Quick Take
According to a Facebook post, kidney stones may be removed by consuming ash gourd juice with jaggery. After verifying, we found it to be false.
The Claim
A widely circulated Facebook post, captioned “Easy remedy for kidney stones”, suggests that consuming ash gourd and jaggery juice on an empty stomach can effectively dissolve kidney stones. While high-risk individuals employ organic kidney stone therapies, depending only on them can be detrimental.
Fact Check
What do kidney stones entail? When are they concerning?
Kidney stones, medically considered as renal calculi, are solid masses composed of urinary minerals and salts, such as struvite, uric acid, or calcium oxalate. When urine becomes concentrated, these often rise to the surface, which facilitates the clumping of these components. Even though these aggregates are extremely common, the following triggers may contribute to the risk:
- Challenges in controlling weight
- High salt intake
- Poor water consumption
While smaller renal calculi don’t cause any symptoms, larger ones can:
- Renal colic – the characteristic that sets it apart. This is pain that begins in the back or side and progresses to the lower abdomen or groin.
- A burning urinary sensation
- Nausea or vomiting
- Blood in the urine
- Fever and chills – an indication of an infectious case
Being aware of these symptoms may make it easier to reach out to a nephrologist for early detection and an appropriate course of treatment.
Does ash gourd juice with jaggery work well for kidney stones? Is it risky to depend on the formulation?
No, not really. Although ash gourd and jaggery juice are frequently being promoted as a kidney stone remedy, their relevance is confined to social media. This may be explained by the clinical literature’s strong emphasis on the preventive nature of dietary modifications and adequate hydration. This suggests that optimal fluid intake enhances urine volume, which subsequently lowers the concentration of substances that form stones and prevents stone recurrence.
Ash gourd, also known as Benincasa hispida, has a substantial amount of water, modest antioxidants, and renal-protective characteristics that may protect the kidneys from damaging compounds but do not dissolve stones. In fact, consuming more of the ingredient, particularly in juice form, may increase the risk of calcium deposition, which, due to oxalates and phytates, may induce or worsen kidney stones.
Similarly, the biochemical processes that remove kidney stones have not been shown to be impacted by jaggery, a traditional unprocessed sugar product. Moreover, high-sugar consumption can significantly influence urinary composition, ultimately increasing the risk.
Even though home remedies can be helpful for digestive or urinary health, Dr. Sharad Malhotra, HOD Gastroenterology, Hepatology & Therapeutic Endoscopy, Aakash Healthcare, New Delhi, warns against utilising them as a long-term kidney stone cure. Furthermore, Dr. Malhotra maintains that because these unreliable therapies lack substantial scientific backing, they shouldn’t be employed as an alternative to standard medical therapies for renal calculi.
Crucially, in addition to delaying essential therapy, using ash gourd and jaggery juice to remove renal calculi can result in consequences such as discomfort, obstruction, or infection. For stones larger than a few millimetres, imaging, hydration, citrate therapy, and suggested urological procedures are necessary.
Are at-home remedies appropriate for kidney stones?
No, not exactly. Even while certain unproven natural options, such as certain botanical extracts, drinking too much citrus juice, or herbal concoctions, may provide symptomatic relief, they lack the ability to dissolve obstructive stones. In addition to having a dearth of considerable scientific validation, it is crucial to emphasise that such natural cures lack standardisation in terms of dosage, safety, and efficacy. Consequently, overindulging in them or using them improperly could be more detrimental than beneficial.
Dr. Archana Daftardar, a consultant nephrologist, hypertension specialist, and transplant physician at Renova Hospitals in Kompally, Hyderabad, underlines that there are many misconceptions about kidney stone care and prevention. Unproven natural remedies might actually make the illness worse rather than better. Consultation with a qualified allopathic physician is the recommended course of action.
Dr. Ganesh Srinivasa Prasad P, a Consultant Nephrologist at Narayana Health City in Bengaluru, also maintains that the kidney stone type primarily determines the medical course of action. Even while kidney stones cannot be effectively cured at home, the associated risk can be successfully decreased by drinking enough water, eating meals high in calcium, avoiding foods high in oxalate, and consuming less salt. Moreover, moderate use of animal products, sugar, alcohol, nicotine, and carbohydrates may help reduce the incidence of uric acid stones.
Relying entirely on questionable remedies may worsen the condition by delaying the required intervention. For kidney stones, a precise diagnosis and individualised treatment are vital. Only under professional supervision may home-based therapies be utilised as therapeutic assistance; a thorough medical examination is required to establish the appropriate course of action.
How do medical experts address kidney stones?
Based on the morphological features, anatomical position, and chemical profile of renal calculi, the following therapies have been suggested:
- For symptomatic small-sized stones – Prescription medications and increased fluid intake.
- For larger obstructive renal calculi, alpha-blockers are necessary in addition to medical expulsive therapy. If their spontaneous transit is not possible, procedures including extracorporeal shock wave lithotripsy (ESWL), ureteroscopy with laser lithotripsy, and percutaneous nephrolithotomy (PCNL) may be recommended.
- Open surgical intervention may be advised in exceptional cases.
Please be informed that neglecting the prescribed course of therapy could exacerbate symptoms, increase the risk of serious infections such as urinary tract infections and hydronephrosis, and possibly result in renal failure, endangering one’s overall health. Therefore, timely assessment and intervention remain vital.
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