Smarter Nutrition Resources (02)

Fighting Kidney Stones through Better Nutrition
Kidney stones are a very painful condition caused by the passing of the stone as it blocks the flow of urine and causes stretching of the ureters and the kidney pelvis. The condition can cause the block of urine, and chills, nausea and high fever are signs of infection. You can help pass stones faster by increasing your fluid intake. Eating a low-protein diet, and increasing vegetables and fiber, also helps. This site gives some nutrition tips to beat kidney stones, including limiting protein to three ounces at lunch and dinner. This is because kidney stones are popular where people eat diet protein (that’s why vegetarians rarely get stones.) This site includes tips and give specific foods that one should eat, such as barley, bran, corn, rye, oats, brown rice, and more.

The Truth about Fast Food Nutrition
Want to find out what’s in your favorite fast foods from Wendy’s, Taco Bell, Subway, McDonalds, Burger King and other national chains? You can find out here and sort it all by total calories, fat calories, percentage of calories from fat, total fat, saturated fat, cholesterol, sodium, carbohydrates, fiber and protein. A good source for point-and-click nutritional advice before you think about your next fast-food stop.

Calcium Supplements: Should You Take One?
Do you need to take a calcium supplement to make sure that you’re getting enough of this vital mineral on your diet? You probably don't need a general vitamin-mineral supplement if you are eating a reasonably varied diet most of the time, aren't restricting calories to lost weight, and generally don't skip meals, this article states, from the University of Rochester Health Promotion Office. Because many people do not get a lot of calcium, people should eat a good diet and try a supplement. Calcium supplements are better absorbed from the intestine in the presence of lactose (the sugar of milk) and protein, the article says. Taking the calcium supplement with a glass of milk is ideal to get the max amount of calcium. After calcium is absorbed into your bloodstream, your bones will take up the calcium better in the presence of vitamin D.

The Tie Between Vitamin C and Kidney Stones
Many experts have speculated that taking large amounts of vitamin C may contribute to the formation of oxalate-type kidney stones because of the metabolic conversion of vitamin C to oxalic acid. This article, published in 1999, discusses studies undertaken by doctors to see the relationship between kidney stones and Vitamin C. Although some people say that Vitamin C won’t cause kidney stones, others think differently. Here you can explore medical studies about the two.