Dear Doctorney Fritz,
I have read on Facebook that drinking coconut water with lemon juice is an alternative treatment to dissolve kidney stones. I wanted to try. But I am quite skeptical. What is your opinion on this matter?
Thanks for your reply.
Farah Farah
Dear Farah Farah,
Sure, Facebook is popular nowadays. But not everything in there can be true. I am glad that you dare to ask before trying the said cocktail.
Coconut water with lemon juice is a refreshing cocktail and a great choice for hydration, but if we’re being real, it’s not exactly “Liquid Drano” for your kidneys. While both ingredients
are genuinely good for kidney health, the idea that they can “dissolve” a pre-existing stone like sugar in tea is a bit of a stretch.
Here is the breakdown of the science versus the myth.
The Science: Why it actually helps
Lemon juice and coconut water aren’t “magic”, but they do provide chemical tools your kidneys love:
Citrate (from Lemon Juice): This is the star of the show. Citrate binds to calcium in your urine, which helps prevent new stones from forming and can stop existing “sand-sized” stones from growing larger.
Potassium & Hydration (from Coconut Water): Staying hydrated is the #1 way to pass a stone. Coconut water is packed with electrolytes and potassium, which helps flush the system and may reduce the acidity of your urine.
Alkalization: Together, they help make your urine less acidic. This is particularly effective for uric acid stones, which can sometimes be dissolved by changing the pH of your urine.
The next part is the truth about the matter. So wait for its continuation.
Dr. Fritz
(Dr./Atty. Fritz Legarde Espedilla is an aesthetic dermatologist and surgeon, a clinical sexologist, and a lawyer. She is also trained in hypnotherapy and Medical Acupuncture. She
has been in the broadcast media for more than a decade and has written a book based on her 15-year stint with her radio program, “Healthy is Sexy Secrets ni Dr. Fritz.”. For your
questions, you may send them to Dear Dr. Fritz, c/o Sunstar Davao Publishing Inc., Door 11, Ebro-Pelayo Building 1, Juan Luna St., Barangay 29-C, Davao City, or email them to dokatlaw@gmail.com . If you don’t wish your letter to be published, we regret that we cannot answer them. Thank you for your understanding.)
