Kidney stones

Granular injury to the kidneys can lead to the formation of hard objects known as kidney stones. The exact causes of kidney injury are various, though inflammation is typically present in most cases, and many causes only indirectly involve the kidneys. The stones themselves can lead to further kidney injury, introducing a vicious cycle. Many people may go about their lives never knowing that a kidney stone has formed within their kidneys, not experiencing any symptoms, which may even resolve on their own.

While electrolytes tend to be present in the structure of kidney stones, it would be a misnomer to blame them for the stones. Likewise can be said for uric acid. The kidneys are designed to process these things, therefore failure to process these things should be expected to not be caused by them. This is not to say that failure to process cannot lead to a viscous cycle, where the cycle gives the impression of such misnomers.

Healthy kidneys filter blood at a rate of about 1.25 liters per minute (about a half cup) for the average adult, which translates to about 180 liters of filtered fluid per day. This is generally sufficient to deal with elevated electrolytes and uric acid. The fact that a kidney stone ended up forming anyway is evidence of some kind of failure, even if temporary and minor. While tests are generally not capable of measuring injury, injury is to be expected with any kind of failure.

Find the cause, reverse the injury, and this will open up opportunity to dissolve the kidney stones. Check your liver. Check your blood sugar. Check the arteries surrounding the kidneys. Check for infection. Check for inflammation. Check for nutritional deficiencies. Check genetics. Whatever it takes. Injury can come from anywhere.

Potential treatments

Fenugreek seed

Many people have had good success reversing their kidney stones by consuming Fenugreek seed preparations. The exact mechanisms are unknown, but I would argue multiple mechanisms are at work, especially as it pertains to the gut. Fenugreek seed is known to help reduce inflammation of the gut as it forms a protective layer, and acts as a prebiotic for beneficial bacteria, helping to reduce overall, systemic inflammation.