“There is so much added salt to the American diet today, and when the kidney is excreting the sodium, it pulls calcium with it and increases the risk of calcium-based stones,” said John S. Wiener, a pediatric urologist at Duke Health.
More than 90% of children ages 6 to 18 consume 3,300 milligrams of sodium daily, far exceeding the 2,300 recommended by the Dietary Guidelines for Americans, which are updated every five years and published by the Departments of Agriculture and Health and Human Services.
Even when a normal amount of sodium is consumed daily, some people are more prone to kidney stones. Experts suggest people with a family history of the condition are especially susceptible, but that could reflect shared environmental and lifestyle factors, according to Wiener.
Rare genetic causes can contribute to the formation of kidney stones in children.
“There are some well-defined genetic diseases that affect metabolism and can cause people to form stones, but that’s a very small proportion of Americans with stones,” Wiener said.
Read full article on The Oakland Press via The Washington Post