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Urology (Expert Forum)
Safe diet for Calcium Oxalate Crystals in Urine
Questions in the Urology forum are answered by Dr. Stephen Liroff, affiliated with the Henry Ford Hospital. Topics covered include benign prostate disease, penis curvature, cystisis, kidney stones, pediatric urology, prostate, sexual dysfunction, urinary tract infections (UTI), and urological cancers.
Safe diet for Calcium Oxalate Crystals in Urine
by Samanaz-Irani, Jan 10, 1999 12:00AM
I had a kidney stone and it was removed a couple of years back.
But since last month i am passing crystals in my urine. The
sonography report shows no stone in the kidne but urine report
shows that i am passing crystals in the urine. i have been adviced
to have a diet which is less in calcium and oxalate. i am also
having diabetes.
Please can you tell what diet i can safely have which is low in
calcium and oxalate. I was told that fish is good for me. but i am
not sure. So please advice me and if possible send me a list of
the foods i can have with their nutrition values. If you can poin
me to some sites which have tis information, then that too will do.
Thank You.
Regards,
Sammy.
-----------------------------------------------------------------------
Dear Sammy,
Your question is appropriate for this chronic problem, since people who have certain predisposition to stones often have a diet that somehow exacerbates their problem. My first question to you would be to ask how much tea you are drinking everyday, since tea is a big part of most Iranians' lifestyle (your name suggests this background). Oxalic acid, or oxalate, is present in many foods and beverages. Its concentration is highest in leaf tea and powdered coffee. Spinach and rhubarb are also high in oxalates. Normal individuals don't absorb an overwhelming amount of oxalate after ingesting foods high in it. Certain people have increased absorption, such as people with inflammatory bowel disease, or small bowel resection. If you have either of these conditions, this could make it more probable for you to have this stone trouble. Only 10% of the oxalate found in urine comes from dietary sources, however. Most of the remainder is produced by the liver. Calcium metabolism is also another side of calcium oxalate stone formation. There are various causes for the calcium problem, one of which could be increased dietary intake of calcium. Calcium and oxalate together in the kidney could form calcium oxalate stones/crystals. To clarify your problem you need a full work-up, which would include blood tests and urine tests. As a rule, people with stone disease should have increased water intake. This is doubly true in your case because of the diabetes. Because tea acts as a diuretic in the system, if you are drinking more than a couple of glasses of tea per day, your need for water is even further increased. An evaluation by a urologist or endocrinology/metabolism doctor is indicated.
This information is provided for general medical educational purposes only. Please consult your physician for diagnostic and treatment options pertaining to your specific medical condition. More individualized care is available at the Henry Ford Hospital and its satellites (1 800 653-6568).
Sincerely,
HFHS M.D.-BE
*keyword: calcium oxalate
But since last month i am passing crystals in my urine. The
sonography report shows no stone in the kidne but urine report
shows that i am passing crystals in the urine. i have been adviced
to have a diet which is less in calcium and oxalate. i am also
having diabetes.
Please can you tell what diet i can safely have which is low in
calcium and oxalate. I was told that fish is good for me. but i am
not sure. So please advice me and if possible send me a list of
the foods i can have with their nutrition values. If you can poin
me to some sites which have tis information, then that too will do.
Thank You.
Regards,
Sammy.
-----------------------------------------------------------------------
Dear Sammy,
Your question is appropriate for this chronic problem, since people who have certain predisposition to stones often have a diet that somehow exacerbates their problem. My first question to you would be to ask how much tea you are drinking everyday, since tea is a big part of most Iranians' lifestyle (your name suggests this background). Oxalic acid, or oxalate, is present in many foods and beverages. Its concentration is highest in leaf tea and powdered coffee. Spinach and rhubarb are also high in oxalates. Normal individuals don't absorb an overwhelming amount of oxalate after ingesting foods high in it. Certain people have increased absorption, such as people with inflammatory bowel disease, or small bowel resection. If you have either of these conditions, this could make it more probable for you to have this stone trouble. Only 10% of the oxalate found in urine comes from dietary sources, however. Most of the remainder is produced by the liver. Calcium metabolism is also another side of calcium oxalate stone formation. There are various causes for the calcium problem, one of which could be increased dietary intake of calcium. Calcium and oxalate together in the kidney could form calcium oxalate stones/crystals. To clarify your problem you need a full work-up, which would include blood tests and urine tests. As a rule, people with stone disease should have increased water intake. This is doubly true in your case because of the diabetes. Because tea acts as a diuretic in the system, if you are drinking more than a couple of glasses of tea per day, your need for water is even further increased. An evaluation by a urologist or endocrinology/metabolism doctor is indicated.
This information is provided for general medical educational purposes only. Please consult your physician for diagnostic and treatment options pertaining to your specific medical condition. More individualized care is available at the Henry Ford Hospital and its satellites (1 800 653-6568).
Sincerely,
HFHS M.D.-BE
*keyword: calcium oxalate
