The answer to the question, what to drink for kidney stones depends on what kind of stone you have. There are various ways of treating different types of stones and the best thing you can do is to first determine if your kidney stone is an oxalate or a calcium oxalate stone.
Oxalate stones are formed from a substance called oxalate. The substance of the stone is crystallized in the kidneys so that they cannot be excreted by the body. This kind of stone is usually small and can become larger when the stone is very large. It may even cause a lot of pain but it is not dangerous if left untreated.
Calcium oxalate stones are the kind of stone most commonly found in people who consume a lot of oxalate foods such as spinach, brussel sprouts, kidney beans, mushrooms, spinach, cabbage, peas, asparagus, etc. You will find that oxalate is the main ingredient in meat and dairy products. The oxalate crystals that are present in these foods slowly build up and then harden causing the person to experience some pain.
On the other hand, calcium oxalate stones are much more common than the former one. This kind of stone can form after a person consumes food items with high levels of oxalate content such as liver, chicken, beef, potatoes, spinach, onions, etc. The higher the level of oxalate present in the food item, the higher the chance for the formation of this kind of stone.
The best way to get rid of oxalate stones is to eat a lot of foods that contain high levels of protein and low levels of oxalate. Examples of these are liver, egg whites, beans, soy sauce, bananas, etc. Milk and low-fat dairy products are not recommended as they are loaded with lactose and this will make them easy for the body to digest.
It is essential that you drink plenty of water and neutralize the acidic urine by drinking a lot of carbonated or alkaline beverages. The urinary pH should be between 5.5 and 6.0. Once the urine gets too acidic, then it will be very difficult for the body to neutralize the acidity.
It is also important that you take small amounts of protein supplements which will help the body to neutralize the oxalate stone. If you consume too much of the protein, then the urine will become alkaline and this will further cause the formation of the stone. To prevent this, you need to drink at least two liters of water per day.
If you want to get rid of kidney stones completely, you need to eat a lot of vegetables and avoid meats. Make sure that you drink a lot of water as well. The use of foods rich in protein will also help the body to neutralize the oxalate stone.