AlkaliĪnother beneficial aspect of orange juice for kidney stones is alkali. A 24 hour urine test should tell you how much citrate is in your urine. If the cause of your kidney stones isn’t low citrate, then adding orange juice likely isn’t going to help. Lastly, not everyone with kidney stones has low citrate levels. Keep in mind that 1.2 liters of orange juice would add about 610 calories and 105g of sugar to your day! This is likely because lemonade has less actual lemon juice compared to orange juice. Another study found that orange juice raised urine pH and citrate more than lemonade ( 4). One study found that 1.2 liters of orange juicer per day increased urine citrate from 571mg to 942mg ( 3). ( 2)Ĭitrus fruits, including oranges, are a great source of citrate. Having low levels of citrate in your urine can cause kidney stones. When citrate levels are high in your urine, they can help stop kidney stones from forming. CitrateĬitrate is good for kidney stone prevention. It really boils down to citrate, something called “alkali” and the fact that orange juice counts as a fluid.
Why might we think that orange juice is good for kidney stones in the first place? This is important to consider when asking if orange juice is good for kidney stones! Benefits of Orange Juice for Kidney Stones Note that orange juice is much higher in sugar, but lower in fiber. Firstly, what is in orange juice? Check out this comparison of an 8 fluid ounce glass with 1 medium orange.