Including more calcium in the diet may help to reduce the risk of kidney stone formation in younger women, according to an article in the April 26 issue of the Archives of Internal Medicine, one of the JAMA/Archives journals. According to information in the article, diet plays an important role in the development of kidney stones. In older men and women, higher levels of dietary calcium, sodium, animal protein, and sucrose (sugar) may be associated with a reduced risk of developing kidney stones, the article states. A compound called phytate (found in plants and cereal grains) may also play a role and might inhibit the formation of kidney stones by preventing tiny crystals of calcium oxalate (which is a component of kidney stones) from forming.
