The claimEvidence A · guideline-tier
Low-calcium diet prevents kidney stones
The evidence
A low-calcium diet actually raises the risk of oxalate stones, because it leaves more free oxalate in the gut (Curhan 1993, NEJM).
The mechanism, in brief
A kidney stone is a small stone that forms as minerals in urine slowly crystallize. It sits quietly in the kidney until it drops into the narrow ureter, the tube to the bladder, and gets stuck on its way down. That causes waves of severe pain called colic, which is why stones are one of the most common urological…
Sources (1)
- Worcester, E. M., & Coe, F. L. (2010). Calcium kidney stones. New England Journal of Medicine, 363(10), 954-963.