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Q. Back in the 1970s I had an attack of kidney stones while on vacation. I was rushed to the hospital, where I was told that at 32 I was young for kidney stones but that they were caused by calcium deposits.
When I got home I cut way back on my calcium intake from dairy products. In the next few months I had two more attacks that sent me to the hospital.
My wife did some research and found a report from a study in Europe. It showed that a daily dose of 300 mg of magnesium and 10 mg of vitamin B6 seemed to be helpful in preventing kidney stones. I followed that advice and have not had any more stones since 1975. After a few years, I even started enjoying cheese and yogurt again.
A. Thanks for sharing your experience. Vitamin B6 (pyridoxine) and magnesium deficiencies were investigated as causes of kidney stones in the 1960s and 1970s. We could find no recent research on such nutritional approaches.
Magnesium deficiency is relatively common, though, so taking this mineral is a low-risk tactic for healthy people. There is evidence that taking potassium-magnesium citrate may help prevent the formation of kidney stones (Journal of Urology, June, 2007). People with reduced kidney function should avoid supplemental magnesium.
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