Can we eat chocolate in kidney stone?
If you’re a lover of all things sweet and chocolaty, it’s only natural to wonder if there are any restrictions on consuming this delicious treat when you have kidney stones. While chocolate has been the subject of much debate when it comes to its effect on kidney stone formation, fear not, my fellow chocoholics! In this article, we will explore whether or not consuming chocolate is safe for those who suffer from kidney stones.
Let’s start with the basics
Kidney stones occur when minerals and salts in your urine stick together and form hard deposits that can be excruciatingly painful to pass through. These deposits can form anywhere along the urinary tract – from kidneys down to bladder – depending upon their size.
Risk factors for developing kidney stones include:
- Dehydration: The less water available to dilute urine minerals; higher chances would lead towards dehydration.
- Family history of having frequent UTIs
- Eating too much salty food
- Being overweight or obese
- Consuming high doses of supplements like Vitamin D & calcium (1)
Chocolate contains oxalates which is considered as one significant compound responsible for creating bigger chances of forming renal-calculus (kidney stone). Oxalates are naturally occurring compounds found in some foods that promote oxidative stress (2) such as dark chocolates could contain more than 400mg oxalate per 100g which is alarming. That being said let’s get into further details before jumping onto any conclusions about Chocolate!
What science says?
A scientific study featuring dark chocolate
A recent research study by Jolitha AB examined the impact of consuming food sources containing oxidant mechanisms such as cacao powder(3) on mice—mostly beans but also dairy products casein protein—for four weeks showed insignificant differences between cacao powder group and the control group. Although chocolate was not a direct product, it’s derived from cacao beans.
Based on scientific studies consumption of dark chocolates—which includes 70% or more cocoa content—is lower in terms of oxalate count as compared to milk chocolates (4). However, this is yet again related to the quality of chocolate available for us since there could be unrealistic high-quality brands having health-promoting contents vs low-grade ones full of additives.
An unrelated scientific article about kidney stone
According to Martov et al., incorporating low-calorie foods into your diet may help reduce your risk for kidney stones due to their natural ability to decrease urinary calcium excretion (5). What does this have anything with Chocolate? As we all know, these types of foods include fruits and vegetables that are very critical towards body enzymes leading towards better digestion which fosters better detoxification system especially helpful in prevention o f stones (12)
So, what I’m trying to say is that including food sources such as berries [Low-oxylates source] while eating indulgent dark-chocolate bars could possibly offset its impact on kidneys.
But wait…there’s more!
If you’re still worried about consuming chocolate when you have kidney stones, here are some additional tips:
Cut back on salt
Reducing sodium intake can aid recovery and prevent further instances. Excess salts turn into mineral toxin inside the human body leading ultimately leading toward numerous pathologies specifically can cause renal stones hence moderation along with healthy alternatives may take place excessively rich processed meat containing amino acid purine
Drink plenty of water
Drinking enough water has great benefits; helps rinse out minerals contributing significantly making their way towards urine instead building up inside kidneys molecules encasing others forming larger rocks bothering person much badly than smaller units.
Water isn’t just any ordinary drink; it acts as an excellent elixir, aiding in reducing stone formation simply by diluting urinary minerals thus preventing their precipitation as solid forms initially inside the kidneys. Not only that, but water also helps speed up the process of flushing stones out of your system, making it easier and quicker to pass them (6).
Moderation is key
As with everything else in life, moderation is key when consuming chocolate. It’s always best to monitor your intake and avoid overindulging so that you can enjoy this sweet treat without worrying about its impact on your kidneys.
Conclusion
While certain types of chocolate contain high levels of oxalates – which contribute towards exacerbating kidney-stone related pain- scientific has shown promising evidence suggesting moderate consumption can be allowed for those who suffer from rather infrequent kidney stones if they love these chocolaty treats (11). As a responsible citizen who wants to maintain healthy lifestyle choices; one must always consume any diet or drink keeping versatility at priority hence avoiding excessive use anyway possible!