BANGKOK, Sept. 1, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- Urinary tract stone is common among people of the tropics such as Thailand. In 2020, surveys show that 16-17 percent of the population have this disease, and up to 12 percent of the patients have an asymptomatic urinary stone.

"People with the early urinary stone disease are often unaware of it and its life-threatening danger, so they neglect to prevent it.  But when the stones are larger, they cause urinary obstructions, pain, difficulty urinating, and blood in the urine in some people. The problem with urinary stone is its recurrence, and that can lead to chronic kidney failure," said Asst. Prof. Dr. Chanchai Boonla, Department of Biochemistry, Chula Faculty of Medicine.  The most commonly known treatments are medications, shock wave lithotripsy – SWL), and surgery.

Recently, Chula MED launched the latest tasty and nutritious medical innovation that can prevent urinary stone formation – HydroZitLa – a concentrated herbal drink with "blue pea flower" and "banana stem" by a team of researchers comprising Asst. Prof. Dr. Chanchai Boonla, Asst. Prof. Dr. Nattida Chotechuang, Mr. Bundit Prachapiban, Ms. Natcha Madared, and a number of master's and doctoral degree students.

"Not drinking enough water and eating foods and vegetables high in oxalate, such as betel leaves can lead to urinary stones."  Also, low secretion of urinary citrate and high oxidative stress can destroy kidney cells and attract the crystallization of the urinary stones. Moreover, consuming food high in sodium and protein also increases the chance of urinary stone formation.

"The urinary stone inhibitor is citrate, which is found in citrus fruits, such as lemon, grapefruit, bergamot, tart cranberries, and melons, which Thai people tend not to prefer as much as sweet fruits, making it easy for the body to get less citrate. Antioxidants are found in fruits and vegetables.

HydroZitla Citrate Plus drink is a combination of modern and traditional medicine. Banana stems have a diuretic effect and can reduce the amount of oxalate in the urine. Blue pea flowers are high in antioxidants and give out a beautiful natural color.

Having been certified by the Food and Drug Administration (FDA), HydroZitLa is currently available at the vending machines selling Chula medical innovations or Facebook page: https://www.facebook.com/HydroZitLa 

For more information, visit https://www.chula.ac.th/en/highlight/48548/