Our kidneys are responsible for filtering waste products, balancing fluids in the body, releasing hormones that regulate blood pressure, producing urine, and many other essential tasks. This small but powerful bean-shaped organ can be affected by various diseases – one of the most common are kidney stones.
Kidney stones are small lumps that develop when certain substances, such as calcium, oxalate, and uric acid, accumulated and form crystals in our kidneys. After they are formed, they can pass down the ureter, blocking the flow of urine and would cause severe pain in one side of the body between the stomach and the back, blood in the urine, vomiting, and nausea. This problem is quite common. People who get them often get them repeatedly.
How Lemons Work To Prevent Kidney Stones?
Lemons contain citric acid that may help prevent kidney stones. It acts by increasing urine volume and urine pH thereby creating an environment that is less favorable for kidney stone formation. It prevents small stones from becoming “problem stones” by coating them and preventing other material from attaching and building onto the stones.
For people who have already had kidney stones, consumption of just a 1/2-cup (4 ounces or 125 ml) of lemon juice per day may provide enough citric acid to help prevent stone formation, according to a study. These results suggest that lemonade therapy can be used as a secondary therapy for the treatment of hypocitraturic calcium nephrolithiasis (urinary stones formed due to low citrate consumption).
How To Increase Citric Acid Intake Using Lemons
- Squeeze fresh lemon directly into tea, or water for consumption.
- Drink lemonade every day. To make homemade lemonade, squeeze a ½ cup (4 ounces) of fresh lemon juice into a pitcher of cold water and add some honey. Make it by the glass for a single serving.
- Use lemon juice on fish and in marinades for any type of meat.
- Use fresh lemon on lettuce or spinach salads.
- Use lemon juice. Dilute 2 ozs. lemon juice with 6 ozs. water and drink once in the morning and once in the evening. Doing this will help us reach the goal of 4 ozs. lemon juice per day.
