Do you enjoy sipping your morning cup of coffee? Are you a coffee lover and have coffee in the late noons and evenings, or in between work, too?

Did you know that your coffee consumption can have an impact on your kidney health?

You may be wondering how and why coffee consumption is connected with kidney health. Doctors confirm that the coffee and kidney stones are interrelated.

Mykare is here to help you understand how coffee and kidney stones affect each other.

What is the connection between kidney stones and coffee?

You may assume that drinking coffee decreases the risk of kidney stones since it contains diuretic qualities. Because of its presence, it could make you urinate more frequently. And you’re absolutely right.

According to a 2021 National Kidney Foundation study, caffeine has health benefits for kidneys. That’s why kidney stones lower with its consumption.

The study shows that the chance of developing kidney stones can be lowered up to 40%. How? By simply increasing daily consumption of coffee from 1 to 1.5 cups.

The study also found that tea and coffee drinkers were less likely to develop kidney stones than non-drinkers.

Risk And Benefits Of Coffee On Kidney Stones

Higher amounts of urine Calcium and Oxalate: Just like everything, consumption of coffee has its own risks, besides its benefits on kidney stones. In order to make an informed choice of drinking coffee, let us go through the impact of coffee consumption on kidney stones - both the positives and the negatives.

• Calcium & Oxalate Concerns: Certain kidney stones are associated with higher levels of urine calcium and oxalate, which can be found in coffee. Higher concentrations of these compounds in the urine may have a role in the development of calcium oxalate stones, which are a common kind of kidney stone.

• Dehydration Concerns: Coffee contains caffeine, a diuretic that might raise urine output. If fluid intake is insufficient to offset the increased urine production caused by excessive diuresis, dehydration may result. Dehydration can concentrate urine, which may make minerals crystallise and make kidney stones more likely. Now let’s see how coffee may prevent kidney stones.

Why You Must Be Cautious of Kidney Stones & The Dietary Link With Them

As you know, the result of your body's inability to sufficiently flush waste materials through your urine is kidney stones. Kidney stones come in four different varieties:

Calcium oxalate: These types of kidney stones are formed commonly. Eating a diet low in oxalate can help lower your chance of getting this kind of stones.

Uric acid: This is the second most common kind of kidney stone. These stones are developed often in people who have metabolic disorders, diabetes, or gout.

Struvite: People who have kidney infections, urinary tract infections (UTIs), or both are more likely to develop this kind of kidney stones.

Cystine: This kind of kidney stone develops from cystine, an amino acid which leaks into the urine from the kidneys. It happens to those who have cystinuria, a genetic condition.

All ages are affected by kidney stones. but there are several known risk factors. Among them are:

• Age

• A diet heavy in sweets, salt and animal proteins

• Being overweight

• Diseases include diabetes, hypertension and other kidney diseases

• An inactive way of living

• A history of kidney stones in the family

• High humidity and temperature environment

• Certain drugs like warfarin or acetazolamide

• Exposure to dangerous substances like cadmium

The Dietary Connect Simplified

It seems that the largest factor influencing your chance of kidney stones is what you eat and drink, and not just coffee. Studies have indicated a clear relation between kidney stone development risk and dietary habits.

Researchers discovered that consuming more fruit, fibre, and fluids was linked to a decreased chance of kidney stone development. This finding suggests that making dietary and lifestyle changes may help prevent kidney stones.

Increase your fluid intake: According to a study published in 2021, your risk of kidney stones may decrease if you consume more coffee & tea . The risk of developing kidney stones decreases by 13% for each additional 200 ml drink you drank.

Drinking lots of water is advised by specialists if you have a high risk of kidney stones. Drinking water and other liquids such as tea and coffee helps your kidneys operate by removing waste. It is essential in avoiding kidney stones.

Reduce Meat & Sodium: Limiting your diet of meat and sodium is also very important. According to a 2020 study, an increase in kidney stones has a direct connection with increased sodium consumption. For every 50 grams of additional meat eaten, the rate of kidney stones increased by 1.17%.

Eat more fruit and fibre: Postmenopausal women could reduce the rate of kidney stones with some tricks. They just increased the intake of vegetables, fruits and fibres. If you have a history of kidney stones, this won’t help you.

Takeaway From Studies: Kidney stones can be prevented by eating less salt, sugar, and animal proteins and more fruits and fibre. Drinking coffee occasionally might be a wise decision to lower the risk of kidney stones. Current studies indicate that coffee may help prevent kidney stones from developing.

Facts on kidney stones

People of all ages, including teenagers and children, are affected by kidney stones.

Males at birth develop kidney stones twice more often than females. For all genders, the risk rises around the age of thirty.

The researchers advise drinking more water to decrease the chance of kidney stones. Also, you can stay aware of how much calcium and sodium you consume daily. If you are affected by kidney stones, it is very important to consult a doctor.

There is good evidence that tea and coffee consumption can lower the incidence of kidney stones. Both drinks have qualities that help achieve things like increased urine production and decreased crystal formation. Individual factors such as hydration levels and medical concerns can also be considered. While there are benefits to tea and coffee, moderation and personalised consumption depending on your health factors are still important. While considering the advantages of them, it is always advisable to consult healthcare professionals for medical advice. Thereby, you can maintain a balanced and healthy lifestyle.