Fact Check: No, drinking an onion-sugar concoction won’t dissolve kidney stones in 15 days

Hyderabad: A viral Facebook post claiming that a concoction of onion juice and sugar is effective in dissolving kidney stones in 10-15 days is being widely shared on social media.

The post was shared with the caption, “Onion and palm sugar is good medicine to reduce kidney stone and size of the stone in kidney. (sic)”

Fact Check

NewsMeter found that the claim is false.

“No, there are several reasons why stones are formed in kidneys and drinking concoctions can’t help the issue,” said Prof. Dr S Vijay Mohan, MD, senior consultant physician, Care Hospitals, and the HoD for the Department of Internal Medicine, when asked about the claim.

Explaining how the stone affects health, he said, “The chemical composition of each type of stone is different. There can be cholesterol, calcium, and phosphate stones and some are mixed varieties. It is always better to find out the cause of stone formation in each individual and treat it promptly. We do have treatment for stones but they are not successful in all patients. If they are small, round and on the way down they can, sometimes, get expelled on their own. If they are deep inside the kidney, they usually are safe. When they move down into the tubes they cause pain, infection, bleeding and sometimes kidney failure.”

“All patients with stones should undergo a thorough evaluation and get treated. Some may require surgical removal and others may need stenting. People have many misconceptions about this matter. There are claims that beer and barley water flush out or dissolve the stones but there is no scientific evidence to back those claims,” he said.

What are kidney stones?

Medicine Net defined kidney stones as a buildup of minerals and salts in the urinary tract and can vary in size and type. They form irregular, solid crystals made of various compounds such as calcium, oxalate, cysteine, and uric acid.

The article further stated that people between the age of 30-40 years are more prone to developing stones. Additionally, people with a family history of kidney stones are also addressed to develop the condition.

More conditions like not drinking enough water, a sodium-rich diet, a block in the urinary tract, hypercalciuria or certain medications can also contribute to the formation of stones in the kidneys or urinary tract.

A study in the National Library of Medicine stated, “There are no specific diet recommendations for cysteine stones except increasing fluid intake. Cystine solubility can be increased by alkalinization of the urine, although solubility only increases when the pH reaches 7-7.5. Thiol-containing drugs like Penicillamine and Tiopronin may be given to patients who are unable to comply with increased fluid intake and urinary alkalinization or fail despite it.”