We all know water is essential for life and everyone must drink enough each day to stay in the pink of their health. But for someone with kidney stones, staying hydrated is more than just a daily necessity. Drinking more water not only prevents pain and future stones from forming who have never had stones but also aids those who have had stones in the past to not get them again.
So, why does water play such a crucial role in keeping those tiny, painful crystals at bay? How does water facilitate the passage of kidney stones? And how much water should you drink to avoid kidney stones?
Don’t worry! By the end of this blog, you’ll find all the answers and also some easy tips to stay hydrated throughout the day, so keep reading!
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Where do kidney stones come from?
The metabolic process that occurs in your body results in the formation of excess salts, minerals and waste products. These are filtered out through urine from your body. When these substances like calcium, oxalate and uric acid become too concentrated they form crystals in your kidneys. These hard deposits over a period start to stick together and grow larger into “stones.”
Calcium stones are the most common ones, accounting for about 80% to 85% of total cases, and the remaining ones are uric acid stones, which usually occur in people with low urine pH levels.
There are other types of kidney stones too. Learn more about different types of kidney stones.
To remove any type of kidney stone there needs to be enough water to dilute them.
Drink up to prevent kidney stones!
Let us explain this with a simple example. Most of us have made sweets at home using sugar syrup, or “chashni.” To make a thin syrup, you add more water and less sugar. But if you keep adding more sugar than the water can dissolve, the excess sugar will start to form crystals as the mixture cools. Eventually, you end up with hard, sweet rock candy.
Now, let’s relate this to kidney stones. Your kidneys filter waste from your blood and produce urine. When you don’t drink enough water, your urine becomes very concentrated, just like that syrup with too much sugar. This concentrated urine contains high levels of minerals and waste products, such as calcium and oxalate.
Over time, when your urine is too concentrated, these minerals can stick together and form crystals, just like the sugar in the syrup. If these crystals grow big enough, they turn into kidney stones, which can be very painful and uncomfortable when passing urine.
Your kidneys are like filters, and water helps them do their job better. Staying hydrated makes it easier for your body to flush out waste and keep everything running smoothly. In short, the more water you drink, the better your chances are of avoiding those painful stones!
How much water you should drink to keep kidney stones away?
The general advice is to aim for about 8 to 10 glasses a day, but it can vary depending on your body, activity level, and even the weather. If it’s hot outside or you’re exercising, you might need more to stay hydrated.
A good way to check if you’re drinking enough is by looking at your urine. If it’s pale yellow, you’re on the right track! Dark yellow or amber-coloured urine is a sign that you need to drink more water.
But if you have a history of kidney stones, then you should aim to drink up to 3 litres of water or any non-sugary fluid throughout the day, every day.
A study looked at whether drinking more water can help prevent kidney stones, especially in people who have had them before. In that study, 220 people who had previously formed calcium-based kidney stones participated. They were asked to drink more water to produce at least 2.0 litres of urine each day.
The results showed that people who drank more water had a lower chance of getting kidney stones again. Specifically, there were about 149 fewer cases of stones returning for every 1,000 people over five years compared to those who did not increase their water intake. Not only that, drinking more water helped delay the time it took for stones to come back.
Hydration strategies to help you drink more
Increasing your water consumption may appear simple, but remembering to drink enough can be a challenge. Here are some simple tips to increase your fluid intake and help you stay on track:
1. Carry a reusable water bottle wherever you go.
If you have a water bottle with you throughout the day you can easily take sips in any setting, whether you’re out running errands, travelling, or just at home, work, or school. Plus, it’s a great reminder to drink more water!
2. Track your water intake.
Nowadays, there are many free apps available like Healthify Me, Water Alert, etc., that can help you keep a record of how many glasses of water you drink. You can also use these apps to set alarms as reminders and track your intake throughout the day.
3. Flavour your water.
If you find plain water boring, you can add flavour by adding slices of fruits like lemon, orange, cucumber, or berries for a refreshing twist. This will not only make drinking water more enjoyable but will also give you the added benefits of citrate present in the lemon and orange which binds to calcium and helps block stone formation.
4. Have a glass of water before every snack and meal.
This is another great way to increase your fluid intake. One glass of water before every meal or snack adds an extra cup to your daily water intake. Moreover, this way of drinking may help you eat fewer calories at the following meal.
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