If you haven’t already experienced a kidney stone, you know someone who has or have heard stories about the writhing pain and agony. If you want to spare yourself from that experience, there are two preventative measures: drink more water and drink less soda.

Basically, the goal is to achieve 2 liters of urine per day in order properly flush out impurities that the kidneys filter and retain. It might take up around 8 to 10 glasses of water in order for your body to fulfill that quota.

On the other end, cola and other sodas have been connected to kidney stones due to phosphoric acid ingredients. While there isn’t a hard connection between soda and kidney stones, acidic environments tend to help stone formation.

While there is no guarantee that kidney stones won’t form, a five-year study showed that kidney stone patients who were well hydrated and soda-free were less likely to have a recurrence. For a full story on this topic, click here:: To Prevent Kidney Stones: Go Easy On Soda and Drink Lots of Water