A new study suggests that sugary drinks may slightly raise ones risk of kidney stones while caffeinated and alcoholic drinks may help reduce the risk, CBS News reported.
"Our prospective study confirms that some beverages are associated with a lower risk of kidney stone formation, whereas others are associated with a higher risk," study co-author Dr. Pietro Manual Ferraro, a kidney specialist at the Catholic University of the Sacred Heart of Rome, said in a statement.
"Kidney stones (renal lithiasis) are small, hard deposits that form inside your kidneys. The stones are made of mineral and acid salts. Kidney stones have many causes and can affect any part of your urinary tract - from your kidneys to your bladder," according to Mayo Clinic.
These mineral buildups are extremely painful, some risk-raising factors include: diet, obesity, digestive diseases, dehydration, medications and some urinary tract infections.
Every year approximately 300,000 people go to the emergency room for this painful affliction, and one million visit their doctor for the problem, according to the National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases.
The new study published in the Clinical Journal of American Nephtology stated that people who drank one or more sugary drink per day were at a 23 percent higher risk for developing kidney stones. The risk was increased to 33 percent in those who drank high-sugar beverages such as fruit punch as opposed to those who drank cola.
People who reported drinking beer regularly were at a 44 percent lower risk for kidney stones than those who did not, wine drinkers were 26 percent less at risk.
According to the study, caffeinated drinks can help too. Coffee drinkers were found to be at a 26 percent lower risk. Some other drinks that can help are decaffeinated coffee (16 percent lower), orange juice (12), and tea (11).
"While there is no conclusive evidence to show that sugary drinks alone cause kidney stones, other associations with the consumption of sugary beverages has been reported," Dr. Michael Palese, associate professor of urology at the Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai in New York City who was not involved in the research told HealthDay. "This includes diabetes, cardiovascular disease and obesity, which have also been linked to the formation of kidney stones."
