Anyone who has suffered from kidney stones can vouch for the fact that it can be horribly uncomfortable and painful, to say the least. It can also be an even bigger task to get rid of these hard masses from your body.
Not everyone is guaranteed to suffer from kidney stones in their lifetime. However, knowing how to tackle them can be very helpful. That way, if you do ever have stones in your kidney, you will be well equipped to know how to dissolve these before they get too large or travel too far into the urinary tract.
Fortunately, apple cider vinegar comes in extremely handy at times like these. Kidney stone patients swear by apple cider vinegar being an effective natural remedy for dissolving and removing kidney stones. If taken properly, it can have miraculous results in terms of providing relief from painful kidney stone afflictions.
What Are Kidney Stones?
Kidney stones are very hard, highly concentrated crystalline masses made of minerals and acid salts. These form within the kidney or the urinary tract, when the urine that you pass contains far too many crystal-forming substances (such as calcium, oxalate and uric acid). The fluid in your urine can either no longer dilute these substances, or may even lack substances that would otherwise stop the crystals from sticking together. This creates the ideal environment for kidney stones to form.
Kidney stones are a very common cause of passing blood in the urine (a condition called hematuria) and can very often involve severe pain in the abdomen area, flank, or groin. They Other symptoms also involve chills, fever, and painful urination.
What Is Apple Cider Vinegar?
Apple cider vinegar is made by the fermenting apples and is a well known natural remedy for a large number of skin conditions and ailments.
The acetic acid content in apple cider vinegar kills the “bad” bacteria that is harmful to your health while fostering the growth of “good bacteria” at the same time. For this reason, apple cider vinegar essentially acts as an all-natural antibiotic and can help solve skin, digestive, and immunity problems without causing any harmful side effects.
How Is Apple Cider Vinegar Good For Treating Kidney Stones?
Before you use apple cider vinegar to treat your kidney stones, it is important to understand its specific properties and how each one works to help solve your condition.
- Softens And Dissolves: The citric, acetic, and phosphoric acid in apple cider vinegar helps soften, dissolve and even reduce the size of the kidney stones over time so that they can pass freely through the urinary tract.
- Cleanses The Kidney: Apple cider vinegar acts as a potent internal cleanser that flushes out all the formed stones from the kidney.
- Alkalizing Effect: Apple cider vinegar has an alkalizing effect on urine and blood. It aids in the process of digestion so that it can better break down and eliminate the stones from your kidneys.
- Produces Hydrochloric Acid: Apple cider vinegar triggers the production of hydrochloric acid during digestion, which prevents the formation of new kidney stones in the future.
- Relieves Pain: Apple cider vinegar also reduces and eliminates the pain and discomfort caused by kidney stones.
Apple Cider Vinegar for Kidney Stones Treatment
There are some popular tried and tested methods that make use of apple cider vinegar for treating kidney stones. You may try either one or a combination of the following methods.
Note: Regardless of what method you use, always make sure to use raw, organic, extra virgin, unpasteurized and unfiltered apple cider vinegar for the best results.
1. Apple Cider Vinegar With Water
- Mix 2 tablespoons apple cider vinegar in about 6 – 8 ounces of fresh water to make a solution.
- Drink this solution as frequently as you can throughout the day before your meals. With time, this should dissolve and clear out your kidney stones.
- Once your stones have passed, continue drinking the solution at least twice a week to further prevent the formation of new stones.
2. Apple Cider Vinegar With Honey
- Mix one teaspoon of apple cider vinegar and 2 teaspoons of raw, organic honey.
- Drink this mixture as frequently as you can throughout the day.
- Repeat every day and very soon, you will be relieved of your kidney stones.
3. Apple Cider Vinegar Poultice
- Take equal quantities of apple cider vinegar and water in a pan. Heat until warm.
- Now soak a clean washcloth in this warmed solution for a few seconds.
- Wring the washcloth to remove the excess water.
- Place this cloth on the areas of your body that are causing you pain.
- Once the washcloth cools down, soak it again in the warm solution and repeat the process.
- Do this twice daily until your pain goes away completely.
4. Apple Cider Vinegar With Baking Soda
Many people aren’t aware of this but kidney stones only occur when the environment inside your body becomes acidic in nature. Baking soda will help alkalize the acids in your body quickly. This way, not only will it help get rid of your existing stones, but will also prevent the formation of new ones.
- Mix about 1 ounce of apple cider vinegar and 1/2 a teaspoon of baking soda in a glass of water.
- Once the solution stops fizzing, drink it slowly over a 30-minute time span.
- Repeat this process thrice each day until you experience relief from your kidney stones.
Note: You may even add a squirt of raw organic honey for better taste and added results.
5. Apple Cider Vinegar With Lemon Juice, Olive Oil, And Water
Like apple cider vinegar, lemon juice also contains citric acid that brings down the acidity levels in your urine, thus helping you get rid of your kidney stones.
- Take 2 ounces of organic olive oil and freshly squeezed lemon juice each, and mix well to form a solution.
- Drink the mixture, and follow it up by drinking another 12 ounces of purified water.
- After 30 minutes, mix about 12 ounces of water with the juice of half a lemon and one tablespoon of apple cider vinegar.
- Drink this solution.
- Repeat this process once every hour until you experience relief from the kidney stones.
6. Apple Cider Vinegar With Coconut Oil
- Take 2 tablespoons of apple cider vinegar and coconut oil each and mix well with 16 ounces of warm water.
- Drink this solution as many times a day to prevent new kidney stones from forming.
Helpful Tips
- Keep alternating between apple cider vinegar in tablet or capsule form containing Mother (the “mother” is a colony of good and beneficial bacteria, that helps form the vinegar through a secondary fermentation process).
- Avoid apple cider vinegar if you’re suffering from any kind of underlying medical condition.
- Always consult a physician before including apple cider vinegar to your everyday diet.
- If you’re suffering from gout, using apple cider vinegar will bring down the formation of uric acid crystals that are responsible for causing pain and inflammation.
- Avoid drinking undiluted apple cider vinegar directly, as it may cause an uncomfortable burning sensation in your throat and cause severe stomach problems.
- Remember that vinegar is after all acidic. Be sure to drink plenty of water along with small quantities of natural fruit juices to prevent damaging your tooth enamel or to fight off any kind of throat irritation.
- You may also consume a tablespoon of diluted apple cider vinegar daily or use it as a salad dressing.
- In the case of unbearable pain, a heating pad or hot water bottle may help to ease the discomfort.
