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Twenty percent of American men and 10 percent of American women will experience a kidney stone at some point in their lifetime. Often, these patients will be advised to drink more fluids as a way to prevent future stone formation.
Now, new research from BWH suggests that some beverages may be more helpful than others when it comes to preventing recurrent kidney stones.
In a recent study, researchers reported that the consumption of sugar-sweetened soda and punch was associated with a higher risk of kidney stone formation. "Our study found that the relation between fluid intake and kidney stones may be dependent on the type of beverage consumed," said Gary Curhan, MD, ScD, of the Channing Division of Network Medicine at BWH, senior study author. "Higher consumption of sugar-sweetened drinks was associated with a higher incidence of kidney stones." Study participants who consumed one or more sugar-sweetened cola servings per day had a 23 percent higher risk of developing kidney stones compared with those participants consuming less than one serving per week. This was true for those consuming sugar-sweetened non-cola drinks, such as punch, as well.
Researchers also found that some beverages, such as coffee, tea and orange juice, were associated with a lower risk of stone formation.