Can Drinking Beer Really Cure Kidney Stones? Here's The Truth

World Kidney Day was marked across the globe on Thursday, March 9. In observance of the day, Pristyn Care, in collaboration with Lybrate Data labs, surveyed over 1000 respondents to check the level of kidney health awareness in India. Amongst other things, their data suggested that one out of three participants believes drinking beer can help cure kidney stones. This is a common and potentially dangerous myth.

A kidney stone is a solid, pebble-like material that forms in the kidney when the urine has high levels of certain minerals. A common symptom of a kidney stone is a sharp pain in your lower abdomen, back, side, or groin. Sometimes, it can also cause blood in your urine.

A kidney stone can either be removed via surgery or broken into pieces strong enough to be excreted out of the body naturally. Although beer leads to excess urination, there is no conclusive proof that this is helpful for the removal of kidney stones. Drinking enough water, making changes to your diet and taking medicines can help prevent this condition.

The prevalence of the myth is not the only disturbing trend regarding kidney stones in India.

Lybrate’s data suggests that online appointments for kidney diseases grew by 180 per cent year-on-year in 2022. A majority of the consultations were for kidney stones. That may imply that the number of cases of kidney stones is rising in the country. Dr Vaibhav Kapoor, Co-founder at Pristyn Care, further highlighted the increase noted in younger people complaining of kidney stones. “Growing cases in the younger population shows signs of lack of information about the risk factors associated with kidney stones,” he said.

Awareness of other aspects of kidney health was not too high, either. Half of those surveyed said that they would delay kidney stone treatment for more than half a year.

Only 14 per cent of the respondents were aware of the most common risk factors for kidney stones: diabetes and hypertension. Over 50 per cent did not know that the kidney produces urine. Less than 10 percent of the respondents knew that the kidneys also break down proteins and play a critical role in maintaining bone health.

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