Kidney Stones Cranberry Juice Remedies

Dissolving kidney stones is the easiest way to get them out of the system without pain. Cranberry juice is often recommended for urinary tract infections, but is cranberry juice a kidney stone remedy? That depends. It seems cranberry juice can be both helpful and harmful, depending on the kind of kidney stone you have.

What Cranberry Juice Does

• Cranberry juice is not only helpful in removing toxins from the kidneys, but also known to contain anti-oxidants that help fight urinary infections and stave off aging. In addition, cranberry juice contains polyphenolic compounds, which can help dissolve and flush out certain types of kidney stones. And cranberry, once consumed, deposits itself in the urinary tract, leaving less room for infection-causing bacteria. This cranberry build-up can change the formation of bacteria from round to oval, preventing the bacteria from sticking to the walls of the urinary tract.

Does it Work?

• While cranberry juice has several helpful infection-fighting properties, it is only useful in the treatment of certain types of kidney stones. In a study of 24 patients at the University of Texas Southwest Medical Center, researchers found that cranberries can actually cause certain types of kidney stones, called uric-acid stones. This was because cranberries contain vitamin C and calcium, which convert to oxalate. In fact, the study found that cranberries increase the risk of forming this common kidney stone by 18 percent. But cranberries can help reduce the formation of brushite kidney stones, a rarer type of kidney stone.

Who Should Take Cranberry Juice?

• Those who are prone to developing brushite kidney stones should drink one to two glasses of cranberry juice daily as a preventative measure. Those prone to uric-acid stones, should refrain from drinking much cranberry juice, except under the guidance of a physician.