I remember a tall glass of cold lemonade being one of my favorite pass-times of my youth. As it turns out drinking lemonade might very well be part of a multi-faceted  approach to keeping those kidney stones away.

It appears that drinking lemon water may be a good preventative for kidney stones due to its citrate content. Citric acid, in the form of citrate, can be found in lemons and other citrus fruits. In a recent issue of “Nature Reviews: Urology”, a study found that citrate inhibits the formation of kidney stones. Consequently, high levels of citrate in the urine are seen as advantageous. This study went on to conclude, however, that lemon water could not consistently maintain these high levels of citrate.

Studies published in the September 1996 and April 2007 issues of “The Journal of Urology” pointed to lemonade being a effective alternative to conventional drug treatment. In the first study it was found among patients who failed to respond to drug treatments were able to double their citrate levels within in six days by drinking 4 ounces of lemon juice diluted in water. The April 2007 study concluded that long-term consumption was a viable and almost as effective option to conventional pharmacological products in the treatment of kidney stones.

Grapefruit juice and lemon juice are viewed as the best providers of citrates. Orange juice and pineapple juice follow. Reconstituted lemon juice follows all of these.

According to one website dedicated to kidney health and stone related issues, The Stone Center, those apt to kidney stone formation should drink sufficient liquids make at least two quarts or liters of urine each day. This allows for the crystals to be flushed before they have a chance of forming. Fluids high in citrate, such as those from real lemon juice, real lemons, or concentrate should also comprise a part of this daily liquid intake.

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