He Who Casts the First Stone...
by Lefteri Theodorakis

We love soda. As a matter of fact, soda is the number one drink consumed at meals and the average American drinks two cups of it a day. This makes soda the primary staple in the American diet, replacing white bread.

This is especially true in teenagers. 65 percent of female teenagers and 74 percent of male teenagers consume soft drinks daily.

Soda consumption has taken over a major part of our diet, but can soda also be bad for you? Soda consumption has been attributed to obesity and diabetes, but studies are now showing that soda consumption is correlated with kidney stones as well.

What is a kidney stone? To understand what sodas do to cause a kidney stone, we have to take a quick glance into the urinary system. The kidneys are responsible for regulating blood pressure, filtering blood and removing wastes products as well as excess water, salt, sugar, acids and other impurities from the blood to restore the blood to its normal acidity level.

Normally, the kidneys perform their job just fine but a person's diet can perform a major role in affecting them. For example, a diet too high in salt or too low in water can cause a kidney stone.

When salt intake is too high and water intake is too low, salt or calcium begin to collect in the kidneys. This excess salt or calcium then begins to form into a ball and crystallizes, becoming a kidney stone. In the kidney anatomy, this can be most found in the major calyx (the point where all the kidney's minor calyxes meet in the renal sinus before they join to go to the urethra) or the ureter (a duct that brings urine to the urinary bladder where it is held before urination). Kidney stones are attributed to great amount of pain during urination and the pain that is felt comes in the form of spasms. Kidney stones may also cause the person to find blood in their urine and cause the carrier to feel debilitated.

So how does soda consumption do this? Sodas, like Coke do this by creating a phosphoric acid buildup in the kidney. According to a study conducted by the National Institutes of Health, drinking just two cans of cola a day doubles the risk of chronic kidney disease. It also stated that this was also relevant to people drinking regular colas and artificially sweetened colas. Also, it showed that non-cola carbonated beverages were not associated with chronic kidney disease.

Sodas were also linked to low bone density. The phosphoric acid in Coca- Cola removes the calcium from the bones causing them to become brittle and weak.   This happens primarily when phosphoric acid binds with the calcium carbonate (found in the bones of the body) and binds together, forming the most common kidney stone. This is more common in women than in men. Women who have osteoporosis, a bone disease where the bone mass index is reduced which causes a greater chance of fractures as well as less bone strength are urged to lean away from drinking carbonated colas and are urged to stick to more calcium rich drinks or supplements.

Still enjoy soda? While you don't have to necessarily cut soda or carbonated drinks out of your diet, it is recommended that you increase water or other non-carbonated fluid intake to counteract and dilute its effects.

Kidney stones shouldn't be dealt with lightly. Most kidney stones are not permanent and will most likely pass through during urination . Some kidney stones may not and can cause a serious problem if they block the ureter or urinary bladder . If you have a kidney stone, increase water intake as this will help try to flush or break down the kidney stone. Preferably, consumption of lemon juice, grape juice or pineapple juice can help break down kidney stones. This is due to their acidic content.

If kidney stones don't pass on their own, there are other options. Medications can be taken that will regulate acid build up and calcium collection in the kidney to help the stone pass by urination. If they cannot urinate naturally, new surgery involving ultrasonic waves or a laser can break the kidney stone down. Then, remains can be removed with an endoscope or can be removed through urination. Urinating a kidney stone has been known to be extremely painful.

If the source of the kidney stone is not detected they are more likely to recur. Changing your diet is the best way to stop any new accumulation or recurrences. The best way to prevent kidney stones altogether is to watch what you eat and stay away from that soda.