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Alternative medicine
By Mayo Clinic staffAlternative medicine can't treat kidney stones. But, when combined with your doctor's advice, alternative treatments may help reduce your risk of kidney stones. Some evidence suggests these alternative kidney stone treatments may help:
- Tea. Drinking a cup of black tea or green tea each day could reduce the risk of kidney stones. One study in women found those that drank the most black tea had a slightly lower risk of kidney stones. The study was not rigorous and only involved women, so it doesn't provide strong evidence that drinking tea is helpful for all kidney stones. If you enjoy drinking tea, there may be a chance that continuing to drink tea can help reduce your risk of kidney stones. However, tea contains high oxalate levels. So if your urine has a high oxalate level, your doctor may advise against drinking tea.
- Lemon juice and orange juice. Theoretically, drinking lemon juice or orange juice could reduce the risk of kidney stones. The citric acid levels in lemon juice and orange juice could reduce calcium levels in your urine, leading to fewer calcium kidney stones. But no studies have proven this theory. If you enjoy drinking water flavored with lemon or drinking orange juice, you might find that this helps reduce your risk of kidney stones. But there is not enough evidence to suggest everyone should try this.
References
- Worcester EM, et al. Nephrolithiasis. Primary Care: Clinics in Office Practice. 2008;35:369.
- Kidney stones in adults. National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases. http://kidney.niddk.nih.gov/kudiseases/pubs/stonesadults/index.htm. Accessed Jan. 5, 2010.
- Diet for kidney stone prevention. National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases. http://kidney.niddk.nih.gov/kudiseases/pubs/kidneystonediet/index.htm. Accessed Jan. 5, 2010.
- Watkins RW. Urolithiasis (kidney and bladder stones). In: Rakel D. Integrative Medicine. 2nd ed. Philadelphia, Pa.: Saunders Elxevier; 2007. http://www.mdconsult.com/das/book/body/177428112-2/0/1494/0.html. Accessed Jan. 6, 2010.
- Kidney stones. Natural Medicines Comprehensive Database. http://www.naturaldatabase.com. Accessed Jan. 6, 2010.
- Humphreys MR (expert opinion). Mayo Clinic, Scottsdale/Phoenix, Ariz. Jan. 8, 2010.
- Anderson CF (expert opinion). Mayo Clinic, Rochester, Minn. Jan. 7, 2010.
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