The Popular Beverage That Can Prevent Kidney Stones (And Help You Sleep)

Staying hydrated is one of the best urologist tips for the prevention of kidney stones. While water will always be king, there's another popular beverage that can kick kidney stones to the curb as well as help us sleep soundly at night — what could be better? The answer may sound contradictory, but stick with us. As it turns out, milk can benefit both our urinary health and our sleep health, yet here's why milk often gets undeservedly thrown under the bus when it comes to kidney stones.

Of the four different types, most people get calcium stones; more specifically, calcium oxalate stones. When a person is low on fluids and simultaneously consumes high amounts of oxalate from food sources, this imbalance causes the formation of crystalized masses known as kidney stones. According to the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA), in just 1 cup of whole milk you'll get 300 milligrams of calcium. Because milk is a calcium goldmine, some people mistakenly think the beverage increases the risk of calcium stones. Yet the National Kidney Foundation states that the opposite is actually true.

Rather than calcium, it's the oxalate content in our diet that people who are vulnerable to kidney stones will want to be mindful of, the National Kidney Foundation explains. Chocolate, sweet potatoes, peanuts, rhubarb, beets, and spinach are particularly abundant in oxalate. When eaten in combination with calcium-rich foods, however, the two bind to one another in the gut before making their way to the kidneys, which reduces the risk of developing kidney stones. The key is to consume both types of foods at the same time. 

One example would be drinking a glass of milk while enjoying a spinach salad for dinner. Because it's packed with calcium, milk is one of various dairy products recommended by experts for kidney stone prevention. If lactose messes with your digestive system, however, urologist Dr. Piruz Motamedinia suggests reaching for calcium-containing oat milk or soy milk as an alternative, he tells Yale Medicine.

Don't worry, we didn't forget. We also said that milk may help us sleep better, too. In a 2020 systematic review published in the International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health, researchers note how studies have shown that, when paired with a healthy diet, consuming milk and dairy may enhance sleep quality. Influencing the body's production of melatonin, it's the amino acid tryptophan that is thought to be responsible for the beverage's potentially drowsy side effects. However, researchers from a 2021 study published in the Journal of Agricultural and Food Chemistry found that a combination of sleep-boosting peptides present in milk may also play a role. One combination of milk peptides was shown to enhance sleep duration and sleep latency in mice.

A lack of sleep can have detrimental effects on our health both in the short-term and the long run. Additionally, a lack of calcium in our diet can make some people more susceptible to kidney stones. While some people enjoy the health benefits that drinking milk every day can have on the body, a good place to start is aiming to meet the National Kidney Foundation's recommended intake of 1,000 to 1,200 milligrams of calcium daily to protect against calcium stone formation. While calcium is best consumed through different foods, milk is one such source that can help us reach that goal.