Excessive Caffeine
Too much caffeine—in the form of coffee, tea, and soda—can stress out the kidneys and lead to the development of kidney stones due to higher calcium levels in the urine, and even kidney failure due to the stimulant qualities that can cause organ exhaustion.
Kidney stones form due to a buildup of calcium oxalate, so eating oxalate-rich foods in high amounts can increase your risk. The oxalate found in urine combines with calcium to form calcium-oxalate kidney stones.
People who are at a higher risk of developing kidney stones should eat oxalate-rich foods in moderation. This includes foods like spinach, rhubarb, okra, beetroot, kale, celery, soy milk, strawberries and Swiss chard.
Also, keep your vitamin C intake to appropriate levels. Extra vitamin C may turn into oxalate.
People who are at a higher risk of developing uric acid stones should avoid foods that are high in purines, such as sardines. A high intake of purine increases the amount of uric acid in the urine and can lead to uric acid stones.
According to the American Urological Association, high intake of purine from animal protein, particularly from fish, can lead to hyperuricemia and hyperuricosuria in healthy individuals without stones.
Furthermore, purine-rich foods may trigger calcium-oxalate stones, because they increase the amount of calcium excreted in urine.
Limit your intake of sardines to once or twice a week and keep a close eye on the portion size, too. Other purine-rich foods that you should eat in moderation are anchovies, organ meats, bacon, scallops, shrimp and baker’s yeast.
Eating too much red meat, which is high in protein, can increase your risk of developing kidney stones. It is high in uric acid, a common cause of kidney stones.
Plus, the kidneys help metabolize and excrete nitrogen by-products from protein digestion. So,eating a high-protein diet increases the metabolic load on the kidneys.
Avoid eating red meat on a daily basis. Instead, limit your intake to once or twice a week.