Alternative Kidney Stone Treatments An effective and natural herbal solution to prevent kidney and bladder problems is an old Amish concoction called Carrot Top Tea (www.carrottoptea.com). Carrot tops are an under-appreciated source of relief for all sorts of urinary tract problems and symptoms. The Amish swear by it, dedicating significant acreage to carrots just for this reason. Carrot Top Tea can clear up skin blemishes, flush the kidneys and bladder, and clean the blood of toxins. Also, consider Digestive Enzyme Therapy. It takes enzymes to break down protein in the body. If undigested proteins reach your kidneys, they can capture calcium molecules and eventually build them into a kidney stone. The enzyme that breaks down proteins is called protease. You can find the purest practitioner-grade of protease here. Magnesium has been found to be very important in the prevention of stone formation. Eat foods rich in magnesium, such as barley, bran, corn, buckwheat, rye, oats, brown rice, potatoes, and bananas. NATURAL PRESCRIPTION FOR KIDNEY STONES Drink a minimum of eight glasses of liquid a day, Don't eat large meals late at night. Keep vitamin C supplementation below 2,000 mg. daily. Avoid naturally carbonated and mineral waters; their calcium content can be high. Eat foods that are rich in magnesium such as barley, bran, corn, buckwheat, rye, oats, brown rice, potatoes, and bananas, Reduce animal protein in the diet to 3 ounces at lunch and 3 ounces at dinner. Reduce foods rich in calcium such as milk and cheese. Cut back on salt, sugar, caffeine, and alcohol. Eat lots of fruits and vegetables. Determine the type of stone formation you suffer from (hypercalciuria, hyperoxaluria, or hyperurlcosuria) by means of a chemical analysis and see text for more details concerning natural remedies for your particular problem. IN ADDITION TO YOUR DAILY SUPPLEMENTS, TAKE: Magnesium: 400 mg. Vitamin B6: 50 mg. Potassium: 100 mg. SIMPLE PREVENTATIVE STEPS Drink more water Increasing your fluid intake should be your first step (and may be the only step needed) toward staying free of kidney stones. Six to eight 8-ounce glasses is the minimum amount you should drink every day. While water is always a good choice, other caffeine-free and nonalcoholic beverages count (although your doctor may caution you about drinking too much decaffeinated tea if you produce a high concentration of oxalates in your urine). Cut down on food oxalates Eating large quantities of fruits and vegetables provides you with lots of vitamins, minerals, and other beneficial nutrients; however, some of these foods also provide oxalates, which you may need to go easy on if you have a tendency toward kidney-stone formation. People prone to forming calcium-oxalate stones may be asked by their doctor to cut back on the following foods if their urine contains an excess of oxalate: Beets, chocolate, coffee, cola, nuts, parsley, peanuts, rhubarb, spinach, strawberries, tea, and wheat bran. But don't completely avoid these foods without first talking to your doctor. In most cases, these foods can be eaten in limited amounts. A bit less animal protein Individuals who form uric-acid stones are usually found to eat diets high in animal protein. Animal protein can accelerate formation of uric acid and calcium in the urine, which may, in turn, cause stones to form. So try to moderate your meat intake. Uric acid also forms when purines in protein foods are broken down. If you suffer from uric-acid stones, you also may need to cut back on protein, particularly foods high in purine. Some of these foods include anchovies, fish roe, herring, mackerel, mussels, sardines, and shrimp. Other foods high in purine to watch out for include beer, brains, heart, kidney, liver, sweetbreads, and wine. Of course, high-protein fad diets should also be avoided. Exercise regularly One of the many benefits of regular exercise is that it facilitates the passage of calcium out of the bloodstream and into the bones. The result: stronger bones and less risk of stone formation. If you need one more reason to lace up those walking shoes, recalling the anguish of a kidney stone may be a great motivator. Citric Acid Did you know that lemons are potent with citric acid? And citric acids and lemons have been known to dissolve hard materials, even stones. Add a lemon to your drinking water to spruce things up. Citrates reduce the build up of uric acid and eliminate the build-up of calcium salts which cause the formation of kidney stones. To get an adequate amount of citrates, drink plenty of fruit and vegetable juices such as carrot, grape and orange juices. Cut Sugar High sugar intake is associated with increased risk of kidney stones. You can cut hundreds of calories and prevent future kidney stones by staying away from sugary drinks and foods. Useful Herbs We recommend seeing an herbalist, or Chinese Medicine practitioner. Ask them about these: Boerhaavia Diffusa (Punanrnava) has both anti-inflammatory and urine producing effect. This vital ingredient allows the urinary tracts to relax and uses increased urinary flow to move any lodged gravel Crataeva Nurvala (Three-leaved Caper) is a remarkable herb that has shown to cause stones in the ureter and bladder to spontaneously pass out. To increase its effectiveness BioNeutrix extracts the bio-active compound found only in its bark for precise action. Tribulus Terrestris (Puncture Vine) has aspartic and glutamic acid content which help in disintegrating the stone outer shell. Lawsonia Inermis (Henna) and Raphanus Sativus (Radish) an incredibly powerful combination that has very effective anti-bacterial properties. This prevents any urinary infection from stone movement or irritation. Bergenia Ligulata (Saxifraga) is a very well studied herb whose extract has shown to cause pre-formed stones to weaken in structure and easily collapse back into surrounding urine. Fiscus Racemose is one of the key ingredients in uriflow that has carminative effects and helps ease the gripping pains common during a kidney stone attack. It's fast absorption helps bring quick relief from kidney stone pain. Didymocarpus Pedicellata (Shilapushpa) has been used for centuries in Asia for treating kidney stones and preventing new calculi from mineralizing in the kidneys. This ingredient has great results long term for recurrent cases. Achyranthes Aspera (Prickly Chaff-flower) have a specialized chemical in their seeds known as saponins that stimulate the kidneys and help flush out gravel buildup in the urinary tracts. Hemidesmus Indicus (ndian Sarsaparilla) is a powerful kidney flushing agent that works to clear out blockages within the tubules and major urinary tracts Asphaltum is a fast acting mineral that rushes to the site of the stone and aids in fragmenting its structure for faster dissolution in urine. Asphaltum contains aluminium, antimony, calcium, cobalt, copper, iron, lithium, magnesium, manganese, molybdenum, phosphorus, silica, sodium, strontium, zinc, fatty acids, hippuric acid, benzoic acid, tannic acid, fulvic acid, chebulic acid, resin and waxy matter, gums, albuminoids and glycosides. HOME > ALTERNATIVE THERAPIES