Tuesday, September 18, 2012

Less "Iced Tea" please ......

Go for lemonade or water instead — drinking too much iced tea can up the risk of kidney stones

When the summer heat hits, consider reaching for freshly squeezed lemonade or water rather than iced tea, which experts say can lead to the formation of painful kidney stones.

Though in healthy bodies kidney stones small crystals made up of minerals and salts found in the urine of kidneys or ureters are expelled naturally from the body, stones can grow large enough to become lodged in the small tubes that drain urine from the kidney to the bladder.

One of the most common causes is dehydration. And summer heat coupled with the overconsumption of iced tea can increase the risk.

A lot of people choose to drink more iced tea, because it is low in calories and tastes better than water. However, in terms of kidney stones, they might be doing themselves a disservice.


Other foods that contain high amounts of oxalates and should be consumed in moderation for people at risk include spinach, chocolate, rhubarb and nuts, he added.

Though water is the best choice, freshly squeezed lemonade not the powdered form can also inhibit the growth of kidney stones given its high levels of citrates.

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