Best Drinks for Kidney Stones

Plain water, unsweetened lemon or lime water, and plain sparkling water are the best drinks for helping prevent kidney stones, with plain water the best-supported choice.

Drinking enough fluid helps dilute urine, making it harder for stone-forming substances to collect. These drinks are mainly prevention tools: none is a reliable way to dissolve or pass an existing stone. For related guidance, browse natural remedies by health goal.

4 best drinks for kidney stones: quick comparison

The strongest evidence is for drinking enough fluid, rather than for a particular flavor or brand. A review of nutrition and kidney stone disease identifies inadequate fluid intake as a major dietary risk factor and notes that the effects of individual beverages remain debated.

Plain water

Plain water increases urine volume and dilutes substances that can form kidney stones. It contains no added sugar and is easy to adjust to your clinician’s fluid recommendations. Tap or bottled water can both count; choose a safe drinking-water source you will use consistently.

Drink water regularly throughout the day rather than trying to consume a large amount at once. Keeping a bottle nearby or having water with meals can make the habit easier. If you have been given a fluid limit, follow that limit instead of increasing your intake on your own.

Evidence: Increasing fluid intake is a well-supported prevention measure, although the amount each person needs varies. Water does not guarantee that a stone will pass or prevent every future stone.

Unsweetened lemon or lime water

Lemon and lime contain citrate. Citrate in urine can help inhibit some calcium kidney stones, but adding citrus to water does not necessarily raise urine citrate enough to have a meaningful effect. The amount transferred depends on how much juice you use and how your body responds.

Add a squeeze of lemon or lime juice to drinking water, without adding sugar. If the flavor helps you drink more, the extra fluid itself may be useful. Citrus is acidic, so frequent sipping can expose teeth to acid; rinsing your mouth with plain water afterward can help reduce that exposure.

Evidence: Citrus is discussed as part of stone-prevention nutrition in a 2023 review, but evidence for a particular homemade lemon or lime drink is less certain than evidence for adequate fluid intake. Do not substitute citrus water for prescribed citrate medication without discussing it with your clinician.

Plain sparkling water

Plain sparkling water provides water that contributes to your daily fluid intake. Its bubbles do not give it a proven kidney-stone benefit, but the drink may be a useful alternative if you find still water hard to drink.

Choose an unsweetened version and check the label if you need to limit sodium. Some sparkling waters are mineral waters, so their mineral content varies. If carbonation worsens reflux or causes discomfort, still water is a simpler choice.

Evidence: The benefit is hydration, not a demonstrated special effect of carbonation. There is no good reason to replace plain water with sparkling water solely to prevent kidney stones.

Fruit-infused water

Fruit-infused water is water flavored with fruit or other produce. Like citrus water, it may help you meet a fluid goal if you prefer its taste. It should not be treated as a concentrated source of nutrients or a proven treatment for kidney stones.

Wash produce under running water before adding it to drinking water, and keep the infused water refrigerated. Choose water without added sugar. See detox water for kidney stones for more about this approach.

Evidence: Any expected benefit comes mainly from the water; there is no established evidence that fruit-infused water works better than plain water for preventing kidney stones. Despite the name, it does not “flush toxins”: the liver and kidneys do most of the body’s detoxification, the lungs and gut help eliminate waste, and sweat removes only trace amounts.

Which drinks should you limit or avoid?

Limit sugar-sweetened sodas and fruit drinks, especially when they replace water. Choosing unsweetened drinks makes it easier to increase fluid intake without routinely adding sugar. Evidence is less certain about the independent effects of particular beverages than it is about the importance of drinking enough fluid.

Be cautious with drinks marketed as high-dose vitamin C supplements. Vitamin C can contribute to urinary oxalate, which matters for some people with calcium oxalate kidney stones. Ask your clinician whether a supplement is appropriate rather than using one as a stone remedy; the 2023 nutrition review advises against vitamin C supplements in its prevention discussion.

You do not necessarily need to avoid every drink containing oxalate. If you have calcium oxalate kidney stones or high urine oxalate, ask your clinician or dietitian whether a particular drink belongs in your plan. Stone type, urine testing and the rest of your diet all matter.

How much should you drink to prevent kidney stones?

For adults with kidney stones, the American Urological Association recommends drinking enough fluid to produce at least 2.5 liters of urine per day. The water intake tool can help you plan a routine, but it cannot determine your personal prescription or measure your urine output.

The target is urine produced, not simply fluid swallowed. The amount you need to drink to reach it varies with activity, weather, sweating and other factors. A clinician may use a 24-hour urine collection to assess your output and other stone risks, particularly if kidney stones recur.

Spread drinks across the day and adjust your routine with your clinician when you lose more fluid through heat or activity. Avoid forcing down a large volume quickly: excessive water intake can be dangerous. You may also need an individualized plan if you work in heat, have trouble keeping fluids down or cannot comfortably reach the target.

This adult prevention target is not automatically appropriate for children or for people who have been told to restrict fluids. If you have kidney disease, heart failure or another condition requiring a fluid limit, ask your care team for a safe target before increasing your intake. Do not change a prescribed limit based on a calculator.

When should you see a doctor about kidney stones?

Seek emergency care if you have suspected kidney stones with fever or chills, cannot urinate, have severe or worsening pain, or cannot keep fluids down because of vomiting. A stone with an infection or blockage may need urgent treatment; drinking more water is not a substitute for assessment.

Contact a clinician promptly if you are pregnant, have one functioning kidney or known kidney disease, or if a child has symptoms that could be kidney stones. Blood in the urine, persistent pain or symptoms returning after a previous stone also deserve medical advice. A clinician can check the cause rather than assuming every episode is another stone.

If you have had kidney stones before, ask whether the stone can be analyzed and whether you need urine testing. Prevention can differ by stone type and by factors such as urine calcium, oxalate or citrate. A clinical review of kidney stone treatment and prevention recommends screening for recurrence risk and further metabolic assessment for people at higher risk.

Keep taking prescribed medicines unless your clinician advises otherwise. Drinks may support a prevention plan, but recurrent kidney stones can require medication, follow-up imaging or other care.