Best Juices for Kidney Stones

Lemon juice, lime juice and orange juice are the best juice options to consider for kidney stones, although water remains the mainstay of prevention and none is a proven stand-alone treatment.

These juices contain citrate, a substance that can help make urine less favorable for some stones. The evidence differs by juice, however, and there is no established juice recipe that reliably prevents kidney stones. For the broader fluid picture, see the best drinks for kidney stones.

Which 3 juices are best for kidney stones?

The choices below are ways to add flavor and fluid, not a ranking based on proven reductions in kidney stone recurrence. Most dietary advice is aimed at preventing future stones; it should not delay assessment of a painful or obstructing stone.

Citrate in urine can bind calcium and inhibit the formation of some crystals. But citrate in a glass does not automatically translate into the same change in urine: the drink’s composition and a person’s individual response matter.

1. Lemon juice

How it may help: Lemon juice contains citrate, and diluting it adds fluid to the diet. More fluid can dilute substances in urine that contribute to kidney stones; whether lemon juice meaningfully raises urinary citrate for a particular person is less certain.

How to use it: Mix unsweetened lemon juice with water. Fresh or bottled juice can work; check the label if you want to avoid added sugar. This is a serving idea, not a prescribed or proven preventive dose.

Ingredients

• 2 tablespoons (30 mL) unsweetened lemon juice
• 1 cup (240 mL) water

Steps

1. Pour the water into a glass.
2. Stir in the lemon juice and drink with a meal or as you prefer.

Strength of evidence: Limited. Lemon juice has been studied for kidney stone prevention, but the available evidence does not establish a reliable dose or show that this recipe prevents recurrence. A 2026 systematic review of kidney stone prevention reported possible minor adverse effects with lemon juice; that finding alone does not establish the benefit of a glass of lemon water.

Because lemon juice is acidic, frequent sipping can contribute to tooth erosion. Dilute it, avoid sipping it continuously, and rinse your mouth with plain water afterward. If it aggravates reflux or mouth irritation, choose water instead.

2. Lime juice

How it may help: Like lemon juice, lime juice supplies citrate and can make water easier to drink. Its potential effect on urinary citrate is a reason for interest, not proof that ordinary lime juice will prevent kidney stones.

How to use it: Stir unsweetened lime juice into water rather than relying on a sugary lime-flavored drink. The mixture below is for flavor and hydration; it is not the preparation tested in the clinical trial described below.

Ingredients

• 2 tablespoons (30 mL) unsweetened lime juice
• 1 cup (240 mL) water

Steps

1. Pour the water into a glass.
2. Stir in the lime juice and serve.

Strength of evidence: Promising but not directly transferable to juice. A 2025 randomized trial of a lime-based supplement studied people who had calcium oxalate stones removed and assessed stone recurrence. The product was a specific supplement, not a glass of lime juice, so its results cannot establish a preventive dose or benefit for this recipe.

Lime juice is acidic too. Dilute it and rinse your mouth with water afterward, especially if you drink it regularly. If your clinician recommends a prescribed citrate treatment, do not substitute lime juice without discussing it first.

3. Orange juice

How it may help: Orange juice contains citrate and alkali, which can affect urinary citrate and acidity. Those urine measurements are relevant to stone risk, but a change in a urine test does not by itself prove that kidney stones will be prevented.

How to use it: Choose unsweetened orange juice and dilute it with water if you prefer a less sweet drink. Orange juice still contains naturally occurring sugar, so take that into account if you manage blood glucose. The following is a serving idea, not a treatment dose.

Ingredients

• 1/4 cup (60 mL) unsweetened orange juice
• 3/4 cup (180 mL) water

Steps

1. Pour the water into a glass.
2. Add the orange juice and stir.

Strength of evidence: Limited for kidney stone prevention. In a small randomized crossover study of low-calorie orange juice beverages, researchers measured changes in urinary citrate and pH in healthy volunteers without a history of kidney stones. The study did not establish that ordinary orange juice prevents stones, and its beverage formulations were not the same as the recipe above.

Orange juice contains potassium. If you have kidney disease or have been told to limit potassium, ask your clinician or dietitian whether it fits your plan.

How much should you drink for kidney stone prevention?

For many adults who have had kidney stones, a clinical guideline recommends drinking enough fluid to produce at least 2.5 L of urine in 24 hours—about 10½ US cups—unless a clinician advises otherwise. Use the water intake tool as a starting estimate, not as a replacement for a urine-output goal or a prescribed fluid limit.

That number is a urine-output target, not a fixed amount of juice or a universal fluid prescription. The amount you need to drink to reach it varies with factors such as activity, heat and fluid lost through the body. A clinician may use a timed urine collection to help assess your output and other stone-risk factors.

Water can provide most of your fluid. A diluted juice can contribute to the total if it suits your health needs, but there is no established amount of any of these juices that everyone with kidney stones should drink. Spreading fluids through the day is generally more practical than trying to drink a large amount at once.

For recurrent calcium stones, the systematic review found low-certainty evidence that increasing water intake may reduce recurrence. Your stone type and urine results also matter: a clinician may recommend dietary changes or medication in addition to fluids. Juice should not replace that individualized plan.

Who should be careful, and when should you see a doctor?

Seek emergency care now for suspected or known kidney stones with fever or chills, inability to urinate, severe or uncontrolled pain, or persistent vomiting that prevents you from keeping fluids down. A blocked urinary tract with infection can be an emergency. Do not force large volumes of fluid to try to move a stone.

Contact a clinician promptly for blood in the urine, recurring symptoms or pain that has not been assessed. Blood in the urine has several possible causes and should not simply be assumed to come from kidney stones. Pregnancy and kidney stone symptoms in a child also warrant prompt medical advice.

Ask for individualized advice before increasing fluids or drinking juice regularly if you have chronic kidney disease, heart failure, a prescribed fluid restriction, high potassium, or diabetes. Discuss your medications and supplements as well, particularly if you take potassium citrate or medicines that can increase potassium. Keep taking prescribed medication unless your clinician tells you otherwise.

If you have passed or had a stone removed, ask whether it can be analyzed. Knowing its type, and whether urine testing is appropriate, can help your clinician recommend a prevention plan rather than relying on juice alone.