"Everybody Must Get Stoned!"

If you've ever wondered what it's like to have a kidney stone attack, imagine someone stabbing you in the back with a dull, jagged knife and twisting it and you'll begin to have some idea. All I can say is, "Thank goodness for morphine."

This morning, I ran across this article on Forbes.com:

More U.S. Kids Developing Kidney Stones

Kidney stones are becoming increasingly common in children, according to pediatricians at Johns Hopkins Children's Center in Baltimore.

"More and more children with kidney stones are coming to us," said kidney specialist Dr. Alicia Neu, co-director of the kidney stone clinic at the Children's Center, in a prepared statement. "While this is somewhat unexpected, it is not totally surprising given that so many other conditions are on the rise in children due to poor diet, such as high blood pressure, type 2 diabetes, and obesity to name a few," she said.

Pediatricians believe that the main culprits of the increasing trend of kidney stones in children are probably too much salt and too little drinking water.

The best ways to prevent the most common types of kidney stones or slow their growth is to limit salt in the diet and drink plenty of water.

Naturally, I sympathize with these kids. It's one thing to get kidney stones when you're in your 30s. That can be hereditary. But kids shouldn't be getting them. I'm no health nut - and I'm certainly no doctor - but I think much of it is due to children being fed what their parents see as "healthy" food.

For example, instead of allowing little Jimmy to drink Coke for his daily caffeine boost before school, Mom gives him Diet Coke. The problem is that while regular Coke is high in sugar, the zero-calorie alternative contains toxic artificial sweeteners and much higher levels of sodium. A healthier choice? I think not.

Another culprit may be soy. Now, soy is supposed to be healthy, right? Well, based on what I've read, non-fermented soy should be avoided. That includes tofu, most vegetable oils, and, of course, soy milk. Research has shown that soy-based foods contain oxalate, "a compound that can bind with calcium in the kidney to form kidney stones."

Take it from someone who's been "stoned" twice: it's something you want to avoid if you can help it. So, be careful out there, okay?