Article Review: Added Sugars in Your Diet May Significantly Increase Your Risk of Kidney Stones
New research published in Frontiers in Nutrition provides support to what many nutrition professionals have suspected for years. High amounts of added sugars in the diet can lead to increased risk of developing kidney stones.
The research looked at self-reported data from the US National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (NHANES), which is the largest source of health and nutrition data in the US. There were 28,303 adults included in this research analysis who reported on their kidney stone history and daily added sugar intake from 2007 to 2018. The research found significant correlation between the two.
"Participants who derived more than 25% of their total energy intake from added sugars had 88% greater odds of developing kidney stones than those who derived less than 5% of their total energy from added sugars."
The average intake of added sugars within the participants was about 270 total calories from added sugars, 13.2% of total daily calories, which is about 17 teaspoons of sugar a day. The American Heart Association recommends that men consume no more than 9 teaspoons daily (150 calories or 36 grams) and women consume no more than 7 teaspoons daily (100 calories or 25 grams). For reference one 12 ounce soda contains 8 teaspoons of sugar.
The researchers found that diets high in added sugars can increase the risk of kidney stones because they increase levels of oxalate and calcium in the urine, which are key components in kidney stones. High amounts of sugar intake also creates a very acidic urine that is more favorable for the formation of uric acid stone formation.
Kidney stones are hard formations, like stones or pebbles, that form in your kidneys when there is excess minerals. They can be very painful because to remove them your body forces them through the urinary tract. If the stones are too large to go through the urinary tract they have to be removed surgically.
Preventing kidney stones includes:
Decreasing added sugar intake- avoid foods with sugar listed in the first 3-5 ingredients, try sweetening things using fruit, cinnamon, and vanilla instead of added sugars. Also limit sweetened beverages like soda, juices, and sweetened teas and coffees. Condiments and sauces can have large amounts of sugar in them; making them at home gives you more control over how sweet they are.
Increase your water intake- water is essential to keeping your urine from becoming too concentrated and promoting stone formation. Try infusing water with fruits or herbs for more flavor.
Decrease added salt- high sodium diets can lead to calcium being taken from your bones and concentrating in your urine (among other issues, especially related to heart disease!). The American Heart Association recommends keeping sodium under 2,300mg, but even better if you can keep it under 1,500mg.
Overall, reducing sugar (and sodium) can be done by decreasing processed and packaged foods, and opting for more whole foods and home-cooked meals. In turn lowering your sugar intake (and sodium) can help lower your risk for forming painful kidney stones (among many other health benefits!).
Written by, Meghan Hawley, RD
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