Diet high in fiber reduces risk of kidney stones

People experiencing getting hit with Kidney Stones have been steadily on the rise in the united states for the past 30 years.

While doctors are not sure why there has been an increase, a new study found that a diet known to reduce blood pressure seems to also reduce the risk of painful kidney stones.
 

The Dietary Approaches to Stop Hypertension, or DASH, is a diet high in fruits, vegetables, nuts, and dairy products. And it is low in red meat and sugary drinks.

Prior evidence showed the DASH diet helps to lower blood pressure, and now a multi-center study found that the combination of foods may help reduce the risk of kidney stones.

A kidney stone is a solid mass made up of tiny crystals, and while they are relatively common, the stones are also very painful. More than 3400 people with and without a history of kidney stones were involved in the study, and researchers analyzed urine samples of the study participants.

Despite drinking similar amounts of liquid, people who followed a DASH-style diet urinated more than those participants who did not follow the diet and seemed to have higher concentrations of citrate, an important salt that prevents calcium stones.
 

The lower rate of kidney stones could be due to higher water content in DASH-type of foods.