Can Your Diet Cause Kidney Stones? Foods to Avoid (and Some That Help)

If you’ve ever had a kidney stone, you know they can be pretty painful. And 1 in 2 people who have a kidney stone will have another one within 5 years. The good news is that small changes to your diet can help you lower your risk of getting kidney stones. 

When certain mineral levels in your blood become high, they can clump together in your kidneys as they filter those minerals out of the blood. And this clump can form into a kidney stone. And since most of the minerals in your body come from the foods you eat, your diet can play a role in preventing them. 

What are the different types of kidney stones?

There are several different types of kidney stones. Each type is affected by your diet in different ways. These include:

• Calcium stones: These are the most common type of kidney stones. And there are two types: calcium oxalate (more common) and calcium phosphate. 

• Uric acid stones: This type is more likely to form when your urine is acidic.

• Cystine stones: These are much less common and happen with a genetic disorder called cystinuria.

• Struvite stones: This form can appear in people who have frequent urinary tract infections.

Certain foods are more likely to cause kidney stones than others. Limiting the following substances in foods is helpful for any type of stone but more so with calcium stones.

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• High-oxalate foods: Foods that are high in oxalate are known to contribute to kidney stones. But it doesn’t mean you should avoid them entirely.

• Coffee and kidney health: Research suggests that coffee can lower your risk of kidney stones. But is it always good for your kidneys?

• Preventing kidney stones: Changes to your diet is not the only way to prevent kidney stones. Learn more about other lifestyle changes that can help.

Sodium

Salt is actually a compound made up of sodium and chloride. And the sodium component can play a big role in kidney health. To lessen your sodium intake, you need to reduce your salt intake. The following foods typically have high amounts of salt: 

• Canned foods like beans or vegetables sold in cans

• Processed foods like pizza, crackers, or macaroni and cheese

• Cured foods like hams or pepperoni

• Prepared foods like meals at a restaurant

Animal protein

Protein helps keep your body working at its best. But it’s best to stick to the daily recommended amount, which is about 1 g of protein per kilogram of body weight per day. So as an example, a 200 lb person would eat about 90 g of protein per day. 

Your risk of stones may increase when you eat more than the recommended amount. This is especially true for animal protein, which includes: 

• Beef

• Pork

• Poultry

• Eggs

• Seafood and fish 

Oxalate

Oxalate is a compound that’s naturally found in many different nutritious foods. But high amounts of oxalate in your urine can raise your chances of getting a stone. While all fruits and vegetables contain oxalate, some have higher amounts: 

• Kale

• Spinach

• Collard greens

• Rhubarb

• Almonds

• Rice bran and buckwheat

• Potatoes

• Beets 

It’s still important to eat plenty of fruits and vegetables, as they can help your urine be less acidic. This can help lower your chances of getting a stone. But it may help to limit the ones that have very high concentrations of oxalate if you tend to eat them often.

Calcium

You may think that avoiding calcium can help reduce your risk of calcium stones. But calcium-rich foods are OK — and actually help your urine stay balanced. In fact, either too little or too much calcium can increase your risk of stones. 

If you eat too much calcium, your body gets rid of the extra in your urine. Higher calcium in your urine makes it more likely for a calcium stone to form. If you get too little calcium in your diet, the body is unable to get rid of oxalate as well. This can increase your chances of an oxalate stone. 

Try to keep your calcium intake around the recommended daily allowance of 1,000 mg each day. For reference, the following servings will provide about a quarter of your daily calcium:

• Glass of milk (8 oz)

• Mozzarella cheese stick

• Cup of yogurt (8 oz)

Vitamin C

When levels of vitamin C are higher in your body, your urine tends to have higher amounts of oxalate. This makes it easier for a kidney stone to form. Interestingly, several studies have shown that diets high in vitamin C make it more likely for stones to form in men but not women. 

Soda

Sweetened carbonated beverages — like soda — are high in fructose. Fructose causes your body to get rid of more calcium, oxalate, and uric acid into your urine. And all three of these substances can lead to kidney stones. 

What foods can help lower your risk of kidney stones?

More research is needed to know which foods help prevent kidney stones. But here are some reportedly helpful foods:

• Vegetarian diet: One recent study showed a plant-based diet could lower your chances of a stone. 

• Foods high in potassium: Potassium helps to bind up substances that can form stones. Avocados, potatoes, beans, and lentils are among foods that are high in potassium. 

• Foods high in magnesium: Like potassium, magnesium helps to tie up substances that can form stones. Nuts, beans, and leafy green vegetables are all foods high in magnesium. 

• Vitamin B6: This vitamin might reduce oxalate in urine and lower the risk of stone formation. Early data suggests that large doses of B6 in women lowered their chance of getting a kidney stone. But a study in 2019 didn’t find that B6 reduced kidney stones.

• Coffee and tea: Some research shows that coffee and tea helped reduce chances of a kidney stone, possibly because caffeine increases urine production. 

• Orange juice: Orange juice has a lot of potassium citrate. This increases the amount of citrate in your urine, which makes it less likely for stones to form. 

And of course, one of the best things you can do to prevent kidney stones is drink plenty of water.

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Written by:

Jill L. Jaimes, MD

Jill L. Jaimes, MD, is a board-certified pediatric emergency medicine physician with over 20 years of clinical experience. She received her medical degree from Baylor College of Medicine and completed her residency and fellowship training at Texas Children’s Hospital.

Edited by:

Katie E. Golden, MD

Katie E. Golden, MD, is a board-certified emergency medicine physician and a medical editor at GoodRx.

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