Dangers of Zero-Carb Diets - No 4 kidney stones

Dangers of Zero-Carb Diets, IV: Kidney Stones | Perfect Health Diet

Conclusion

Zero-carb dieters are at risk for

• Excess renal oxalate from failure to recycle vitamin C;
• Excess renal uric acid from disposal of nitrogen products of gluconeogenesis and ketogenesis;
• Salt and other electrolyte deficiencies from excretion of oxalate, urea and uric acid; and
• Dehydration.

These four conditions dramatically elevate the risk of kidney stones.

To remedy these deficiencies, we recommend that everyone who fasts or who follows a zero-carb diet obtain dietary and supplemental antioxidants, eat salt and other electrolytes, and drink lots of water.

Also, unless there is a therapeutic reason to restrict carbohydrates, it is best to obtain about 20% of calories from carbs in order to relieve the need to manufacture glucose and ketones from protein. This will substantially reduce uric acid excretion. If it also reduces vitamin C degradation rates, as we argued in our last post, then it will substantially reduce oxalate excretion as well.

Related Posts

Other posts in this series:

1. Dangers of Zero-Carb Diets, I: Can There Be a Carbohydrate Deficiency? Nov 10, 2010.
2. Dangers of Zero-Carb Diets, II: Mucus Deficiency and Gastrointestinal Cancers A Nov 15, 2010.
3. Danger of Zero-Carb Diets III: Scurvy Nov 20, 2010.

References

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