Juices and Specific Effects. Other beverages have various positive or negative effects, depending on the type of stone:
Lemon Juice: Drinking one-half cup of pure lemon juice (enough to make eight glasses of lemonade) every day raises citrate levels in the urine, which might protect against calcium stones. (While orange juice also increases citrate levels, it does not lower calcium and it raises oxalate levels. Therefore, it is not recommended.)
Cranberry and Apple Juice: Apple and cranberry juice contain oxalates, and both have been associated with a higher risk for calcium oxalate stones. Cranberry juice has properties that may increase the risk for both calcium oxalate and uric acid stones. On the other hand, cranberry juice helps prevent urinary tract infections and so may be helpful for reducing the risk for struvite and brushite stones. (These stones are far less common, however.)
Grapefruit Juice: A number of studies have found a risk for stones from drinking grapefruit juice.
Other Beverages and Their Effects on Stone Formation.
Soft Drinks. Patients with stones should avoid cola drinks with phosphoric acid, because they can severely reduce citrate levels in the urine. Drinks containing citrate seem to be okay,
Alcohol. Wine may protect against kidney stones. However, it is important to remember that beer and other alcoholic beverages also contain purines, which may increase the risk for the less common uric acid stones in susceptible people. Binge drinking increases uric acid and the risk for stones.
Coffee and Tea. Some research has reported a lower risk for stones in people who drink tea and both regular and decaffeinated coffee.