Does Drinking Tea Contribute To Kidney Stones
A customer once asked us if tea causes kidney stones. That customer had chronic kidney stones and their doctor had told them that they should stop drinking tea. So I did some in depth research and was very surprised by what I found.
It’s important to start off by talking about what causes kidney stones. 80% of kidney stones are caused by calcium oxalate, which is found in many plants and foods such as spinach, rhubarb, parsley, leeks, celery, green beans, chocolate, and, yes, even tea. But the oxalate levels in loose-leaf tea are not high enough to be a major contributing factor in kidney stones, and are much lower per gram than in many of the leafy vegetables I mentioned earlier. Plus, since with most teas you are drinking an infusion instead of consuming the whole leaf, your body absorbs less oxalate than when you eat a serving of leafy veggies.
There are differing levels of oxalates even in different types of teas. White teas, greens, and oolongs all have lower levels than black teas. In fact green teas have been shown to effect the crystallization of calcium oxalates by causing them to form flat crystals that are easier for the body to break down. A Japanese study done in 2005 even found that drinking green tea could help prevent kidney stones due to its high levels of catechins, which have antioxidant effects.
Does Black Tea Cause Kidney Stones
Although black tea is higher in oxalates than other types of lightly or non-fermented tea, as mentioned above, recent studies suggest that moderate daily tea consumption is actually associated with a lower risk of renal stone disease .
Does Milk in Tea Affect Oxalates?
Oxalates have the potential to bind to a significant proportion of the calcium in added milk. When calcium is attached, oxalate will go through the stomach and intestines, finally leaving the body in the stool, rather than as urine via the kidney.
This is good if you are trying to lower the amount of oxalate going through the kidney, especially if you are a black tea drinker. However, if you struggle with getting enough calcium, you may need to boost your calcium intake to compensate .
Is It Ok To Drink Tea With Milk
Tea, especially black and green varieties, is rich in compounds that act as antioxidants and may help lower blood pressure and cholesterol levels, among other benefits. Some studies suggest that adding milk to tea may inhibit the activity of these compounds, while others have observed the opposite effect.
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Is Caffeinated Loose Leaf Tea High In Oxalates
Loose leaf teas produced from the camellia sinensis tea plant, including black tea, green tea, oolong tea, white tea, purple tea, and pu-erh tea, do contain oxalates. Black teas have the highest oxalate content, followed by oolong, pu-erh, and green teas, followed by white teas and purple teas. Studies are still being conducted on the relationship between caffeinated teas and oxalates.
Some studies suggest that drinking tea may play a role in reducing the formation of kidney stones. In particular, green tea may help to prevent certain kinds of kidney stones. This is usually attributed to teas high antioxidant content and the fact that it keeps tea drinkers hydrated. Research also suggests that taking your tea with milk can reduce the absorption of oxalates because of the calcium present in milk.
That said, because tea made from the camellia sinensis plant does contain a non-negligible amount of oxalates, we dont usually recommend it for customers looking to adopt a low-oxalate diet. If you have any questions or concerns about whether a particular tea is safe for you, you should get in touch with your doctor.
How Are Ureteral Stents Removed
Some short-term ureteral stents have strings that hang outside the urethra, where pee comes out. Your healthcare provider gently pulls on the string to remove the ureteral stent.
If you need a ureteral stent for a few weeks or longer, the stent wont have a string. Your provider removes the stent during a minor office procedure. You may get X-rays or an ultrasound before removal. This imaging assures the provider that your kidney stone or other issue has resolved.
To remove the stent during a procedure, your provider:
- Inserts a cystoscope through the urethra and into the bladder.
- Uses tiny clamps attached to the cystoscope to grab onto the stent.
- Gently removes the stent.
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It’s Not Just The Oxalate
Oxalate is naturally found in many foods, including fruits and vegetables, nuts and seeds, grains, legumes, and even chocolate and tea. Some examples of foods that contain high levels of oxalate include: peanuts, rhubarb, spinach, beets, chocolate and sweet potatoes. Moderating intake of these foods may be beneficial for people who form calcium oxalate stones, the leading type of kidney stones.
A common misconception is that cutting the oxalate-rich foods in your diet alone will reduce the likelihood of forming calcium oxalate kidney stones. While in theory this might be true, this approach isn’t smart from an overall health perspective. Most kidney stones are formed when oxalate binds to calcium while urine is produced by the kidneys.
It is important to eat and drink calcium and oxalate-rich foods together during a meal. In doing so, oxalate and calcium are more likely to bind to one another in the stomach and intestines before the kidneys begin processing, making it less likely that kidney stones will form.
Do You Have Kidney Stones
The thing with kidney stones is that they tend to be sneaky. You will not usually know that you have one until it moves to the kidney or enters the ureters. The latter are the tubes that connect the kidneys to the bladder.
When the stone lodges in these tubes, urine flow reduces, which can cause swelling of the kidney. That is when the problem begins. Most people experience sharp pain on their sides and backs, as well as below the ribs. The pain moves from the groin to the lower abdomen and can come in waves. Sometimes, the pain fluctuates in intensity. Also, when you pee, you feel a burning sensation.
You can also look out for other symptoms, such as a change in the color of urine. If it comes out pink, red, or brown, you could have a problem. The smell can also change such that it smells bad. You may find yourself using the loo more than often and in small amounts. Where infections are present, other symptoms such as fever, chills, nausea, and vomiting can show.
Note that the pain caused by the stone can change. An example would be where the stone moves to another part of the urinary tract. The pain would follow this movement.
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Try Rooibos Tea For Kidney Stones
Increasing the intake of fluids may help prevent formation tea is a readily-available beverage, the most popular beverage in the world . According to a study at the Harvard School for Public Health and Brigham and Womens Hospital, an increase in total fluid intake can reduce risk for , and the choice of beverage may be meaningful. formation was reduced by 8% with only one 8oz serving. For regular tea drinkers, this is great news.For those suffering from kidney stones, it is advised to increase fluid intake with , . These will not only aid in preventing , but also help quell heartburn, upset stomach, and other ailments. According to a New York study, coffee, and perhaps tea, fruits, and vegetables were found to be protective for stone disease.The for treating is originating in South Africa. is known to , irritated skin, and stomach cramping. Its vast supply of makes it a star fighter against cancer, and helps slow the aging process and . This tea contains no oxalic acid, making it the for those prone to . Additive free, preservative free, and , it is a natural beverage that will also hep you with and stress.
Thankfully, those prone to have a solution to the reappearance of such a painful disorder. Drinking just a few cups of each day can help prevent the buildup of excess oxalate, improve overall fluid intake, and provide a long list of other health benefits to the body.
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Why Is It Recommended To Limit Tea Intake
So, we are back to the question, why should you avoid tea when having the issue of kidney stones? Knowing the reason behind kidney stones, now we can look into this with a more logical approach. So, let us talk about the calcium and oxalate content of tea. The tea plant, Camellia sinensis contains oxalates. Therefore, the teas made from Camellia sinensis leaves including black tea, oolong tea, and green tea contain oxalates. However, the levels of oxalates in different teas vary. Fermented tea such as black tea has higher concentrations of oxalates as compared to semi-fermented oolong tea and non-fermented green tea. So, black tea can be one of the risk factors for kidney stones. The amount you take and the way you make your tea also counts. Besides oxalate, black tea has a higher concentration of magnesium and calcium than green tea and oolong tea. Hence, people who are likely to form kidney stones are advised to avoid black tea.
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How Much Black Tea Is Safe
Of course, having a cup of black tea every so often is perfectly safe for most people. Even though black tea contains higher oxalate levels than most teas, its generally not enough to worry about.
One study looked at the amount of oxalates in black tea and found quite low levels. They concluded that drinking 4 cups of black tea would not pose a risk to kidney stones, and for kidney stone patients they recommended not to consume anything with more than 10 mg of oxalate, which is just over two 8oz mugs according to this study .
Whether you can consume black tea with a kidney condition depends on how severe your condition is, how much youre consuming, and your doctors instructions. While most people can drink reasonable amounts of black tea with no problem, be sure to check with your healthcare professional first if you have issues with kidney health.
Is Coffee Bad For Your Kidneys
Lets turn our attention to your morning cup of joe. This ones a little more complicated than a yes or no answer when it comes to its effect on kidney health.
First of all, drinking multiple cups of coffee increases levels of potassium in your bloodstream – which your kidneys have to work to filter out. In addition, the creamer you might put in your coffee contains phosphates, which should be avoided by those with kidney disease .
Furthermore, drinking lots of coffee does not hydrate you, so make sure you are drinking enough water along with it to decrease the risk of stones .
Interestingly, coffee may not be all bad for the kidneys! One study showed that consuming one to two cups of coffee may protect against end stage renal failure. The benefit could be due to a phytoestrogen in coffee called trigonelline .
However, more studies are needed, as it is the only study of its kind so far that I found. In a genome-wide association study on coffee and kidney health, the authors also found support for the above conclusions. For now, the evidence so far seems to indicate that coffee has a protective effect .
The University of Chicago notes that coffee contains low levels of oxalates which is part of the reason they also agree that overall it has a protective effect. But bear in mind the caffeine side described earlier .
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Giving Up Oxalates For Good Will Fix The Problem
If you happen to be particularly susceptible to calcium oxalate stones, it may be a good idea to reduce your oxalate intake.
However, there is a downside to this dietary recommendation that is often overlooked. Many high-oxalate foods are also rich in fiber, magnesium, potassium, and phytate, all of which inhibit the occurrence of kidney stones.
Thus, instead of avoiding such healthful sources of nutrients altogether, try to consume them in moderation.
Besides, some people are naturally better at absorbing oxalates than others, and thus such oxalate restrictive diets do not apply uniformly to all.
People with unfavorably high oxalate levels can naturally bring down the amount of oxalate absorption by consuming a high-calcium diet.
If your urine oxalate level continues to be high regardless, ask a dietitian or other health care professional about how strictly you need to avoid oxalate-containing foods.
All in all, eliminating oxalate-rich foods from your diet alone will not prevent calcium oxalate kidney stones from forming and will only give you a false sense of security.
Research suggests that the best way to curb stone formation is to pair high calcium foods with oxalate-rich ones during a meal. This allows the two to bind together in the stomach and intestines before the kidneys begin processing them, making it less likely that kidney stones will form.
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Infrequently Asked Questions: Can Drinking Too Much Tea Cause Kidney Stones
The world is full of questions we all want answers to but are either too embarrassed, time-crunched or intimidated to actually ask. In the spirit of that shared experience, we’ve embarked on a journey to answer all of the questions that burn in the minds of Philadelphians — everything from universal curiosities to Philly-specific musings .
Tea drinkers have long feared the answer to the question of whether their hydration method of choice is actually detrimental to their kidney health. Eager to set the record straight, we reached out to Dr. Pooja Singh, a clinical assistant professor in nephrology at Jefferson University Hospital.
Getting to the chase, can drinking too much tea really cause kidney stones?
The answer to that is ‘Yes,’ but only if it is done in an excess amount. And the reason for that is because tea, specifically black tea, which is how we drink tea in America, is very rich in a mineral called oxalates. These are present not only in black tea, but chocolates, spinach, beets and peanuts. So if you have susceptibility for stones you and I, if we are not susceptible to kidney stones, we can perhaps drink a lot more and not have a problem …
Is oxalate present in other teas, too?
Specifically if they have a history, not to drink so much black tea. And it also goes with other things like the chocolate and the spinach and other things I mentioned.
How do you know youre susceptible?
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Which Tea Is Good For Kidney Disease
In order to cleanse your kidneys and keep them working fine, all you need to do is to drink a lot of water. Staying well-hydrated is usually enough to help them function right.
While drinking green tea is beneficial for the health of your kidneys, those with existing kidney disease should avoid it.
Annique Health and Beauty mention that Most teas, like green or black, contain a compound called oxalic acid. Its also found in chocolate, certain fruits, vegetables, and raw leafy greens.
Normally, oxalic acid is naturally eliminated through your urine. But when you dont drink enough water, consume too much sugar, and have a diet high in oxalic acid, oxalate crystals can form.
This is one of the most common causes of kidney stones.
But Rooibos Tea doesnt contain oxalates. Thats why its a great alternative to green or black tea for those who are prone to kidney stones.
However, as said earlier, it is always better to consult with the kidney specialist and follow his or her advice.
Evaluating Your Kidney Needs
Because water is still considered the best fluid to ensure proper kidney function, the smartest “tea” option may well be just hot water, perhaps flavored with lemon juice. In terms of traditional and herbal teas, what you choose should depend on whether you currently have any kidney issues. The best tea for kidney disease will be different than one that is a general preventative tea for kidney health.
Some studies have found that drinking at least one cup of black or green tea may help prevent kidney stones, according to the Linus Pauling Institute . On the other hand, some black teas may have oxalate concentrations that are high enough to contribute to the problem, for people prone to kidney stones, notes the LPI.
As for the ability of green or black tea’s antioxidant content to prevent cancers, including kidney or bladder cancer, human research has not yet tested this theory, according to the LPI. In addition, the caffeine content in green tea, as well as its unpredictable effects on blood sugar, can pose a problem for kidney patients who also have high blood pressure or diabetes.
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Phosphoric Acid In Soda
Cola, specifically, has a lot of phosphoric acid in it. Other kinds of sodas usually do not have phosphoric acid.
In addition to sugar, phosphoric acid may be why soda can cause kidney stones.
Some studies have shown a higher risk of kidney stones, and harmful changes in urine in people who drink cola . However, others have shown a modest reduced risk.
Some articles have suggested that phosphoric acid dissolves kidney stones. This is not true. No food or supplement can dissolve kidney stones. However, nutrition can play an big role in prevention!
Bottom Line: Because phosphoric acid is harmful for people with kidney disease, this indicates it generally is not good for kidneys. I would steer clear of dark sodas for kidney stone prevention.