Diet taboos for prostate stones

The core dietary taboos for patients with prostate stones are not to completely quit certain types of foods, but to strictly control the excessive intake of high-oxalate, high-purine, and high-calcium foods. At the same time, avoid long-term large intake of alcohol and spicy foods to reduce the risk of prostate congestion and stone enlargement.

Last year, I saw a 62-year-old Chen. A physical examination showed that he had a 3mm prostate stone without any urinary discomfort. Originally, the doctor said that no special treatment was needed and that he could go home and adjust his diet for regular check-ups. However, his son took him to eat late-night snacks for a week, including spicy crayfish and cold beer every day. Within half a month, he went to the emergency room because of pain during urination and inability to urinate. The stone was found to have grown to 5mm and was stuck in the urethra of the prostate. It took him a long time to pass it out.

Spinach, amaranth, strong tea, and chocolate that we often eat are all high in oxalic acid. Many people think that spinach should be eaten every day to supplement iron. Some old tea drinkers brew two or three cups of strong tea a day. If they consume too much oxalic acid, it combines with the calcium ions in the prostate fluid to easily form calcium oxalate stones - which is also the most common type of prostate stones. But that doesn’t mean you can’t touch it at all. Blanch the spinach for 1 minute before putting it in the pot. 70% of the oxalic acid can be dissolved in the water. Drink light tea instead of strong tea, and there is basically no problem.

Speaking of this, someone must ask, do high-calcium tofu and milk have to be completely stopped? This issue has indeed been debated clinically for many years in the past few years. One school of thought says that more than 80% of prostate stones contain calcium, and calcium must be strictly limited to prevent the stones from growing. ； Another school of thought believes that appropriate calcium intake can combine with oxalic acid in the intestines, reducing the probability of oxalic acid entering the blood circulation and traveling to the prostate, which in turn can reduce the risk of stone formation. Now the mainstream advice is very clear: just control your daily calcium intake to 800-1000mg, which is about the same amount as a cup of 250ml pure milk plus a small piece of brine tofu. You can eat it normally, as long as you don't eat large doses of calcium supplements.

Let’s talk about the problem of high purine, such as animal offal, shelled seafood, thick broth, beer, etc. The metabolized uric acid will not only directly form uric acid-based prostate stones, but also stimulate repeated congestion of the prostate, aggravating the symptoms of perineal swelling and poor urination. Lao Chen just mentioned is a typical example. The combination of crayfish and beer directly increases the purine intake, which not only stimulates prostate congestion and edema, but also accelerates the growth of stones, which leads to the need for emergency treatment.

In fact, clinical practice has seen many cases of patients blindly following food taboos. They cannot touch any "hairy food" posted on the Internet. They dare not touch roosters, carp, and mutton with chopsticks. Currently, there is no evidence-based medical evidence to prove that these foods will directly cause the enlargement of prostate stones or worsen symptoms. I once had a patient in his 30s. After he was diagnosed with stones, he did not even dare to eat eggs. He lost ten pounds in three months. His immunity was reduced and he developed chronic prostatitis. The gain outweighed the loss. As long as you don't feel uncomfortable after eating, you can eat normally. There is no need to list dozens of dietary prohibitions for yourself and make eating a psychological burden.

One thing to remind you is, don’t drink carbonated drinks or high-sugar milk tea as water. I met a 28-year-old programmer before who didn't like to drink boiled water and drank at least two bottles of iced Coke a day. He still refused to change his condition after being diagnosed with a 4mm prostate stone. The small stone was about to be expelled along the prostate duct because the phosphoric acid and high sugar in the cola aggravated the inflammatory reaction of the prostate. Drinking 1500-2000ml of warm water every day and urinating frequently can help wash away the tiny crystals in the prostate, which is more effective than any other folk remedy.

After all, the dietary taboos for prostate stones are really not as exaggerated as everyone spreads. The core is "don't be greedy for too much". Don't overdo it and starve yourself, and don't eat haphazardly just because you don't have symptoms. Have a prostate B-ultrasound review every six months. If the stones have not become larger and there is no discomfort during urination, you don’t need to take it too seriously and just live a normal life.