ICED TEA CAUSES KIDNEY STONES???

If you've suffered from kidney stones this summer it may be because you had too much iced tea.

The popular summertime beverage has high concentrations of oxalate -- a key chemical in the formation of kidney stones. Though hot tea also has oxalates, it's not as easily consumed in large quantities like its cold counterpart.

"For many people, iced tea is potentially one of the worst things they can drink," Dr. John Milner, assistant professor in the Department of Urology at Loyola University Chicago Stritch School of Medicine, said in a statement. "For people who have a tendency to form kidney stones, it's definitely one of the worst things you can drink."

Americans consume more than 2 billion gallons of iced tea each year, according to the Tea Association of the U.S.A. And its appeal might come from the belief that it's healthier than soda and beer.

But the best way to hydrate, Milner said, is to drink water or real lemonade (not the artificially-flavored kind). Lemons have large amounts of citrates, which help deflect the growth of kidney stones.

Milner suggests that those prone to kidney stones stay away from other foods high in oxalates like spinach, chocolate, rhubarb and nuts, and instead consume foods and drinks high in calcium which can reduce the amount of oxalates the body absorbs.

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