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Uric Acid & Kidney Stones Home Remedies

Uric acid is a byproduct of protein enzymes that help to digest food, and is normally excreted in the urine. If a person doesn't urinate in sufficient quantities, the uric acid remains in the blood. Eventually, it can crystallize and end up in the urinary canal as a uric acid kidney stone, where it causes symptoms of severe back and side pain. Lowering uric acid levels in the blood through diet can help prevent and even dissolve uric acid kidney stones; many people report success using these home remedies.

  1. Dietary Considerations

    • To lower a high uric acid level, you need to limit consumption of foods that contain high levels of metabolites called purines. Purines are found in anchovies, sardines, herring, mackerel, seafood, scallops, pork, and red meat, especially organ meats like liver, and also in cauliflower and mushrooms. You should also avoid beer and hard liquor. Some types of red wine, however, don't have purines; you might be able to indulge in them in very limited amounts. Increase your intake of low-fat milk and yogurt--they are proven to lower uric acid levels--and eat more soy, tofu, whole grain foods, and vegetables. Losing weight can help, if you're overweight, but if the weight loss isn't gradual, uric acid levels can shoot back up.

    Home Remedies

    • There are many safe and inexpensive foods that help prevent formation of uric acid kidney stones, and these are at the foundation of most home remedies. Apple cider vinegar has been proven to lower uric acid, as well as having antibacterial properties. Try this remedy by mixing 2 tsps of the vinegar with 2 tsps of raw honey and 8 ozs of water. Cherries also excel at flushing out uric acid--try between 12 and 30 a day--as does vitamin C at 500 mgs a day. You can also try olive leaf tea, celery seed extract, dandelion greens, turmeric, yucca, selenium, and vitamins A and E. Since berries have proven anti-inflammatory properties and milk reduces uric acid, you could try the "red white and blue" remedy: plenty of strawberries, milk, and blueberries. Finally, the most effective home remedy to get your uric acid level down may be the simplest: drink ten glasses of fluid a day, making sure that five of them are water.

    Precautions

    • Although most kidney stones leave the body, or "pass," without medical intervention, some cases need further treatment with drugs or surgical procedures. Don't attempt to self-diagnose yourself with a kidney stone. If you have sudden or unexplained severe pain in your back or side, consult a physician.

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