Kidney and Urinary Tract Disorders

One of the most frequent complaints are stones formed in the kidneys, which can cause excruciating pains to sufferers. Over a million Americans are hospitalized every year for kidney stones. The numbers of sufferers are actually much greater, and about ten times as common as they were at the beginning of the 20th century. And although the development of kidney stones depends on a variety of factors, including heredity, infections, medication, metabolic problems, etc, one of the principal causes is our modern diet. It follows therefore, that diet can also be used to control the formation of stones.

Today, we have a fairly good idea about both why and how stones are formed in the kidneys, and certainly possess enough expertise to know what to do about them in the majority of cases.

Diet and kidney stones
Nearly eighty percent of stones are formed of calcium oxalate. If your foods contain a lot of calcium and oxalates, but your needs or your absorption capacity are limited, then these compounds are found in excess, crystallize out, and gradually form hard stones. This has been the usual reasoning for stone formation. But our needs dictate our choices.

The fear of osteoporosis has turned women by the millions into compulsive takers of calcium supplements. Unfortunately, relatively little of this calcium is absorbed. That is particularly true after menopause and the diminution of estrogen production. The rest of the calcium must be excreted, and this is frequently the beginning of producing stones.

This does not mean that men are immune to kidney stones. On the contrary, they seem to be three times as common in men as in women. This is probably due to the fact that men are bigger meat eaters than women, and meat is one food that helps the formation of stones. The others are calcium and oxalates naturally, sodium, and the lack of enough fluids, particularly water.

Cutting down on calcium foods
It is not hard to come to the conclusion that cutting down on calcium-rich foods may be the answer to the problem. Unfortunately, it isn't. Studies have shown that regular eating of calcium-rich foods, actually diminishes the risks of kidney stones. It is argued that the calcium locks up oxalates derived from foods in molecules that cannot be absorbed, thus preventing them from reaching the kidneys to form stones. In other words, stones are formed when calcium and oxalates bond in the kidneys, not in the alimentary canal.

Our program
Our individualized program is aimed to provide natural alternatives to chemical drugs for the treatment of kidney and urinary tract disorders, taking into account your present state of health, your history of ailments, hereditary factors, natural attributes and specific bodily demands.

1. Comprehensive measures. Identification of the best natural means to deal with your condition, and the set up of treatment goals.
   
2. Diet. Which foods are best for you, how to eat them, what to cut down or eliminate at least for a while, in order to get the best out of your nutrition.
   
3. Nutritional supplements. The vitamins, minerals, trace elements, amino acids, fiber, enzymes, etc, you may need, the dosages and times to take them, so to avoid annoying or harmful nutrient interactions.
   
4. Botanical help. The standardized herbal preparations that may help your condition, their dosages, contraindications, etc.
   
5. Lifestyle changes. Kidney stones but also other urinary tract disorders may require small changes in lifestyle, that may help you recover easier and faster and at the same time cut down the risks of recurrence of the problem.
   
6. Exercise. What kinds of exercises may be helpful to your condition, and which may make it worse.
   
7. Physical therapies. Other kinds of natural treatments that may be of help, such as, acupuncture, homeopathy, etc.