Does beer help with kidney stones?

In some situations, but probably not.

How beer helps:

Beer is naturally diuretic, which means that it increases production of urine.

This might help you pass a stone that is stuck in the ureter due to increase flow but there would need to be enough fluid in the system in the first place. It’s still important to drink water.

It might help in a pinch, but it is a stretch to call it a remedy, and it is by no means a replacement for regular medicine!

How beer doesn’t help:

Chemically, beers contain calcium oxalates. Incidentally, calcium oxalate stones are the most common type of kidney stones. Not that say that you won’t develop kidney stones if you stop drinking beer, but it’s recommended to watch your intake if you’re concerned about kidney stone formation.

Beer also dehydrates you, which may lead to kidney stone formation.

Drinking too much beer can also lead to obesity, which increases the risk of kidney stone formation.

Takeaway

Beer can help, but there’s not enough causal evidence to give a definite answer to whether beers help with kidney stones.

We would not count on beer as a remedy for kidney stones. 

If you have questions about kidney stone risks and prevention, try UroGPT™, your AI-powered companion for instant, personalized advice.