Lakshmi Iyer Lakshmi Iyer Asked 7 months ago

What is in tea that causes kidney stones?

My brother just had kidney stones, and the doctor told him to cut back on tea. I drink a lot of chai every day, so I'm a bit worried. What is it in tea that can cause kidney stones?

10

10 answers

Madhuri Dixit Madhuri Dixit Joined Jan 2026 7 months ago
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Tea has quite a bit of oxalates, which can clump up with calcium to form painful stones. Before cutting down your daily chai, please consult a physician and get your kidney function tested to see if you are actually prone to this.

Suresh Gupta Suresh Gupta Joined Mar 2026 7 months ago

It is the high oxalate content in black tea. Instead of ignoring it and paying thousands for ultrasound scans and medicines later, it is better to reduce your tea intake now and drink lots of water.

Abhishek Sen Abhishek Sen Joined Feb 2026 7 months ago

I used to drink four cups of strong black tea daily and ended up with a mild stone issue, which had high oxalates. Now I just limit it to one cup of milk tea, but that's just my personal experience.

Ritu Sharma Ritu Sharma Joined Mar 2026 7 months ago

I got so scared when I read about oxalates in tea because I am a total chai lover! But my doc assured me that drinking moderate amounts, especially with milk, is absolutely fine for most people, so don't panic.

Aman Preet Singh Aman Preet Singh Joined Jun 2026 4 months ago

Chai mein oxalates hote hain na, wahi stones banate hain agar paani kam piyo toh. Par yaar, subah ki ek cup garam chai bina toh din shuru nahi hota, bas saath mein paani thoda zyada piya karo.

Gopal Krishnan Gopal Krishnan Joined Feb 2026 7 months ago

In my sixty years, I have seen so many people drink tea three times a day without any issues. It does have oxalates, but simple moderation and keeping your body hydrated has always worked best in our family.

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Consult a urologist

Vivek Menon Vivek Menon Joined Mar 2026 7 months ago

Internet articles make it sound like tea is poison because of oxalates, but that is a half-truth. Everyone's metabolic rate is different, so verify with a qualified nephrologist or dietician before making drastic changes.

Radhika Vyas Radhika Vyas Joined Mar 2026 7 months ago

Tea contains high amounts of soluble oxalates. Since a vegetarian diet already has other oxalate sources like spinach and nuts, it's wise to limit strong brewed tea and maybe add a splash of milk to bind those oxalates.

Priyanka Chopra Priyanka Chopra Joined Apr 2026 7 months ago

Don't stress too much, buddy! Yes, tea has oxalates, but unless you are chugging black tea all day without drinking any water, it won't magically give you stones. Just stay hydrated and enjoy your cup.

Anjali Mehta Anjali Mehta Joined Jul 2026 4 months ago

I completely understand how worrying it is to read this, especially when we love our daily tea. It has oxalates which can cause calcium buildup, but worrying about every sip makes it worse; just keep a check on your hydration.

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