Written by Chrystal Moulton, Staff Writer and Tatjana Djakovic, Staff Writer. In a very small study, patients with kidney stones taking 4 oz. per day of a lemonade concentrate reduced kidney stones formed by 87% .
Kidney stones are crystallized solids that are formed when there is an imbalance of substances such as calcium, uric acid, oxalate and the chemicals in the urine that dissolve these substances. The stones in the urinary tract are often small enough to pass through the urinary system, but some can become lodged in the ureters blocking the flow of urine and causing severe pain. (1) It is present in approximately 5 to 15% of the population worldwide, and about 13% of men and 7% of women in the United States have been diagnosed with the condition. In the United States, the total estimated annual expenses for patients with kidney stones was almost $2.1 billion in 2000 (2).
The current study analyzes the use of lemon juice to prevent or decrease kidney stone formation, because standard pharmaceutical drugs have long-term adverse effects (3). The study included 30 male rats weighing approximately 280 grams that were separated into five groups. The researchers induced the formation of kidney stones in rats by giving them access to drinking water containing chemicals ethylene glycol (EG) and ammonium chloride (AC). Group 1 had free access to regular food and drinking water, and were administered 6μl of distilled water per 1 gram of body weight through a feeding tube.
Groups 2, 3, and 4 were given 6μl of lemon juice solution per body weight, in varying concentrations, in addition to the free access to regular food and water containing chemicals that induce kidney stone formation. Group 5 was administered 6μl of distilled water (containing chemicals that induce kidney formation) per 1 gram of body weight and no lemon juice was given.
The scientist analyzed a few different factors that are markers of kidney stone presence. They found that the mice with kidney stones had approximately 40% higher levels of calcium, indicating calcification and formation of kidney stones, compared to rats treated with 100% and 75% lemon juice (p<0.0001). In addition, waste products such as urea and creatinine accumulate in the blood due to interference of kidney stones with filtration rate of urine. The rats treated with 100% lemon juice had approximately 61% lower concentration of urea (p<0.0001) and a 49% lower concentration of creatinine (p<0.01).
The scientist looked at the percentage of rats without calcification by analyzing the tissue slides after the mice had been killed and observed no calcification in mice that consumed 100% lemon juice.
Groups Percentage of rats without calcifications
Group 1 (no EG or AC) 100%
Group 2 (EG, AC and 100% lemon juice ≈ 1.68 ml of 100% lemon juice 100%
Group 3 (EG, AC and 75% lemon juice)≈ 1.26 ml of 100% lemon juice and 0.42 ml of water 83%
Group 4 (EG, AC, 50% lemon juice)
≈ 0.84 ml of 100% lemon juice and 0.84 ml of water
50%
Group 5 (EG, AC, no lemon juice) 17%
It is believed that lemon juice is beneficial for kidney stones due its high content of citrate, vitamin C, vitamin E and flavonoids. These substances are believed to prevent calcium oxalate and crystal attachment in the kidney. In addition, citrate is a known inhibitor of stone crystallization which is achieved by bonding with calcium in the urine and preventing formation of kidney stones. (5).
Lemonade therapy was used in 11 patients with kidney stones who consumed 120 ml of concentrated lemon juice (5.9 gm of citric acid) mixed with 240ml of water consumed daily. After a period of 3.7 years, the stone formation rate decreased from 1.00 to 0.13 stones per patient per year (p>0.05). Even though the results are not statistically significant, the observed impact on stone formation was clinically significant, because none of the patients on lemonade therapy required surgical intervention for kidney stone formation (6). It would be beneficial to have this study performed with a greater amount of participants, because the prevention of kidney stones has a large impact on the population.
Source: Touhami, Mohammed, et al. “Lemon juice has protective activity in a rat urolithiasis model.” BMC urology 7.1 (2007): 18.
© Touhami et al; licensee BioMed Central Ltd. 2007 Creative Commons Attribution License (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/2.0)
Click here to read the full text study.
Posted August 27, 2013.
Chrystal Moulton BA, PMP, is a 2008 graduate of the University of Illinois at Chicago. She graduated with a bachelor’s in psychology with a focus on premedical studies and is a licensed project manager. She currently resides in Indianapolis, IN.
References:
- Punnoose, Ann R., Robert M. Golub, and Cassio Lynn. “Kidney Stones.” JAMA 307.23 (2012): 2557-2557.
- Pearle, Margaret S., Elizabeth A. Calhoun, and Gary C. Curhan. “Urologic diseases in America project: urolithiasis.” The Journal of urology 173.3 (2005): 848-857.
- Atmani F et al., Prophylaxis of calcium oxalate stones by Herniaria hirsute on experimentally induced nephrolithiasis in rats. BJU Int 2003, 92: 137-140.
- Touhami, Mohammed, et al. “Lemon juice has protective activity in a rat urolithiasis model.” BMC urology 7.1 (2007): 18.
- Huang HS et al., Possible biphasic changes of free radicals in ethylene glycol-induced nephrolithiasis in rats. BJU Int 200-, 85: 1143-1149.
- Kang, David E., et al. “Long-term lemonade based dietary manipulation in patients with hypocitraturic nephrolithiasis.” The Journal of urology 177.4 (2007): 1358-1362.
