Sugar-Sweetened Beverages Allegedly Linked to Increased Kidney Stone Risk

A recent study purportedly concluded that consumption of sugar-sweetened beverages is associated with a higher risk of kidney stone formation while consumption of other beverages such as coffee, tea, beer, and wine, is associated with a lower risk. Pietro Manuel Ferraro, et al., “Soda and Other Beverages and the Risk of Kidney Stones,” Clinical Journal of the American Society of Nephrology, May 2013. Conducted by a team of researchers from Brigham and Women’s Hospital, the study analyzed the data of 194,095 participants from the Health Professionals Follow-Up Study (HPFS) and the Nurses’ Health Studies I and II. Those who consumed one or more sugar-sweetened cola servings per day reportedly had a 23 percent higher risk of developing kidney stones compared to those who consumed less than one serving per week. The researchers observed that this was also true for consumption of sugar-sweetened non-cola beverages, such as punch. A lower risk of stone formation was associated with consumption of other beverages, including caffeinated coffee (26 percent); decaffeinated coffee (16 percent); tea (11 percent); wine (31–33 percent); beer (41 percent); and orange juice (12 percent).

“Our prospective study confirms that some beverages are associated with a lower risk of kidney stone formation, whereas others are associated with a higher risk,” said co-author Pietro Manuel Ferraro. “Although higher total fluid intake reduces the risk of stone formation, this information about individual beverages may be useful for general practitioners seeking to implement strategies to reduce stone formation in their patients.” See Brigham and Women’s Hospital News Release, May 15, 2013.