The study, conducted by a Chinese research group and published in the journal Frontiers in Nutrition, showed that increased intake of added sugars, commonly found in processed foods, increases the chances of developing this painful condition.

Kidney stones affect about one in 10 people and can cause severe pain, nausea, vomiting, fever, chills and bloody urine. In the long term, they can lead to infections, swollen kidneys and potentially fatal kidney disease. The known risk factors for developing kidney stones include being an adult male, obesity, chronic diarrhea, dehydration, as well as inflammatory bowel disease (IBD), diabetes or gout.

This new research suggests that increased consumption of added sugars is also a risk factor. Added sugars are found in many processed foods, but are especially common in sugar-sweetened beverages, fruit drinks, chocolate, ice cream, biscuits and cakes.

The study analyzed the health data of more than 28,000 American adults and found that participants who consumed higher amounts of added sugar had a higher prevalence of kidney stones. The research group recommended limiting the intake of added sugar to prevent the formation of kidney stones.

Further studies are needed, however, to identify the specific types of kidney stones that can be associated with added sugar intake, and to determine how much sugar consumption needs to be reduced to lower the risk of developing kidney stones.