Stone Busters: Additional supplements that can help ward away kidney stones

Cranberry juice. Commonly used by herbalists and naturopaths to prevent stones, cranberry juice and cranberry extract have had their efficacy backed by several promising studies. However, one very small study found that cranberry concentrate tablets may actually increase urinary oxalate levels. With these mixed results, you may want to limit yourself to cranberry juice, and see if it works for you. Dosage: 16 oz a day (for two weeks) of unsweetened cranberry juice

Aloe vera. Is there anything aloe can’t do? In addition to its myriad other uses, aloe significantly reduces the growth of urinary crystals, says Tori Hudson, ND, author of the Women’s Encyclopedia of Natural Medicine (McGraw-Hill, 2007). It does this through compounds called anthraquiones, which appear to bind calcium. You can also find these compounds in Rubia tinctura and senna. Dosage: 0.05 to 0.2 grams a day of dry aloe extract, which you can buy at health food stores. (As a cautionary note, higher dosages of aloe can have a laxative effect.)