Do you need more motivation to limit your intake of foods rich in added sugar? According to research published online by Frontiers in Nutrition on August 4, 2023, doing so may help reduce kidney stones.
In a study spanning 11 years and including 28,303 people (48 percent of whom were men), kidney stones were 88% more common among those who ate at least 25% of their daily calories from added sugars than in those who limited their consumption to less than 5% of daily calories.
The potential connection? According to other studies, sugar raises the calcium content of urine, and too much calcium might raise the chance of stones forming. Additionally, the researchers found that additional sugars can cause weight gain, which is linked to high blood pressure, insulin resistance, metabolic syndrome, and diabetes—all of which are risk factors for kidney stones.
Any added sugar—as opposed to the naturally occurring sugars in foods like milk and fruit—was described as sugar that is added during the preparation or processing of food and beverages. Brown sugar, white sugar, corn syrup, cane syrup, and molasses are a few types of added sugar.
Beverages with added sugar, such as energy drinks and soda, are the most popular meals with added sugar. It remained unclear, though, if the primary cause of kidney stone risk was these drinks specifically or any high-sugar processed meals such as cereal, cookies, cakes, and snack items.
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