Apple Cider Vinegar for Kidney Stones (Treatment and side effects)

All those who have experienced kidney stone pains, have surely experienced the worst pains. Most of us have tendencies to keep looking for alternate ways of treating ailments like kidney stones. If you have researched enough, you would be familiar with the health benefits of apple cider vinegar for kidney stones.

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Kidney stones are hard stone-like chunks formed inside one or both of the kidneys by accumulation of minerals and salts such as calcium or uric acid. These pains are very troublesome. And even more troublesome is to dissolve or eliminate kidney stones from the body. However, treating them before they get large can help dissolve them.

Good news is that Apple Cider Vinegar juice (or ACV) is very effective in dissolving kidney stones. Apple cider vinegar benefits in kidney stones by lowering your chances of surgery and preventing the formation of new stones.

Interestingly, health benefits of apple cider vinegar are not restricted only to kidney stones. Apart from the benefits of apple cider vinegar for kidney stones, it is also beneficial in skin, hair, teeth, bones, sore throat, weight loss, reducing blood sugar, regulating blood pressure, reducing cholesterol, improving digestion, increasing immunity etc.

Nutritional Composition of Apple Cider Vinegar / ACV:

Before we look into the detailed benefits of apple cider vinegar for kidney stones, let us first have a look at ACV’s nutritional facts.

Amount per 100 Gms of ACV  (Source: USDA National Nutrient data base)
Nutrient	Amount	% Daily Value
Calories	22	–
Carbohydrates	1 g	0 %
Total Fat	0 g	0 %
Polyunsaturated fat	0 g	0 %
Saturated fat	0 g	0 %
Monounsaturated fat	0 g	0 %
Proteins	0 g	0 %
Potassium	73 mg	2 %
Cholesterol	Nil	0 %
Sodium	5 mg	0 %

*Per cent Daily Values are based on a 2,000 calorie diet. Your daily values may be higher or lower depending on your calorie needs.

What is Apple Cider Vinegar ?

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Apple Cider Vinegar is nothing but fermented apple juice. It is made by extracting juice from crushed fresh apples. The juice is then subjected to fermentation by adding yeast and bacteria. The end products of this process are acids like acetic acid and malic acid. These acids give sour taste to ACV. Even if it tastes sour, the benefits of Apple cider vinegar for kidney stones are worth considering as it is much better than going for surgery.

Apple Cider Vinegar for Kidney Stones (Treatment):

• Kidney stones can be of various sizes and shapes. Stones less than 5 mm (approximately 0.2 inches) are believed to pass in the urine on its own without medical help.  Apple cider vinegar helps in relieving from smaller stones by dissolving them.

• Stones larger than 5 mm need medical help. Apple cider vinegar contains phosphoric acid and acetic acids. These acids in ACV help by breaking the larger stones into smaller ones and making them easier to pass in urine.

• Apple Cider Vinegar has a lot of potassium which makes it a natural cleanser. It is very effective in dissolving kidney stones. The acidic nature of Apple Cider Vinegar juice helps in breaking down the kidney stones. Once broken, the debris is easily flushed out in the urine.

• ACV helps in relieving the kidney stone pains as well. Its daily consumption even prevents the formation of new kidney stones.

How to use Apple Cider Vinegar to get rid of kidney stones?

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Now that you know about the tremendous  benefits of apple cider vinegar for kidney stones, you will surely ask – “How to take Apple cider vinegar for kidney stone treatment and how much ACV should we take daily?” well your answer is mentioned below

Method 1 –

• To prepare an ACV solution, Mix 2 tablespoons of ACV into 16 tablespoons of fresh water. Usually the recommended dose is ACV and water in the ratio of 1:10.

• You have to drink this solution daily before each meal to get rid of kidney stones.

• Always dilute ACV before drinking, Otherwise it can cause burns in throat, mouth and even damage your teeth.

• Continue to take ACV once or twice a week even if your stone is flushed out. This will prevent formation of new stones.

Method 2 –

• Mix 1 tsp of Apple cider vinegar with 2 tsp of honey and consume it at least 5 times a day with 3 hours interval.

• If You do not like the taste, mix ACV and honey in the mentioned amount , dilute it by adding this to a glass of  warm water and then consume it. as mentioned above .

• If you further wish to enhance the taste of this drink , you can also add 1 tsp of fresh lemon juice to this mix .

Note – Here is a complete guide to Treatment and home remedies and a diet plan for kidney stones

Apple cider vinegar on Kidney stones ; The Side effects

Excess of everything is bad! Apple Cider Vinegar is safe when used in limitation and for short term. Excessive and long term use of apple cider vinegar can have negative impacts on health . Here are the few common side effects of consuming excess Apple cider vinegar:

• Low potassium level:

ACV has a high acetic content. This has the potential to lower the potassium levels in our body.

• Reacts with Diabetic and Blood pressure medicines:

Excess consumption of this vinegar could react with other medicines like diabetes and blood pressure medicines and cause negative impacts. This could cause problems like weakness, constipation etc.

• Lowers Blood sugar:

ACV may lower blood sugar levels. However, we should monitor blood sugar levels to ensure that sugar levels are not dropped to an undesirable level.

• Throat Irritation:

ACV is very acidic due to its high acetic acid content. Hence prolonged use of this vinegar can cause throat irritation and damage to food pipe. It is therefore recommended to dilute ACV with water for consumption.

• Damage to teeth:

Because of its high acidic levels, it can destroy the tooth enamel if consumed undiluted.

• Pregnancy:

It is recommended not to use ACV during pregnancy. The reason is we are not sure how safe it is. Hence, consult a doctor before taking it during pregnancy and breast feeding.
If these side effects do not decrease with time, either stop or reduce the intake of ACV.

Tips on Buying Apple Cider Vinegar :

Apple Cider Vinegar is different from the usual white vinegar used in cooking and found in our kitchens.

• Always buy chemical free, artificial flavor free, unpasteurized, organic, and the unfiltered ACV.

• If you see the bottle of ACV you will find a muddy material settled at the bottom of the bottle, this brown strain like material is called ‘Mother of Vinegar’. Mother is the main detoxifier of ACV that contains all important digestive enzymes. So always use unfiltered ACV.

How to use Apple Cider Vinegar – liquid form or capsules?

While we are sure of the health benefits of liquid ACV, we do not have much evidence about the health benefits of capsules or ACV pills. So, liquid ACV is surely better choice over ACV pills.

People who are prone to kidney stones have very concentrated and acidic urine. So, keeping yourself well hydrated is the key. Eat a healthy diet which is high in fiber and low in fat. And if you are already suffering the pains of kidney stones, use Apple cider vinegar for kidney stones treatment.