Dietary and holistic treatment of recurrent calcium oxalate kidney stones: review of literature to guide patient education

Abstract

Urolithiasis is a condition that can cause significant morbidity among patients. Dietary manipulations traditionally advised include fluid, protein, oxalate, calcium, citrate, and sodium changes in the diet. Evidence-based practice guidelines suggest that there is not ample evidence to confidently recommend dietary changes, since inadequate studies have been done to quantify the risks of diet in stone formation. While fluid intake patterns have the weightiest evidence in the literature, not even fluid intake meets the guidelines for evidence-based practice. Health care providers should recognize that current patient education is largely based on intuition. It behooves us as clinicians to look critically at all our practices, review the available literature, and question what we believe we know. A summary of available literature is provided to guide the clinician in educating patients in reducing their risk of recurrent calcium oxalate stone disease.