A recent study shows that lemon water can be used to treat kidney stones as it helps slow the formation of new stones.
“When treating patients at our kidney stone center, we recommend everyone to adopt lemon water therapy,” said Steven Y. Nakada, 
a professor of urology at the University of Wisconsin, Madison, during a press conference on kidney stone research at the American Urological Association (AUA) annual meeting held on May 23 in Atlanta.
Anyone who has experienced kidney stones will never forget the sudden and intense pain in their flanks. Some patients even say that the pain from this condition is comparable to that of childbirth.
Kidney stones form when minerals in urine crystallize and create stones within the kidneys. In most healthy individuals, urine contains a compound called potassium citrate that helps prevent stone formation; however, some people have very low levels of this compound, which increases their risk of developing kidney stones.
Typically, to treat kidney stones, doctors prescribe patients to take potassium citrate in either pill or liquid form.
In their study, Professor Nakada and colleagues had patients drink low-sugar lemon water. They found that lemon water increased the levels of citrate in the urine to a degree considered effective in preventing kidney stone formation. While it does not work exactly like potassium citrate, for patients who need to avoid medication, lemon water serves as an ideal alternative therapy.
Researchers at Duke University also found that over 90% of patients who drank lemon water daily improved their potassium citrate levels in urine. Among those who consumed more lemon water, their stones also decreased in size.
In addition to lemon water, researchers also recommend reducing salt and meat intake in each meal to prevent kidney stones.
TUONG VY
