Cranberry Juice and Kidney Stones

There has been an ongoing debate whether cranberry juice is effective in treating kidney stones or is it harmful to consume cranberry juice by people who have kidney stones? A lot of medical research has been carried out all over the United States of America and every research team has come out with some startling observations about cranberry juice. Can kidney stones be treated with the help of cranberry juice? Let's discuss the answer to this question in the below paragraphs.

The Cranberry Juice And Kidney Stones Relation
Kidneys help in filtering the blood and removing the wastes of the body. Besides these, kidneys also help to control the electrolyte levels in the body and so they are effective in balancing the fluid content in the body. The waste present in the body is transferred through the ureter, from the kidney into the urinary bladder.

In many cases, the chemicals that constitute the urine, crystallize to from hard substances that appear like a stone and these are called as the kidney stones. Kidney stones can be formed either in the urinary bladder or the urinary tract and usually vary in shape and size. Kidney stones are caused by various medical conditions, like gout and various other kidney diseases. Kidney stones are accompanied by severe pain in the abdomen area. Read more on how to avoid kidney stones and what causes kidney stones.

Earlier there was a common layman belief that kidney stones are cured with cranberry juice. Kidney stones were cured by the cranberry juice and it was even found to give relief during the pain of kidney stones. However, the medical researchers have proved it wrong. According to the reports of researchers in August 2005, cranberry juice tends to boost the urinary levels of calcium as well as oxalate and a major section of people suffering from kidney stones have calcium oxalate as the main stone ingredient. Calcium oxalate is the most common type of kidney stones.

The researchers asked a group of nearly 20-24 adults to drink a liter of cranberry juice per day for one week and a liter of water each day in the next week. The urine samples of the participants in the research, was collected on the last two days of each week. It was found that the content of calcium oxalate increased on an average by 18%. It is to be remembered that oxalate is a substance found in foods such as coffee, nuts and chocolates. That is the same ingredient in cranberry juice! Kidney stones formation in adults is fostered by drinking cranberry juice, so said the researchers. Basically, vitamin C is found in the cranberry juice and it is believed to promote the growth of calcium oxalate in the body. Thus, this set of researchers actually postulated against the 'cranberry juice helps reduce kidney stones' belief and said that it was actually harmful instead. You may read more on cranberry juice detox.

Various Medical Benefits Of Cranberry Juice
The topic of 'cranberry juice for kidney stones' is one of the most debated topics. It is not that cranberry juices have no merits. In fact, there are many cranberry health benefits. Cranberry juices have been popular as a home remedy for urinary tract infections (UTI). Since it was found to be effective in treating the infections in the urinary tract, people had assumed that it would be useful for kidney stones too, however, many researchers have contested the belief. The presence of high levels of a compound named oligomeric proanthocyanidins in cranberry juice, makes it an excellent cure for urinary tract infections. Besides these, cranberry juice has been very effective in the treatment of stomach ulcers and stomach cancer, respiratory infections, cardiovascular diseases and various other benefits. You may read more on cranberry juice benefits and cranberry juice and UTI.

On a concluding note, the debate of the relationship between 'cranberry juice and kidney stones' is almost resolved now. On one side of the coin we have seen that there are some important health benefits of cranberry juice. Kidney stones, on the other side of the coin can't be cured with the help of cranberry juice. So, it's better that before you include cranberry juice in your kidney stones diet, do consult a nutritionist so that he/she can help you decide the best diet plan for your ailment.