Kidney stones are caused due to a build-up of minerals in the urine which can eventually combine to form solid masses or crystals. Among these minerals are calcium, oxalate, uric acid and more.
While minerals are good for us, when you have too many of them, they can become too hard for the urine to dissolve and too large to be passed when you go to the toilet. This then results in what we know as kidney stones.
Perhaps the best way to think about this is like the limescale that forms in your kettle and that clings around the faucets on your taps. These problems are likewise caused by minerals that are too dense in your water supply and the exact same thing happens to your urine in your kidneys and bladder.
There are actually numerous different types of kidney stones however and their symptoms and best treatment may vary depending on the minerals that were used to form them. Most stones are formed from calcium oxalate for instance, which makes them calcium stones. Oxalate is secreted in the liver and is also found in high quantities in certain foods. Struvite stones on the other and are often created by the body in response to an infection. Uric acid stones are formed when people don’t drink enough liquid.
Cysteine stones come from genetic disorders.
But what can you do about these stones? Fortunately, there are a number of remedies that can help to dissolve some cases of kidney stones. If these are effective, then you may be able to avoid a trip to the physician’s office – or the painful process of passing them yourself!
1. Olive Oil
One useful treatment is to use different types of oil. You’ll see this advice regularly come up on forums and elsewhere online and the idea is that the viscosity of the oil will find its way into your urine and thereby help to dissolve the stones. It’s also been suggested that this might help to actually lubricate the passageway and thereby help patients to more effectively pass the stones with less discomfort.
It’s uncertain just how effective this strategy really is, but it can’t hurt to try – especially as olive oil and omega 3 are very good for you. Some people recommend combining a mixture of olive oil and lemon juice. That doesn’t taste the best but if it helps to ease the problem, then it’s probably worth it!