Can Bacteria Cure Kidney Stones?
(Ivanhoe Newswire) — Anyone who has ever had a kidney stone can attest to the pain and agony they can cause. But a bacteria found in the guts of a large proportion of the adult population may be just what the doctor ordered. Research conducted by investigators from Boston, Mass., and Durham, N.C., suggests the bacteria, Oxalobacter formigenes, might keep the painful stones from forming because of the role it plays in metabolizing oxalate in the intestinal tract. Along with calcium, oxalate is a key ingredient in kidney stones. In fact, about 80 percent of all stones are made up of calcium oxalate (CaOx). The scientists arrived at their findings by examining O. formigene colonization and oxalate excretion in people with and without a history of kidney stones. The bacteria was found in 38 percent of those who had never had a stone. However, only17 percent of the kidney stone sufferers had the beneficial bacteria. The finding held true regardless of age, sex, race, region of the country,
