse well and brush the teeth. This mixture is potent.

The Journal of Urology reached a conclusion: Due to its significant citraturic effect, lemonade therapy appears to be a reasonable alternative for patients with hypocitraturia who cannot tolerate first line therapy. Future study in the form of a prospective, randomized trial is needed to validate these findings. [Source: The Journal of Urology: Volume 177, Issue 4, Pages 1358-1362 April 2007]

It is also recommended to reduce salt intake, as well as protein. Eat less portions of meat and fish. As always eat less fast foods. Obviously, fast foods are high in salt and fat. Drink plenty of water.

If your heart so desires to make the “Perfect Lemonade” click here …  Great ideas from experts!