15g. Urinary Health - Urinary Calculi Flashcards
What are urinary calculi?
Formation of crystalline salts and organic matter in kidney/bladder
Signs/symptoms of urinary calculi
May be asymptomatic
Debilitating pain if stone lodges in ureter
Nausea
Vomiting
Fever
What are the main types of stones?
Calcium oxalate
Calcium phosphate
Uric acid
Struvite stones
What are struvite stones commonly caused by?
Chronic bacterial infection
Causes and risk factors for urinary calculi
Dehydration
Altered urinary pH
Dietary acid load
High table salt intake
High protein intake
Purine-rich foods
Low fibre
High carbohydrate
High alcohol
High intake oxalate-rich foods
Low citrate
Why can dehydration cause urinary calculi?
Urine becomes too concentrated allowing minerals and other compounds to precipitate - forming crystals
What happens if urine becomes too acidic?
Compound of calcium oxalate and uric acid stones
What happens if urine becomes too alkaline?
Compound of struvite and calcium phosphate stones
What foods can cause a dietary acid load?
Animal protein
Dairy
Soft drinks
Which type of stones are more prevalent under dietary acid load?
Calcium oxalate and uric acid
How are calcium oxalate and uric acid stones formed?
Increased secretion of calcium (oversaturates urine)
Increased secretion of uric acid (oversaturates urine)
Reduced secretion of citrate (needed to solubilise Ca oxalate)
Why can high table salt intake cause urinary calculi?
Increases urinary calcium
Why can low citrate cause urinary calculi?
Increases urinary calcium
Why can a high protein diet (esp animal protein) cause urinary calculi?
Increases uric acid as a by-product of protein metabolism
Natural approach to supporting urinary calculi
Increase fluid intake
Plant-based diet for alkalinity
Reduce all animal proteins
Reduce all high purine foods
Reduce salt intake
Avoid alcohol
Avoid oxalate-rich foods (spinach, rhubarb, strawberries, almonds, cashews)
Increase potassium-rich foods (fruit/veg)
