Abstract
BackgroundNutrition has been widely recognized to influence the risk of kidney stone formation. Therefore the aim of our study was to assess: a) whether usual diet of women with idiopathic calcium nephrolithiasis (ICN) living in Parma (Northern-Italy) is different compared to healthy controls, b) how their diet differs from Italian National guidelines and c) whether it is related to nephrolithiasis clinical course.Methods143 women with recurrent ICN (mean age 43 ± 13 ys) and 170 healthy women (mean age 42 ± 11 ys) were enrolled. All women completed a food frequency questionnaire for the last 60-days and a 3-day dietary diary analysed with a dedicated software.ResultsStone formers showed a higher consumption of sausages, ham, meat and sweets than healthy controls (43.1% vs 11.1%, 29.4% vs 13.9%, 21.6% vs 4.2%, 66.7% vs 18.1%, p < 0.001). The 3-day diary analysis showed an intake of calories, carbohydrates, lipids and non-discretionary sodium about 10% higher than healthy controls (p < 0.001). Finally, after dividing the population into 3 age groups (≤30, 31-40, > 40 years), the differences described above were amplified in the class ≤30 years, where nephrolithiasis presented a more serious course (shorter recurrence interval, greater stone-rate). In this age group the intake of fruit and vegetables was notably lower than guideline recommendations.ConclusionsWe conclude that the usual diet of women with recurrent ICN is different from controls and characterized by low intake of fruits and vegetables and higher consumption of simple sugars and foods with high protein and salt content. This dietary imbalance could play a role in the ICN pathogenesis, especially in younger women.This work was financed by grants from Italian Ministry of University and Research as part of a larger project about the prevention of kidney stones (PRIN 2005063822) and by Fondazione per la Ricerca Scientifica Termale (FoRST). No potential conflict of interest relevant to this paper was reported.
Highlights
Nutrition has been widely recognized to influence the risk of kidney stone formation
Using the food frequency tool, we found that stone formers have a significantly higher consumption of sausages, ham, meat and sweets than the controls (Table 4, Additional file 2)
We found that a significant percentage of women, even in the control group, have dietary habits that are consistently different than those recommended by Institute for Research on Foods and Nutrition (INRAN) (Table 4)
Summary
Nutrition has been widely recognized to influence the risk of kidney stone formation. Several evidences in medical literature point out that inadequate nutrition has a direct effect on urinary stone risk factors and on the development of kidney stones [1,2,3,4,5,6]. A low consumption of fruit and vegetables, leading to an inadequate intake of anti-lithogenic factors such as potassium, magnesium and citrate, is considered a risk factor for kidney stone too, there are some fruits (such as figs, prunes and raspberries) and vegetables (such as beets, spinach and tomatoes) which are the main dietary sources of oxalate [18,19,20]. A low fluid intake is a heavy risk factor for kidney stone formation, leading to a low urine volume and higher urinary concentration of lithogenic substances [22,23]. All kind of drink share this beneficial effect, except few juices (such as apple juice and grapefruit juice), cola and some sport drinks, for their elevated content of oxalate and carbohydrates, such as fructose [24,25,26]
Sign-in/Register to view highlights & summary Sign-in/Register to access full text options 
Free) 
Talk to us
Join us for a 30 min session where you can share your feedback and ask us any queries you have
Schedule a call
