What Are Kidney Stones?
Kidney stones are a solid, crystal-like mineral material that forms within the kidney or urinary tract. Kidney stones are relatively uncommon – occurring in just one of every 20 people worldwide.
Kidney stones form when there is a decrease in the amount of urine produced and/or an excess of stone-forming substances in the urine. Relating to the former, dehydration is one of the leading causes of kidney stones.
Kidney stones are notoriously painful. When the stone moves around the ureter – the tube that connects the kidney and bladder – severe pain is often felt in the side and back, below the rib cage. The pain may then radiate to the lower abdomen and groin.
Nearly every kidney stone is passed from the kidney through the ureter and bladder through the urethra. Consuming plenty of fluids facilitates the passage of kidney stones, though most people find it necessary to take some type of prescription medication for pain control.
Other symptoms of kidney stones include: abnormal urine color, bloody urine (in some cases), chills, fever, and nausea.
Four Ingredients That May Help Kidney Stones
To begin with, you will need the following four ingredients:
– 2 cucumbers
– Some mint leaves
– 1 liter of water
– Natural, organic honey
Cucumbers contain multiple B-vitamins, including B1, B5, and B7 (biotin). B vitamins help ease anxiety and buffer some of the damaging effects of stress. Additionally, cucumbers contain plenty of fiber and water – two essential ingredients for healthy digestion.
Mint is a potent anti-inflammatory and also helps promote digestion. It’s also a natural nausea-reliever – and can help ease the stomach of gas and indigestion.
Honey provides relief from inflammation and moderate pain. Similar to cucumbers and mint, honey helps to promote healthy digestion as well. Honey is, of course, an excellent and healthy natural sweetener. It adds a nice flavor to the drink you’re going to prepare.
Water is a must-have ingredient, especially when fighting kidney stones. You should be drinking at least ten 12-ounce glasses of water per day until the stone passes. This recipe calls for a liter, which is approximately 34 ounces. Water helps dissolve the kidney stone and promotes urination – two things critical for kidney stone passage. Plenty of water will help flush out toxins and relieve the pain of kidney stones as well.
On that note, here are the instructions to make this kidney stone-relieving concoction:
– Put all of the ingredients in the blender (do not peel the cucumber.)
– Blend until the mix appears smooth and texturized.
It is recommended that you drink this mix after breakfast. Alternatively, you may serve yourself a glass 30 minutes before each main meal if the stone passage proves slow.
Kidney stone facts
Please keep this information about kidney stones in mind going forward:
– Calcium stones are, by far, the most prevalent type of kidney stones, and are caused by excessive salt intake and metabolic and/or urinary abnormalities.
– Dehydration, diet, family history, and obesity are the four primary risk factors.
– Low fluid intake and overconsuming animal products and/or salty foods increase the risk of developing kidney stones.
– Prevention is the best cure. To prevent a kidney stone from development, stay well hydrated, decrease salt intake, moderate calcium intake, and limit consumption of animal protein.
– Most kidney stones eventually pass through the urinary tract, on their own within 48 hours. Adequate fluid intake is essential to pass the stone within this timeframe.
– Over-the-counter (OTC) pain medications may not be effective against some stones. Injectable anti-inflammatory drugs and narcotics may be prescribed for pain control.
