Kidney stones? Yikes! People who have had kidney stones in the past have all said that the experience is better imagined than experienced (that bad huh?). What are kidney stones anyway? According to health practitioners ?Kidney stones (or sometimes called renal calculi) are mineral deposits that are made up of calcium, uric acid or amino acid cysteine; it is formed within the kidney or the urinary tract.?

Kidney stones are the common cause for the presence of blood in the urine and people with kidney stones usually feel pain in their abdominal region, groin or flank.

The puzzling thing about kidney stones is that no one knows for a fact how these stones are formed. Research has shown that diet is one of the factors that contribute to the formation of kidney stones, being over weight (obese) and having reoccurring kidney infections are also factors that can contribute to the formation of kidney stones. There is also a greater chance of having kidney stones if there is a history of kidney stones in your family.

These foods should be avoided especially if you are prone to kidney stones:

1) Watercress

2) beans

3) Radishes

4) Rhubarb

5) Tomatoes

6) Pickles

7) cucumbers

8) Meat

9) Carbonated waters

10) Onions

11) Cabbage

12) condiments

13) Spinach

14) Asparagus

15) Alcoholic beverages

16) Gravies

The above foods are considered as ?kidney irritants?

Natural Remedies For Kidney Stones

Here are natural ingredients and methods to use these ingredients in order to cure kidney stones in the comfort of your own home. Most of these ingredients can be found in your kitchen or bought at the nearby grocery store.

1) Basil

Basil strengthens the kidneys; to treat kidney stones take one teaspoon of basil juice with honey everyday for a period of six months. Studies have shown that kidney stones can be removed from the urinary tract by using this treatment.

2) Apples

?An apple a day keeps the doctor away? eating a fresh apple daily is good for treating kidney stones because cases of kidney stones hardly ever occur with people who eat apples on a regular basis.

3) Kidney Beans

Kidney beans also known as Rajmah or dried French beans, are considered as a very effective remedy for treating kidney stones or kidney problems. The beans should be removed from inside the pods, the pods are then sliced and about 60grams of the pods are put into a 4 litre hot water, and the mixture should be boiled (slowly) for 6 hours. The liquid is then strained through a very fine muslin and be allowed to cool for about 8 hours. The fluid should be poured through another piece of muslin (again) but this time, no stirring! A glass of this brew should be given to the kidney stone patient every 2 hours (for the whole day). Subsequently, this decoction may be taken several times weekly. Please note that this decoction will not work if it is more than 24 hours old. The uncooked kidney beans pod(s) can be kept for longer, but as soon as they are cooked, they lose their therapeutic properties after 24 hours.

4) Vitamin B6

Kidney stones can be treated by taking a daily dose of 100 ? 150 milligrams of vitamin B6 (combined with other B complex vitamins). Vitamin B6 if taken for a couple of months will definitely cure kidney stones (permanently!)

5) Celery

This vegetable is great for preventing the formation of kidney stones especially for people who are prone to getting kidney stones or getting stones in their gall-bladder. The regular consumption of celery prevents possible stone formation in the future.