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Herbal Recipe for Dissolving Kidney Stones

The four types of kidney stones are calcium (often mulberry shaped), uric acid (football shaped and reddish-brown or tan), struvite (maple syrup colored and faceted) and cystine. The best treatment depends on the type of stone, so it is important to take any stone you pass to your health care provider for analysis.

  1. Apple Juice Fast

    • To soften kidney stones, Joseph Marion, author of "Anti-Aging Manual: The Encyclopedia of Natural Health," recommends fasting on fresh apple juice, drinking 8 to 12 oz. per hour for three days. On the fourth day, drink 3 to 4 oz. of olive oil or fresh lemon juice to expel stones from the kidneys.

    Calcium Oxalate Stones

    • It is estimated that around 80 percent of all kidney stones are calcium stones. To control calcium stones, the pH of the body needs be increased. Avoid sugar and foods rich in oxalic acid, such as eggs, fish, meat, asparagus, rhubarb, celery, grapes, parsley, spinach, cabbage and dairy products.

    Uric Acid Stones

    • For uric acid stones, the body pH needs to be lowered. Uric acid stones can usually be softened by drinking the juice of one or two lemons per day. Avoid purine-rich foods, such as yeast and fish (especially sardines, anchovies, herring, shellfish and mackerel).

    Cystine and Struvite Stones

    • For cystine stones, alkalize the urine with asparagus juice and avoid supplements containing the amino acid L-cystine. For struvite stones, which are composed of magnesium ammonium phosphate, you need to acidify the urine with unsweetened cranberry juice and avoid methionine-rich foods, such as dairy products, meat, soy, lima beans, wheat, mushrooms, fish and nuts.

    Pomroy's Recipe

    • T.W. Pomroy's tea recipe for kidney stones is to be steeped for four hours and includes 2 oz. each of pod milkweed and watermelon seed and a half oz. each of fennel seed and buchu leaf. Drink one wineglass of tea four times daily, with the last at bedtime.

    Helpful Nutrients

    • According to Penny C. Royal, author of best-selling "Herbally Yours," vitamins A, B complex (with extra choline and B5 pantothenic acid), C, E, F (essential fatty acids) as well as calcium and magnesium are important for kidney health. Taking thyme along with these nutrients may help dissolve kidney stones.

    Other Herbs

    • According to Phyllis Balch, author of "Prescription for Herbal Healing," drinking one quart of marshmallow root tea helps cleanse the kidneys and expel kidney stones. Balch also recommends drinking one-quarter cup of aloe vera juice daily (for only two weeks at a time) to slow the rate of stone formation.

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