Amla Juice For Kidney Stone: Benefits, Uses and Side Effects

Kidney stones are one of the most common medical conditions in the northern states of India due to chronic dehydration and dietary factors in the population. When patients get kidney stones, one of the most common searches for them is to find home remedies for kidney stones online. There is a lot of advice available online surrounding these natural remedies and ayurvedic ingredients that can help you relieve kidney stone pain.

However, most available advice is not medically backed or supported by medical professionals. Among the ingredients often quoted to help with kidney stone treatment is amla juice. In this blog, we’ll assess the benefits and side effects of amla juice for kidney stones. We’ll also discuss whether it is effective and whether you should have it or not for the purposes of kidney stone treatment.

Kidney Stones & Amla Juice: The Connection

Kidney stones are crystallised formations inside the kidneys caused by the presence of elevated oxalate, calcium, or uric acid levels in your body. Considering that both calcium and oxalate are basic in nature, and amla contains citric acid, it can potentially help in dissolving calcium oxalate kidney stones. This is not magic; it's just chemistry because acids dissolve bases using a process called neutralisation.

However, citric acid is not strong, and an amla contains only up to 3% of citric acid by weight, which is a very small amount. Additionally, the citric acid you consume does not all go to your kidneys in order to dissolve the stones, so having amla does not directly dissolve kidney stones. In fact, it is important to note that while the benefits exist, there are also risks associated with excessive amla consumption and kidney stones.

To summarize:

• Kidney stones often form from base minerals such as calcium and oxalate
• Amla contains citric acid, which can help break down base minerals through neutralisation

This is how amla is often considered as a part of kidney stone treatment. However, there is a lot more to understand here, so let’s go into the details of how amla helps with kidney stones.

Does Amla Juice Help With Kidney Stones?

Amla juice can both help and worsen kidney stones. So, it is a relationship that you must understand thoroughly, especially if you’re using the juice without medical guidance. Let’s talk about the good first, amla juice has the potential to help dissolve kidney stones. The bad part is that amla juice is not a proven treatment method. Independently, amla juice cannot treat or dissolve kidney stones. The ugly part is that if you consume excess amounts of amla juice in order to treat your kidney stones, it can potentially increase the level of oxalate in your body, increasing your risk of kidney stones further.

How Amla Juice Can Help

• Hydration Support: When consumed with water, amla juice can indirectly support better hydration. If you consume amla juice daily, it can potentially influence you to drink more water, which has a better chance of helping you manage your kidney stone symptoms. So, water triumphs over Alma juice, if you want to look at it objectively for their kidney stone treatment capabilities.
• Antioxidant and Anti-inflammatory Effects: This is one of the benefits of amla juice that is actually beneficial for your body. Amla has antioxidants, which have anti-inflammatory effects on your body. When you have kidney stones, it can potentially cause infections in your body that can cause swelling. The antioxidants can actually help reduce said swelling, but only amla juice is seldom enough to have this level of impact. Medical treatment would be necessary in most cases; amla juice can be a helping hand.
• Possible Impact on Stone Formation: Amla has slight diuretic effects. As a result, it helps reduce toxin buildup by improving urine flow out of your body. However, as a result, diuretics have the potential to dehydrate your body faster. So, you must drink enough water along with diuretics to ensure your body is not dehydrated. Apart from that, the antioxidant properties of amla can potentially support toxin buildup in your body and support metabolic balance.

Myth vs Medical Reality

As explained already, amla juice is not a magical cure for kidney stones. So, let’s summarise the medical realities against the myths often propagated online.

Myth: Amla juice can dissolve kidney stones completely

Fact: There is no strong scientific evidence proving this. Science says, yes, acids can neutralise bases. However, amla juice neither has a strong enough acid in the right concentration to independently get the job done. If you consume the excess level of amla required to supposedly meet your concentration requirements, it will have adverse effects on your health, before you ever get the beneficial effects you’re hoping for.

Myth: More amla juice will treat my kidney stones faster

Fact: This is mentioned in the previous point. Drinking an excessive amount of amla juice will lead to an increase in your body’s oxalate level. As a result, you can potentially worsen your kidney stones.

The only takeaway you should remember is that amla juice is a good way to help you improve your hydration. If it helps you remember to drink more water, it will be helpful for your kidney stone treatment. However, independently, amla juice is not the best option for kidney stone treatment. You will have more benefits from drinking just water.

Benefits of Amla Juice for Kidney Stones

1. May Support Kidney Function

If you have kidney stones, it can potentially put your kidneys under oxidative stress. Drinking amla juice can potentially help you reduce that stress because of the antioxidant content of amla juice. 

2. May Reduce Oxidative Stress

Kidney stones may cause inflammation and oxidative stress in your kidneys and other body parts. Consuming amla juice has the potential to help you reduce oxidative stress in your body. This is because of the antioxidants present in amla and amla juice.

3. May Aid in Flushing Toxins

Similar to the oxidative stress relief, amla or amla juice can also potentially help in flushing toxins from your body. How does it work? Amla juice has diuretic effects on your body, which can increase urine flow. As a result, it can potentially help flush out toxins and even small kidney stones from your body.

4. Supports Urinary Health

All the benefits listed above combined can show that amla juice and amla in general can be a part of a urinary health support diet. While it may not help you dissolve stones independently, it does have benefits, which can help you live a better life.

Other Health Benefits of Amla Juice

Apart from your kidney health, amla juice also has other beneficial health effects for your body.

• Boosts Immunity: Amla is rich in vitamin C, which is known for its immunity-boosting properties. It can help your body against infections and strengthen your immune system.
• Supports Digestive Health: In some cases, amla can help reduce stomach acidity, which causes digestive problems in people. If taken properly, it can support gut health with its anti-inflammatory properties.
• Promotes Heart Health: Some medical studies have shown that amla juice can help in reducing LDL levels in your body. LDL refers to bad cholesterol, which contributes to a higher risk of heart disease over time.

How To Use Amla Juice for Kidney Stones?

Here’s a complete guide on how you should use amla juice if you are adding it to your diet for kidney stones.

Recommended Dosage

• 10 to 20 ml of fresh amla juice every day or as directed by the physician
• Dilute the juice with at least a glass of water before consuming
• Avoid consuming more than 20 ml per day unless directed by the physician

Best Time to Consume

• To get the most benefits of amla juice, it should be consumed on an empty stomach in the morning
• This timing helps with better absorption and also supports your digestive health, aiding symptoms like stomach acidity

How To Prepare Amla Juice

Fresh Amla Juice

• Wash and deseed fresh amla
• Blend the fruit with some water
• Strain the mixture and dilute it with water before consuming

Packaged Amla Juice

• Consider buying unsweetened and preservative-free amla juice
• Always dilute with water before consumption
• Check the labels for additives or sugar before buying

Best Combination for Kidney Health

To get the most benefits, dilute amla juice with:

• Water: It improves hydration and is key to improving kidney health
• Lemon Juice: It complements the effects of amla juice and adds to your kidney and immune health
• Honey: Honey is also known for its anti-inflammatory properties, which can help your health if added in moderation.

Side Effects of Amla Juice

Amla juice has beneficial effects for your health; however, it also has risks, which you must know about.

• Acidity & Gas: Amla juice is naturally high in vitamin C. As a result, it can increase stomach acidity in some people with a sensitive gut. This can give rise to problems like acid reflux or gastritis, along with symptoms like heartburn and gastrointestinal discomfort.
• Risk of Oxalate Increase: If you consume excess amounts of amla juice, it can increase the oxalate levels in your body. This is especially problematic for kidney stone patients because calcium and oxalate bond to form calcium-oxalate kidney stones. Not only that, calcium-oxalate kidney stones are the most common kidney stones in the world. So, moderation is key when taking amla juice for kidney stones.
• Digestive Discomfort: Excess amla juice consumption can lead to stomach cramps, bloating, and constipation. It is because amla juice has a diuretic effect, and it can promote dehydration in the body, which can cause the effects described.
• Allergic Reactions: If you are allergic to amla, which is a rare occurrence, you could experience nausea, abdominal pain, or vomiting. If you are experiencing these symptoms or other untoward symptoms after taking amla juice, stop having it and report the symptoms to a medical professional.

Who Should Avoid Amla Juice?

The following people should avoid adding amla juice to their diet for kidney stone treatment.

• People with high oxalate levels: If you already have elevated oxalate levels, amla juice can potentially increase your levels further.
• Patients with CKD: Chronic Kidney Disease require adhering to strict guidelines as part of treatment. So, if you’re suffering from CKD, you must talk to your doctor before adding amla juice to your diet.
• Individuals with Severe Gastric Problems: If you have severe gastric problems, adding amla juice, which is rich in citric acid, may worsen your symptoms and hamper your gut health.
• People on Certain Medicines: If you have medicines that can potentially affect kidney function and the acidity levels in your stomach, you should consider not having amla juice without medical surpevision.

Final Verdict: Is Amla Juice Good for Kidney Stones?

The answer goes beyond a simple yes or no. Amla juice is only good for kidney stones if it helps you improve your daily hydration. If adding amla juice to your diet helps you drink more water per day, it is helpful for the treatment of kidney stones. However, independently, amla juice alone can not help you dissolve kidney stones. So, it is important to understand the efficacy of the ingredient before using it as an independent treatment. 

For more information about kidney stone treatment and supporting diet, consult with our specialists at the MASSH Super Specialty Hospital today. Our doctors can help you start a diet that actually helps you manage the symptoms of kidney stones and prevent further risk of kidney stone recurrence. We also specialise in painless, minimally invasive surgical treatments for kidney stones that are fast, safe, and allow quick recovery. Contact us today to learn more.

Medically Reviewed By 

MASSH Super Speciality Hospital Advanced Urology Team

Our highly experienced urologists have expertise in advanced treatment options for kidney stones, including specialised minimally invasive surgical treatments like ureteroscopy (URS), retrograde intrarenal surgery (RIRS), and percutaneous nephrolithotomy. Treatments are often accompanied by lifestyle and metabolic guidelines for long-term sustainable urological health.

FAQs

1. Does amla juice dissolve kidney stones?

No, amla juice does not directly or independently dissolve kidney stones. This is because amla juice is not powerful enough to dissolve stones by itself. When consumed with water daily, amla juice can help facilitate a less painful passage of kidney stones out of your body through urine.

2. How much amla juice should I have per day?

You should have 10 to 20 ml of amla juice per day. However, rather than following a generic daily limit, you should consult your urologist to learn about your specific daily amla juice consumption requirements.

3. Is it safe to consume amla juice every day?

Yes, amla juice is safe to consume every day if you are diluting the juice with water. It is important to note that if you are having symptoms like stomach cramps, bloating, or acidity after consuming amla juice, you should stop having it.

4. Can I have amla juice with other home remedies for kidney stones?

Yes, you can combine amla juice with other home remedies like lemon juice or honey to get added benefits or even limit some of the ill effects of daily amla juice consumption. In the end, make sure you discuss your strategies with your healthcare provider to ensure your home remedies are actually helping you manage kidney stones.

5. Is amla juice better than lemon juice for kidney stones?

Lemon juice is considered better than amla juice for kidney stones because of the higher citrate concentration in lemon juice. Amla juice, on the other hand, is rich in vitamin C and antioxidants. So, combining them can help you get the best benefits of both to manage your condition. However, please combine home remedies on advice from medical professionals only.

Medical Disclaimer

This blog is intended for educational and informational purposes only. It should not be considered a substitute for professional medical advice, diagnosis, or treatment. Always consult a qualified urologist in Delhi for proper evaluation and treatment recommendations.