Kidney Stone Treatment: Natural Citrus Fruit Extract May Help Prevent Stone Formation

A new study has found that a natural citrus fruit extract can help prevent painful kidney stones from developing as well as dissolve a key component of existing kidney stones.

According to the study conducted by researchers from the University of Houston, a natural fruit extract, known as hydroxycitrate (HCA), has the potential to dissolve the most common component of human kidney stones which is calcium oxalate. HCA is found in tropical plants like Garcinia cambogia and Hibiscus subdariffa, reported Eureka Alert.

Kidney stones are hard mineral deposits that are formed inside the kidneys. The problem with the stones is that they sometimes get stuck in the urinary tract, blocks urination and causes unbearable pain. The problem currently affect an estimated 12 per cent of men and seven per cent of women.

Kidney stone treatment has remained unchanged for the last three decades. Patients are advised to consume plenty of water and avoid foods rich in oxalate such as almonds, okra, rhubarb and spinach. Doctors often recommend them to take potassium citrate, a supplement that can slow the stone's growth. But, the supplement has some side effects.

During the study, the researchers found that HCA was quite effective in slowing down calcium oxalate build-up in patients who were given the supplement for three days. Lead author Dr Jeffrey Rimer, of the University of Houston, said that Hydroxycitrate shows promise as a potential kidney stone prevention therapy and that it may be preferred as a therapy over potassium citrate. The researchers, however, said that more work is to be done before any treatment enters the mainstream. Long-term human trials are necessary to check its safety and dosage levels, reported Daily Mail.

"Our initial findings are very promising. If it works in vivo [a living organism], similar to our trials in the laboratory, hydroxycitrate has the potential to reduce the incidence of people with chronic kidney stone disease," said Professor Rimer. The study findings have been published in the journal Nature.