Kidney stones are hard deposits made of minerals and salts that form inside the kidneys, often causing severe pain as they pass through the urinary tract.
Ranked by community outcomes, then evidence grade, Health Voice mentions, and recency.
Why it may help Kidney Stones: Vitamin B6 may help prevent kidney stones by reducing urinary oxalate excretion, as it is a cofactor for an enzyme involved in oxalate metabolism, thereby lowering stone formation risk.
Hibiscus is a plant whose calyces are commonly used to make herbal tea and are being studied for potential benefits in cardiovascular health, particularly blood pressure and cholesterol.
Chanca Piedra (Phyllanthus niruri) is a tropical plant traditionally used for kidney stones and urinary tract health, with emerging scientific interest.
Why it may help Kidney Stones: Lemon juice, rich in citrate, helps prevent kidney stones by increasing urinary citrate, which binds to calcium and inhibits the crystallization of stone-forming salts like calcium oxalate.
Why it may help Kidney Stones: Potassium citrate helps prevent kidney stones by increasing urinary citrate and pH, which reduces the supersaturation of calcium oxalate and uric acid, inhibiting crystal formation and growth.
EPA/DHA fatty acids studied for inflammation, brain health, and autoimmune support.
Why it may help Kidney Stones: Regular exercise may reduce kidney stone risk by promoting fluid intake, increasing urine flow, and potentially altering urinary composition to decrease the supersaturation of stone-forming minerals.
Why it may help Kidney Stones: Magnesium can help prevent calcium oxalate kidney stones by reducing oxalate absorption in the gut and forming soluble complexes with oxalate in urine, thereby decreasing its availability to bind with calcium.
Bitter root supporting liver, bile flow, and digestion.
Algal oil is a plant-based source of omega-3 fatty acids (EPA and DHA) that supports brain, eye, and heart health, offering a sustainable alternative to fish oil.
Community outcomes
Self-reported by community members · not medical advice.
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Community Discussions
How global health authorities view Kidney Stones.
The Mayo Clinic emphasizes the importance of adequate hydration and dietary modifications, such as reducing sodium and animal protein, for preventing kidney stones. The NIH acknowledges that some dietary changes and medications can help prevent recurrent stones. While some traditional remedies are used, major health bodies generally recommend conventional medical management for acute stone episodes and evidence-based preventive strategies. The NCCIH notes that some herbal remedies are used traditionally but often lack robust scientific evidence for efficacy and safety in kidney stone treatment.
Indexed studies for Kidney Stones, grouped by source type and quality.
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Pooled analyses across multiple human trials.
Prevalence of urolithiasis in China: a systematic review and meta-analysis.
Tan S, Yuan D, Su H, Chen W, Zhu S, Yan B · BJU international · 2024
To estimate the pooled prevalence, as well as the spatial and temporal distribution, of urolithiasis among subjects in China. We conducted a comprehensive search of both Chinese and English databases to retrieve literature pertaining to the prevalence of urolithiasis in the indigenous Chinese population. A random-effects meta-analysis model was employed to calculate the pooled prevalence of urolithiasis. Subgroup analyses were conducted based on factors such as time, region, gender, and sample size. Prevalence and spatial distribution maps were created based on provinces and latitude/longitude coordinates. A total of 46 studies conducted in 22 provinces across China were included in this meta-analysis and the pooled prevalence of urolithiasis, kidney stones, ureteric calculi, urethral and bladder stones were 8.1% (95% confidence interval [CI] 5.6-11.1%), 7.8% (95% CI 5.8-10.0%), 3.2% (95% CI 0.6-5.7%), 0.5% (95% CI 0.1-0.9%). Most of the urolithiasis prevalence screening in China was
Tea intake and risk of kidney stones: A mendelian randomization study.
Liu D, Wang J, Chen Y, Liu F, Deng Y, Wang M · Nutrition (Burbank, Los Angeles County, Calif.) · 2023
Observational studies indicate that tea intake is associated with a decreased risk of kidney stones. Here we performed a mendelian randomization (MR) analysis to evaluate whether this association is causal. Forty-four independent genetic variants strongly associated with tea intake were identified from a large genome-wide association study, including 448 060 individuals of the UK Biobank. We additionally obtained genome-wide association study summary statistics for kidney stones from the FinnGen consortium (5985 cases and 253 943 controls) and UK Biobank (6536 cases and 388 508 controls). Random-effect inverse variance weighted regression was used to evaluate causal estimates. The random-effect inverse variance weighted estimates based on the FinnGen consortium and UK Biobank were meta-analyzed using fixed-effects meta-analysis. Other MR methods, including MR-Egger, weighted median, weighted mode, and MR-Pleiotropy RESidual Sum and Outlier, were also performed to
Coffee and Caffeine Consumption and Risk of Kidney Stones: A Mendelian Randomization Study.
Yuan S, Larsson SC · American journal of kidney diseases : the official journal of the National Kidney Foundation · 2022
Coffee and caffeine consumption have been associated with a lower risk of kidney stones in observational studies. We conducted a Mendelian randomization study to assess the causal nature of these associations. Mendelian randomization analysis. Independent genetic variants associated with coffee and caffeine consumption at the genome-wide significance level were selected from previously published meta-analyses as instrumental variables. Summary-level data for kidney stones were obtained from the UK Biobank study (6,536 cases and 388,508 noncases) and the FinnGen consortium (3,856 cases and 172,757 noncases). Genetically predicted coffee and caffeine consumption. Clinically diagnosed kidney stones. Mendelian randomization methods were used to calculate causal estimates. Estimates from the 2 sources were combined using the fixed-effects meta-analysis methods. Genetically predicted coffee and caffeine consumption was associated with a lower risk of kidney stones in the UK Biobank stu
Structured reviews of the full body of evidence (incl. Cochrane).
Li D, Dawson J, Gunton JE · Nutrients · 2024 · n=129
Recent findings have highlighted that abnormal energy metabolism is a key feature of autosomal-dominant polycystic kidney disease (ADPKD). Emerging evidence suggests that nutritional ketosis could offer therapeutic benefits, including potentially slowing or even reversing disease progression. This systematic review aims to synthesise the literature on ketogenic interventions to evaluate the impact in ADPKD. A systematic search was conducted in Medline, Embase, and Scopus using relevant Medical Subject Headings (MeSH) and keywords. Studies assessing ketogenic interventions in the management of ADPKD in both human and animal models were selected for data extraction and analysis. Three animal reports and six human studies were identified. Ketogenic diets (KD) significantly slowed polycystic kidney disease (PKD) progression in rats with improved renal function and reduced cystic areas. There was reduced renal fibrosis and cell proliferation. The supplementation of beta-hydroxybutyrate (B
Food insecurity and kidney disease: a systematic review.
Ferrara F, Siligato R, Di Maria A, Scichilone L, Di Simone E, Bondanelli M · International urology and nephrology · 2024 · n=533
The risk of developing and worsening chronic kidney disease (CKD) is associated with unhealthy dietary patterns. Food insecurity is defined by a limited or uncertain availability of nutritionally adequate and safe food; it is also associated with several chronic medical conditions. The aim of this systematic review is to investigate the current knowledge about the relationship between food insecurity and renal disease. We selected the pertinent publications by searching on the PubMed, Scopus, and the Web of Science databases, without any temporal limitations being imposed. The searching and selecting processes were carried out through pinpointed inclusion and exclusion criteria and in accordance with the Prisma statement. Out of the 26,548 items that were first identified, only 9 studies were included in the systemic review. Eight out of the nine investigations were conducted in the US, and one was conducted in Iran. The studies evaluated the relationship between food insecurity and
Metabolic changes in kidney stone disease.
Xu Z, Yao X, Duan C, Liu H, Xu H · Frontiers in immunology · 2023
Kidney stone disease (KSD) is one of the earliest medical diseases known, but the mechanism of its formation and metabolic changes remain unclear. The formation of kidney stones is a extensive and complicated process, which is regulated by metabolic changes in various substances. In this manuscript, we summarized the progress of research on metabolic changes in kidney stone disease and discuss the valuable role of some new potential targets. We reviewed the influence of metabolism of some common substances on stone formation, such as the regulation of oxalate, the release of reactive oxygen species (ROS), macrophage polarization, the levels of hormones, and the alternation of other substances. New insights into changes in substance metabolism changes in kidney stone disease, as well as emerging research techniques, will provide new directions in the treatment of stones. Reviewing the great progress that has been made in this field will help to improve the understanding by urologists, n
Recommendations from medical societies (NICE, AHA, ADA, ACG, Endocrine Society…).
Renal and ureteric stones: assessment and management
NICE
This NICE guideline provides evidence-based recommendations on the assessment and management of renal and ureteric stones, guiding healthcare professionals on best practices for diagnosis, treatment, and follow-up care. It aims to improve patient outcomes.
Controlled human studies with random assignment.
Controlled colonization of the human gut with a genetically engineered microbial therapeutic.
Whitaker WR, Russ ZN, Stanley Shepherd E, Popov LM, Louie A, Lam K · Science (New York, N.Y.) · 2025
Precision microbiome programming for therapeutic applications is limited by challenges in achieving reproducible colonic colonization. Previously, we created an exclusive niche that we used to engraft engineered bacteria into diverse microbiota in mice by using a porphyran prebiotic. Building on this approach, we have now engineered conditional attenuation into a porphyran-utilizing strain of Phocaeicola vulgatus by replacing native essential gene regulation with a porphyran-inducible promoter to allow reversible engraftment. Engineering a five-gene oxalate degradation pathway into the reversibly engrafting strain resulted in a therapeutic candidate that reduced hyperoxaluria, a cause of kidney stones, in preclinical models. Our phase 1/2a clinical trial demonstrated porphyran dose-dependent abundance and reversible engraftment in humans, reduction of oxalate in the urine, and characterized genetic stability challenges to achievinglong-term treatment.
Anderegg MA, Schietzel S, Bargagli M, Bally L, Faller N, Moor MB · Nature medicine · 2025 · n=53
Efficacy of sodium-glucose cotransporter 2 inhibitors for kidney stone prevention in nondiabetic patients is unknown. In a double-blind, placebo-controlled, single-center, crossover phase 2 trial, 53 adults (≥18 and <75 years) with calcium (n = 28) or uric acid (UA; n = 25) kidney stones (at least one previous kidney stone event) without diabetes (HbA1c < 6.5%, no diabetes treatment) were randomized to once daily empagliflozin 25 mg followed by placebo or reverse (2 weeks per treatment). Randomization and analysis were performed separately for both stone types. Primary analyses were conducted in the per protocol set. Primary outcomes were urine relative supersaturation ratios (RSRs) for calcium oxalate (CaOx), calcium phosphate (CaP) and UA-validated surrogates for stone recurrence. Prespecified RSR reductions (≥15%) were met in both groups of stone formers. In patients with calcium stones,
Vitamin D supplementation and major cardiovascular events: D-Health randomised controlled trial.
Thompson B, Waterhouse M, English DR, McLeod DS, Armstrong BK, Baxter C · BMJ (Clinical research ed.) · 2023 · n=10
To investigate whether supplementing older adults with monthly doses of vitamin D alters the incidence of major cardiovascular events. Randomised, double blind, placebo controlled trial of monthly vitamin D (the D-Health Trial). Computer generated permuted block randomisation was used to allocate treatments. Australia from 2014 to 2020. 21 315 participants aged 60-84 years at enrolment. Exclusion criteria were self-reported hypercalcaemia, hyperparathyroidism, kidney stones, osteomalacia, sarcoidosis, taking >500 IU/day supplemental vitamin D, or unable to give consent because of language or cognitive impairment. 60 000 IU/month vitamin D3 (n=10 662) or placebo (n=10 653) taken orally for up to five years. 16 882 participants completed the intervention period: placebo 8270 (77.6%); vitamin D 8552 (80.2%). The main outcome for this analysis was the occurrence of a major cardiovascular event, including myocardial infarction, stroke, and coronary
Cohort, case-control, and cross-sectional human studies.
He S, Chen YW, Hu LY, Chen QK, Wang Y, Liu SY · The aging male : the official journal of the International Society for the Study of the Aging Male · 2025 · n=740
The association between hypertension and kidney stones remains inconsistent. This research investigated the relationship between hypertension and the risk and progression of kidney stones. A cross-sectional analysis was performed using data from the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (NHANES). The association was assessed with a multivariable logistic regression model. Furthermore, a two-sample Mendelian randomization (MR) analysis was conducted to evaluate causality. Methods included inverse-variance weighted (IVW), weighted median, and sensitivity analyses. Summary-level data for kidney stones were obtained from the UK Biobank, and for hypertension from a genome-wide association study (GWAS)analysis. The NHANES analysis included 21,740 participants. After full adjustment, hypertension was significantly associated with a higher prevalence of kidney stones (odds ratio [OR] = 1.36, 95% confidence interval [CI]: 1.19-1.56, p < 0.001). In the
Kidney stones and autosomal dominant polycystic kidney disease: a state-of-the-art review.
Borghol AH, Azooz M, Bou Antoun MT, Souvalian L, Shami B, Mina J · Renal failure · 2025
Kidney stones (nephrolithiasis/urolithiasis) are a clinically significant yet underrecognized complication of autosomal dominant polycystic kidney disease (ADPKD), with reported prevalence ranging from 3% to 59% due to differences in diagnostic criteria and study design. Patients with ADPKD are predisposed to uric acid and calcium oxalate stones, driven by metabolic abnormalities, such as low urine pH, hypocitraturia, hyperuricosuria, as well as structural factors including cyst-induced distortion of the collecting system and impaired urinary drainage. These anatomical changes complicate both diagnosis and intervention, posing challenges, such as reduced stone-free rates, longer operative times, increased need for repeat procedures, and higher complication risk. While non-contrast computed tomography (CT) remains the diagnostic gold standard, low-dose CT is preferred to minimize cumulative radiation exposure. Management generally aligns with that of the broader population and includes
Management of urinary stones by experts in stone disease (ESD 2025).
Papatsoris A, Geavlete B, Radavoi GD, Alameedee M, Almusafer M, Ather MH · Archivio italiano di urologia, andrologia : organo ufficiale [di] Societa italiana di ecografia urologica e nefrologica · 2025
The formation of kidney stones is a complex biologic process involving interactions among genetic, anatomic, dietary, and environmental factors. Traditional lithogenic models were based on urine supersaturation in relation to the activity of crystallization promoters and inhibitors. However, modern research has added new principles such as the "renal epithelial cell response" and the role of inflammation and oxidative stress leading to the development of a "multi-hit hypothesis". A strong correlation between urinary stones and kidney damage has been well demonstrated by both cohort and case-control studies. The main contributors to chronic kidney damage associated with urinary stones include crystal deposition within the renal parenchyma, associated comorbidities, repeated obstructive and infectious episodes, as well as the potential adverse effects of stone removal procedures. Most hereditary stones may cause high urinary saturation levels promoting obstruction of the Bellini ducts an
Public-health agencies: NCCIH, NIH, CDC, NHS.
NHS
The NHS offers detailed guidance on kidney stones, covering what they are, symptoms to look out for, diagnosis methods, and various treatment options available in the UK healthcare system. It aims to inform patients and their families.
Registered ongoing or completed trials (ClinicalTrials.gov).
Aqueduct Irrigation System Clinical Protocol: Medical Device Investigational Plan
n=30 · NCT02496442 · UNKNOWN · UNKNOWN
A. Synopsis 1. This protocol comes to direct the experiment to be performed on the Aqueduct Automatic Continuous Irrigation system. 2. The Aquaduct System is aimed at reducing risks to the patient by decreasing the irrigation fluid pressure he may be exposed to, reducing the procedure time and therefore the anesthesia time, reducing the manual handling of the sterile bags and the risk of contamination and more. 3. In general since there is no new procedure suggested and the equipment does not actually come into contact with the human body in any direct way, there is no need to have a clinical study for the regulation purpose. The reason for performing this experiment is to demonstrate the new system and to find out the best way to operate it in order to improve the process and reduce risks. 4. This information will serve the development of most suitable automation solution for achieving the long desired continuous irrigation. 5. The experiment will be performed in the OR in MIS procedures, and will replace the standard gravitational manual method of performing the irrigation. The surgeons and the medical staff of the OR will be directed with the set up and operation of the system prior to using it. The experiment will be accompanied at all times with a knowledgeable representative of the research originator. 6. A maximum of 30 procedures will be analyzed during a period of approximately one month. The surgeons and the medical staff will report their impression of using the system during the procedures and will recommend the best settings achieved. This information will be used to improve the system performance and design.
n=30 · NCT06615713 · COMPLETED · COMPLETED
The purpose of the study is to assess safety and efficacy of a novel steerable ureteral catheter system, the CVAC System for the treatment of urinary stones.
n=204 · NCT04594161 · COMPLETED · COMPLETED
To investigate the effectiveness of percutaneous nephrostomy catheter placement versus retrograde double J catheter placement in patients with symptoms of obstructive kidney disease (with either infection and/or pain and/or kidney function deterioration) caused by urolithiasis.
Curated cross-source summaries (TRIP Database and similar).
Cochrane Library: Kidney stones
Cochrane
The Cochrane Library provides systematic reviews and meta-analyses on various interventions for kidney stones. It aggregates high-quality evidence to inform healthcare decisions and practices.
TRIP Database
The TRIP Database is a clinical search engine designed to allow users to quickly and easily find high-quality research evidence to support their practice. Searching for 'kidney stones' yields a wide array of evidence-based resources.
Conventional medical care for kidney stones often involves pain management, increased fluid intake, and sometimes medications to help pass the stone. For larger stones or those causing complications, procedures like lithotripsy (shock wave therapy) or surgical removal may be necessary. A healthcare provider can determine the best course of action.
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This information is for educational purposes only and should not be considered medical advice. Always consult with a qualified healthcare professional for diagnosis and treatment of kidney stones, especially given the potential for severe pain and complications.
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