We all know that sugar is a big part of the average person's diet. Whether you're eating out, eating instant meals, or eating a simple snack, you're bound to find a good amount of sugar in your food. While all of us would benefit from reducing the sugar we consume, it is especially important to avoid sugar if you're susceptible to forming calcium oxalate crystals.
Why Is Sugar Considered Bad For Forming Calcium Oxalate Crystals?
The reason why sugar is so bad is because it has been shown to increase the calcium content in your urine. It is suspected that the reason why this happens is because the sugar loads can deplete bones of their minerals, including calcium.
To make matters worse, high sugar consumption has been found to also lead to lower urine volume output. Bottom-line - Higher calcium concentrations of calcium in your urine along with a lower output of urine is creating the perfect storm for stone formation.
High Fructose Corn Syrup is Just as Bad, If Not Worse
Sucrose is made up of the simple sugars glucose and fructose. Fructose is absorbed directly into your bloodstream from the small intestine. Your liver has to convert fructose into glucose before your body can use it for energy. Fructose is commonly added to processed foods in the form of high-fructose corn syrup. The National Kidney Foundation informs us that eating too much fructose correlates to an increased risk of developing calcium oxalate crystals. It has been found that foods such as sodas, ice cream, fruit punch, apple juice, canned fruit, and other foods or drinks high in either fructose or sucrose have been associated with an increased risk of kidney stones. High fructose corn syrup, in particular, can metabolize into oxalate and increase excretion of uric acid and calcium and also alter the pH of your urine. These are all factors that can lead to calcium oxalate crystal formation in urine.
One major source of high fructose corn syrup comes from dark-colored sodas. The additional problem associated with many dark color sodas is that they contain phosphoric acid and caffeine. Phosphoric acid creates an acidic environment in your kidney tract enabling crystals to form more easily. Caffeine is a diuretic that encourages chronic dehydration, and dehydration is the most common risk factor for stone formation. That makes dark cola sodas a major food to avoid consuming if you are a stone former.
It Can Be Hard to Limit Sugar Intake
Of course, this doesn't mean that you must completely remove sugar from your diet. It can be very hard to control sugar intake since it's added to so many foods. However, there are many things you can do to decrease sugar intake.
- Remove sweets, candy, other junk food and soda which are notorious for high amounts of high fructose corn syrup.
- Stick to eating at home or making wiser restaurant choices that contain low sugar.
- Move towards a diet that avoids the convenient unhealthy processed food choices.
- It is best to limit your intake of sugar instead of trying to quit sugar altogether. Most people end up relapsing that go cold turkey.
- Consider using sugar alternatives like pure stevia. Try them in small amounts and see how it affects you before making a complete switch.
The bottom line is that refined sugars can definitely contribute to the forming of calcium oxalate crystals. You want to do whatever you can to lower your intake of refined sugars to keep stones in check.
