Keto Diet on Kidney Stone | Is Keto Bad for Your Kidney

Keto Diet on Kidney Stone (Uric Acid)

A Keto diet for kidney stones is rare, as these stones mainly occur due to calcium, oxalate, and uric acid accumulation.

However, for those starting their journey toward a Keto diet, there is still a lot of ground to cover. Let us first understand the basics of Keto and kidney stones relation.

Kidney stones have multiple causes, including genetic factors, dehydration, and low dietary magnesium.

The serum uric acid increases during the early stages of the Ketogenic diet, but it happens due to a decrease in excretion and more production.

Keto Diet on Kidney Stone – The Basics

Keto Diet on Kidney Stone

Keto Diet on Kidney Stone

At its base, the Keto diet consists of eating more fat and stopping the consumption of carbs.

The Ketogenic diet is an active high fat and low sugar weight loss strategy, which activates the body’s starvation mode.

In other words, your body relies more on fat than sugar and carbohydrates.

On the one hand, the Keto diet helps treat epileptic seizures and blood glucose levels for type 2 diabetes patients. Research is still needed about how Keto links to someone having kidney stones.

The Probable Reason for Kidney Stones in Keto Diet Followers

If you are on a Keto diet and not careful, the body will become dehydrated and accumulate massive amounts of protein and uric acid to dangerous levels.

Higher uric acid in the body leads to the formation of needle-like urate crystals in the joints and causes discomfort.

Although there is still a lot of research to do on the link between the keto diet and kidney stones, some medical cases seem to be tilting toward the affirmative.

However, as of now, the top cause of kidney stones still points towards the massive consumption of meat products without adequate hydration to back it up.

Keto Diet on Kidney Stone – How the Latter Forms

An essential function of the kidneys is to rid the body of waste and fluid from the blood to produce urine.

In case you have too much waste and not enough fluid, the waste will accumulate and lead to the formation of kidney stones.

Kidney disease has its origins from different sources, including:

  1. Firstly, calcium stones are a common type of kidney stone, including calcium oxalate stones. The excess salt in your diet is a significant risk factor for forming calcium stones, as the kidneys must work hard to remove the excess sodium. It clearly states that calcium remains stuck to the kidneys.
  2. Uric acid is a waste your kidneys eliminate from the body. If the urine is acidic due to diet or lifestyle choices, dissolving the uric acid crystals becomes hard. You need to avoid food having animal protein, including beef, liver, chicken, eggs, and pork. It is a significant risk factor that affects kidney health.
  3. Another common type of kidney stone is Cystine kidney stones. It causes amino acids Cysteine-containing sulfur to leak into your urine. Moreover, the excess buildup of Cystine in the urine can lead to the formation of Cystine stones.
  4. Lastly, Struvite kidney stones related to Chronic Urinary Tract Infection (UTIs) occur due to too alkaline urine. However, these are the least common forms of kidney stones.

Keto Diet on Kidney Stone – Does Keto Diet Cause Kidney Stones?

Many sources claim that a Ketogenic diet can lead to the formation of kidney stones.

The reason given is the high protein content of this diet, which leads to this issue. On the contrary, the Keto diet is only high in fat and never protein.

Recent research clarified that protein intake does not lead to kidney function issues. It might be a possibility that some unknown factor in the diet is responsible for kidney stone formation.

Remember, kidney failure is a severe medical condition and it’s too expensive to treat.

Keep in mind that hydration is essential. You will lose some Ketones in the urine when on a Keto diet.

Do not worry; it is a natural process that makes the body get used to functioning on Ketones for energy. When you lose Ketones, there would also be a loss of minerals alone with them, especially sodium.

Ketones have a negative charge and need extraction with a positive compound, AKA cation.

With this, you might have increased levels of sodium running through the kidneys for some time.

For the majority of people, it is not an issue. Ensure hydration and electrolyte balance are equal while moving towards the Keto diet.

Other Elements in the Keto and Kidney Stone Link

Other factors that are a part of this link to the effects of the Keto diet on kidney stones include blood sugar levels.

It is a harsh reality for those with metabolic syndrome or diabetes.

As the Keto diet is a low-carbohydrate diet, it will also balance the blood sugar levels, which will prevent the formation of kidney stones.

However, if you are someone at risk of kidney stones, then make sure to watch out for nutrient intake.

See Also

Is the keto diet bad for the kidneys?

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Keto on Kidneys