Milk and other dairy products do not cause kidney stones, this is a myth. The cause of crystallization or stone formation is oxalic acid in food, which forms calcium oxalate that we cannot digest. People who suffer from renal colic generally consume low amounts of calcium, less than 400 ml per day, when they should be at least 1000 ml.
Oxalates are known as ant nutrients; that is, in excess, it prevents you from nourishing yourself well. These produce certain alterations in the hormones of your body and can even cause anemia. They are formed from oxalic salts that are present in foods that seem to be very healthy.
Oxalic acid is soluble in water; therefore, they can be easily consumed. However, when they come into contact with minerals such as calcium or magnesium, they are no longer soluble and can no longer be absorbed by our intestines.
The problem with this is that if you consume a lot of oxalic acid with calcium, it will crystallize and form solid particles in any watery part of your body, such as the kidneys or the gallbladder; what are known as calcium stones. It can also crystallize in the synovial fluid of the joints or in the cerebrospinal fluid of your brain.
It’s impressive, but if you didn’t know, one in ten women and one in seven men in Spain suffer from renal colic; due to the accumulation of calcium oxalate crystals in the kidneys. This condition is popular because of the great discomfort that these stones cause when they try to come out through the urinary tract; which leads to multiple urinary infections among other complications.
Instructions to differentiate calcium citrate from calcium oxalate
The pain of renal colic is compared to being shot or giving birth; so it is convenient for you to review your daily diet, since you are not going to like anything to suffer from this condition. Now, if calcium oxalate crystals were to form in your joints; over time, you would have a significant wear of the cartilage in the joints, which would lead to osteoarthritis, regardless of your age.
No more than 20 milligrams of oxalate should be ingested per day. However, many people, trying to have a healthy diet, make mistakes in the way of consuming healthy foods such as spinach, beets or lettuce, exceeding their quantities; since, looking to lose weight, they generally try to avoid carbohydrates, but to satisfy their hunger they eat large amounts of oxalate-rich salads or detox shakes.
For example, every 100 grams of spinach or beets have 700 milligrams of oxalate, more than 30 times the recommended amount of oxalate consumption. Another vegetable widely consumed in diets to lose weight is Swiss chard, which has 650 ml of oxalates for every 100 ml consumed.
On the other hand, coffee, cocoa and tea, although they do not have as much oxalate, when consumed regularly and in maximum amounts; In general, in Spain, people who have been hospitalized due to renal colic admitted consuming coffee or tea on a daily basis.
What do you need to differentiate calcium citrate from calcium oxalate?
Calcium citrate is found in pharmacological calcium supplements. Many people with osteoporosis are seeking calcium-rich diets in fear of kidney stones. However, it is proven that calcium supplements should be consumed with strict medical supervision, since they can damage your brain.
Calcium supplementation is not for everyone. The reality is that bones are made up of several minerals, not just calcium, but people in their desperation to stop feeling the symptoms of osteoporosis run to supplement with calcium, thinking that it will be the solution.
Everything in the body is controlled through the nervous system; when that system is unbalanced, bone loss occurs. The minerals that control the nervous system are magnesium and potassium; which are not recommended through supplementation but naturally.
On the other hand, the healthy calcium that people with osteoporosis should consume is the one that is bioavailable in food; because what the supplements produce is calcifications at the brain and heart level that end up doing more damage to the health of patients.
Tips to Differentiate Calcium Citrate from Calcium Oxalate
Physicians highly recommend calcium citrate as a supplement to treat or prevent osteoporosis; however, excess calcium in the body can cause dementia among other conditions such as cerebral thrombosis or myocardial infarction.
Finally, the central recommendation is that when you eat foods with high oxalate it is better to eat it with a portion with enough healthy calcium so that the oxalate is not completely absorbed at the intestinal level to be eliminated through the feces. Foods rich in oxalates such as nuts or spinach can be combined with dairy to avoid excess oxalate.
