Health
Study reveals a new harm of high-sugar foods
There is a long list of reasons to avoid high-sugar foods, and a new study adds another reason, which is kidney stones.
Researchers found that among more than 28,000 adults in the United States, individuals who consumed a lot of sugars in their diet were more susceptible to kidney stones.
According to the study led by Dr. Shan Yin from the affiliated hospital of North Sichuan Medical College in China, and published its results in the journal Frontiers in Nutrition, people in the group that consumed sugar-rich foods were 39 percent more likely to develop kidney stone formations compared to those who consumed lower amounts of sugar.
How Are Kidney Stones Formed?
- Kidney stones are a common condition, affecting about 10 percent of people at some point in their lives, according to the National Kidney Foundation.
- Often, kidney stones can pass out of the body through urine.
- However, if large stones cause urinary blockage or severe pain, doctors may need to remove them.
- Kidney stones form when the natural chemistry of urine becomes abnormal, such as having too much of one chemical, not enough of another, or too little fluid to dilute it.
- General advice on preventing kidney stones includes drinking plenty of water and limiting sodium intake, as it can cause the kidneys to excrete more calcium in the urine.
- It is also beneficial to reduce the intake of animal proteins due to their impact on urine chemistry.
- The study recommends increasing water consumption to prevent the formation of kidney stones, especially in high-temperature conditions.
