The 5 Best Drinks for Kidney Stones (Plus 3 to Avoid)

If you’ve ever had a kidney stone, you know that they can be incredibly painful. And about half of people with kidney stones end up having more in the future. But there are things you can do to lower your risk of kidney stones, like drinking the right things.

The kidneys filter blood and remove waste from the body by making urine. When waste products like calcium, oxalate, and urate build up in urine, they can form crystals. These crystals can then turn into kidney stones. 

Hydration keeps urine dilute or less concentrated. When urine is diluted, there’s less opportunity for waste products to combine and make stones. Some drinks can keep you hydrated and lower your chance of forming new kidney stones. Here are five drinks that can help with kidney stones — and three to avoid. 

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1. Water

Drinking plenty of water is one of the best ways to prevent kidney stones. Experts advise people with a history of kidney stones to drink enough water to make at least  2 L of urine every day. How much water you need to drink to make that much urine depends on things like your weight, environment, and activity level. The more urine you make, the less chance there is that waste in the urine will collect into stones.  

2. Lemon juice

Lemons are naturally high in citrate. Citrate is a natural substance that makes urine less acidic. Having less acid in your urine lowers your risk of developing calcium oxalate stones (the most common type of kidney stone). One study found that drinking 2 oz of lemon juice twice a day prevented kidney stones. Try adding freshly squeezed lemon juice to your water to get the benefits of citrate. 

3. Orange juice

Orange juice is also high in citrate, and appears to have an even bigger effect on urine acid levels. One review found that orange juice is even better at preventing kidney stones than lemon juice. Try a glass of freshly squeezed orange juice each morning. If you choose to drink premade orange juice, pick a juice that doesn’t have a lot of added sugar. Added sugar can increase your risk of developing kidney stones. 

4. Coffee

Coffee lowers the risk of developing kidney stones, according to research. It’s not clear why coffee lowers the risk of forming stones, but it may have to do with coffee’s natural caffeine content. In one large study, people who drank more caffeine were less likely to form kidney stones. 

But caffeine isn’t the only reason coffee can help prevent kidney stones. Decaffeinated coffee has much less caffeine than regular coffee, but evidence suggests it can also help lower your risk of forming kidney stones. So whether you prefer decaf or regular, try adding a cup of coffee to your daily routine.  

5. Green tea

Many people drink green tea for its health benefits. There’s evidence that tea, particularly green tea, can help protect against kidney stones. In addition to being a good source of hydration and caffeine, green tea contains a class of compounds called catechins. Catechins are antioxidants that make it harder for calcium to crystalize and form kidney stones. 

Drinks that can worsen kidney stones

Hydration is key to preventing kidney stones. But there are some drinks that can actually increase your risk of forming new kidney stones. Try to avoid these drinks as your source of hydration:

Soda

In general, you want to limit drinking sugar-filled drinks like soda. But this is especially true if you have a history of kidney stones. Sugary drinks like soda are high in fructose. Fructose causes your kidneys to send more calcium, oxalate, and uric acid into your urine. These compounds are responsible for forming kidney stones. 

Cola sodas also contain phosphoric acid. Phosphoric acids make it easier for kidney stones to form. One study showed that drinking one cola soda daily increased the risk of kidney stones by 23%. 

Sports drinks

Sports drinks can be a great way to replenish fluids and electrolytes during long, intense exercise, or if you’re sick. Sports drinks contain carbohydrates and electrolytes like sodium, potassium, chloride, and magnesium. These ingredients can help prevent dehydration if you’ve been ill or exercising. But if you’re prone to kidney stones, the extra sugar and sodium in these drinks can lead to more stones. You want to limit these drinks when possible. 

Alcohol

Drinking alcohol doesn’t directly cause kidney stones. But alcohol is a diuretic, which means that it makes you pee more. This keeps you from staying hydrated. And if you’re prone to kidney stones, staying hydrated is key to preventing future kidney stones. So try to limit how much alcohol you drink so that you can stay hydrated. 

When should you seek medical care for kidney stones?

If you just experienced your first kidney stone, it’s a good idea to see your primary care professional. They may be able to help you figure out the type of kidney stone you have, which is important information to help you avoid kidney stones in the future. 

You should get medical care right away if you have symptoms like:

• Nausea and vomiting

• Trouble eating or drinking

• Fever

• Severe pain

• Inability to pee

• Change in urine color

Why trust our experts?

Written by:

Tracy Norfleet, MD, FACP

Dr. Tracy Norfleet is a board-certified Internal Medicine physician, health expert, and physician leader with over 20 years of experience practicing adult medicine. Dual-certified by the American Board of Obesity Medicine and the American Board of Lifestyle Medicine, Dr. Tracy possesses a wealth of knowledge and expertise in both traditional medical practices and innovative lifestyle interventions for chronic disease management and reversal.

Edited by:

Patricia Pinto-Garcia, MD, MPH

Patricia Pinto-Garcia, MD, MPH, is a medical editor at GoodRx. She is a licensed, board-certified pediatrician with more than a decade of experience in academic medicine.

Reviewed by:

Christine Giordano, MD

Christine Giordano, MD, is board-certified in general internal medicine. She received her medical degree from Rutgers New Jersey Medical School and completed residency at Thomas Jefferson University.

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