Kidney Health and Florida Orange Juice

Hydration is key! 

Kidney Stones and Orange Juice

• Stay hydrated – drinking fluids helps dilute the substances that lead to kidney stones. 100% orange juice is ideal for hydration because it contains a high level of water content – 88 percent to be exact.
• Get enough calcium – calcium can bind to food oxalates when consumed together and may reduce the risk of developing one common type of kidney stone.¹ Fortified orange juice is an excellent source of calcium and typically contains 350 mg of calcium,² or about 30% of the recommended Daily Value³* in one 8-ounce (1 cup / 250 ml) glass.
• Avoid too much sodium – excess sodium is associated with calcium loss, and calcium may bind to compounds in urine to form stones.
• Limit animal protein – consuming too much animal protein can lead to high levels of uric acid that may lead to stone formation. Animal proteins also contain phosphates, another factor that may raise the risk of kidney stones.¹
• Drink Florida Orange Juice – Florida Orange Juice, like other citrus beverages, contributes to hydration.

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Nutrition Research Corner for Health Professionals

Dietary citrate, the usual form of citric acid in solution, is a well-known inhibitor of the formation of calcium oxalate and calcium phosphate stones, as it increases alkalinity of urine (increases pH) and increases citrate excretion.⁵ Citrus and citrus juices contain both citrate and potassium, which may aid in pH balance of the urine and reduce the risk of calcium loss from the bones.^5,6

Research published in the Clinical Journal of American Society of Nephrology found an inverse association between consumption of orange juice and development of stones. ⁴ Orange juice is rich in potassium citrate, and it favorably affects urine composition and risk of stone formation by increasing citraturia, delivering an alkali load comparable with the load obtained by administering potassium citrate. Orange juice is also rich in fructose, however, the beneficial effects of citrate might offset the calciuric or other effects of fructose compared with other juices that are comparably richer in fructose than citrate such as apple juice.

Multiple reviews, including a meta-analysis, concluded that the consumption of fruit juices, as a source of dietary citrate, can provide alkalization of urine and increase citrate excretion while providing fluid, which in turn reduces the risk of kidney stone formation.^5-7 Indeed, researchers have observed the beneficial effects of increased urinary citrate with lemon juice.^8-10 Orange juice has also been shown to increase urine pH and citrate and to reduce the supersaturation of calcium oxalate.¹¹ 

Based on the available data, citrus juice, such as 100% orange juice, may be beneficial in some cases to prevent the formation of kidney stones. Researchers continue to evaluate orange juice’s role in the prevention of kidney stones.

_{*Values based on a 2000 calorie diet. Nutrient values may vary based on manufacturer, brand and product types.}

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