Apple a day helps keep kidney stones away

PORTLAND, Maine, Aug. 14 (UPI) -- U.S. researchers say a healthy diet high in fruits and vegetables helps prevent kidney stones.

The study, published in the Journal of the American Society of Nephrology, finds those who eat healthy foods recommended in the Dietary Approaches to Stop Hypertension diet may effectively ward off kidney stones. The DASH diet limits salt, red or processed meats and sweetened beverages, but has lots of fruits, vegetables, nuts, low-fat dairy products and whole grains.

Researchers at the Boston's Brigham and Women's Hospital, led by Dr. Eric Taylor of Maine Medical Center in Portland, scored the diets of 45,821 men enrolled in the Health Professionals Follow-up Study; 94,108 older women the Nurses' Health Study I; and 101,837 younger women of the Nurses' Health Study II. A total of 5,645 incident kidney stones developed in the participants.

Participants with the highest DASH scores were 40 percent to 45 percent less likely to develop kidney stones than participants with the lowest DASH scores. The reductions in kidney stone risk were independent of age, body size, fluid intake and other factors.