Kidney stones are hard masses developed from crystals which separate from the urine in the kidney or in the urinary tract. Urine contains chemicals that prevent or inhibit the crystals from forming and most of the time these crystals remain tiny to travel through the urinary tract without pain and pass out of the body in the urine without being noticed. But the bigger stones can block the renal pelvis and tubes completely. It is very painful. There are different kidney stones.

Kidney stones, like the other modern chronic diseases, appear to be another factor from a westernized diet which influences a lot to produce it.

Developing a kidney stone depends on several factors, including hereditary, diet, medication, metabolic abnormalities and infections.

There are four kinds of kidney stones:

• Calcium oxalate stone – 80 to 90% of the kidney stones are calcium oxalate stones. Much calcium is present in milk and milk products. Oxalic acid or oxalates are present in vegetables.

• Cystine stone – is the least common stone. It has nothing to do with the food but is caused by hereditary disorders. An excessive excretion of this amino acid is the reason for this stone formation.

• Magnesium phosphate or ammonium phosphate or a mixture of this also produces the kidney stones. These are mostly formed in infected urine.

• Uric acid stone – uric acid is the by product of protein metabolism which also form stones and it is caused due to excessive intake of proteins.

Extremely acidic urine forms stones. We must drink enough water to prevent the stones.