How Common Supplements May Be Increasing Your Kidney Stone Risk

Let me tell you about Jordan. You know the type. A gym bro.

Not his real name, of course, but the story? 100% real.

Jordan was one of those patients who walked into my clinic looking like he belonged in a fitness magazine. Fit, energetic, and armed with more supplements facts than some of geriatric patients. He didn’t smoke, rarely drank, worked out six days a week, and swore by hydration.

So, when he showed up in the ER one night, doubled over, pale, and sweating like he just sprinted a marathon, I was surprised, to say the least.

The CT scan told us everything:

Kidney stone. 7 millimeters.

Not the worst I’ve seen, but enough to ruin his week.

A few days later, when he was finally able to sit upright and talk without flinching, we started piecing things together.

“I Thought I Was Doing Everything Right.”

Jordan was frustrated. And honestly? I get it. His lifestyle seemed clean. He didn’t drink soda, avoided junk food, and hadn’t touched fast food since college.

“What gives?” he asked. “I take supplements to avoid this kind of thing.”

So, I asked him what he was taking.

He pulled out his phone and read me his stack like it was a grocery list:

• Calcium (for bones)

• Vitamin D3 (for immunity)

• Vitamin C (because, well… everyone says you should)

• Collagen (for his joints)

• Whey protein (post-gym)

• Creatine

• Magnesium (when he remembered)

• A multivitamin “just in case”

He wasn’t abusing anything like steroids or testosterone. He was taking everything at standard doses, mostly once a day. But when we dug deeper, the picture got clearer.

The Perfect Storm (Disguised as a Wellness Routine)

Let’s break this down. Because this wasn’t a case of Jordan doing something bad. It was a case of him not knowing how things interact when it comes to supplements and kidneys.

1. Calcium Supplements

This one surprises a lot of people. Calcium from food = good. But calcium from pills?

That’s another story. If it’s not taken with meals or if your body doesn’t need the extra, it can flood your urine with calcium, setting the stage for calcium-oxalate stones.

Jordan was taking calcium after workouts, often with just a shake. No food. No oxalate to bind with in the gut. So, guess where all that calcium ended up?

Yup, his urine.

2. Vitamin C Overload

A lot of us think, “The more Vitamin C, the better.” But your body has limits. Anything

extra gets flushed out, and a portion of that becomes oxalate. You don’t want excess oxalate swimming around in your urine with all that free calcium.

Jordan was taking 1000mg a day, thinking it was harmless. I told him, “You’re donating oxalate to your kidneys.”

3. Vitamin D + Calcium: A Risky Duo

Vitamin D helps your body absorb calcium better. Normally, that’s a great thing if your calcium is from food and your levels are low.

But in Jordan’s case, he had plenty of calcium. The D3 just encouraged his gut to absorb more of it and send it straight to the bloodstream, then the kidneys.

Think of it like pressing the gas pedal on a car that’s already going downhill.

4. Protein, Creatine, and Acidic Urine

Jordan was slamming back protein shakes twice a day and eating lean meat like it was the zombie apocalypse. Nothing wrong with building muscle, but too much animal protein increases urinary calcium and uric acid and lowers citrate, a key compound that helps prevent stones.

His body wasn’t getting a break. Between protein, creatine, and low citrate, his urine

turned into a perfect crystal-growing swamp.

Supplements Aren’t Evil—But They’re Not Harmless

After his stone passed (painfully, and with a lot of cursing), we took a gentler approach.

We didn’t throw out every pill. We just reassessed what his body actually needed.

Here’s what changed:

Jordan’s Post-Stone Supplement Strategy

• Calcium: From food only. Greek yogurt, almonds, leafy greens. No more

standalone pills.

• Vitamin C: Cut to 250mg daily, only during flu season.

• Vitamin D3: Lowered to 1000 IU and tested every 6 months.

• Magnesium: Back on the roster, consistently.

• Protein: Reduced total animal protein, added plant-based sources (hello lentils

and tofu).

• Creatine: Still used, but cycled with breaks and paired with more hydration.

• Food-first mindset: Before he added anything in pill form, he asked, “Can I get

this through food?”

The Mindset Shift

One afternoon during a follow-up, Jordan said something that stuck with me:

“I used to think supplements were like insurance: take more, stay safe. Now I realize

they’re more like medicine. The wrong dose can hurt you.”

That’s it, right there.

Supplements can be helpful. They can also quietly cause harm if taken without context.

Especially when you’re not tracking how they overlap or what your body needs.

What You Can Do (Without Needing a Medical Degree)

Here’s what I tell every patient now:

1. 2. 3. 4. 5. 6.  Get labs done. Know what you're deficient in and what you're not.

Take calcium with food only, or better yet, stick to food sources.

The recommended daily allowance (RDA) of vitamin C is only 90 mg per day. for men and 75 mg per day for women. If you’ve had kidney stones, it’s important to take no more than 1,000 mg of vitamin C a day.

Balance protein intake. Especially if you’re prone to stones, more isn’t always

better.

Track hydration and oxalates. Apps like StoneFree AI can help simplify this.

Water goals, food logs, risk scores—less guessing, more living.

Jordan Today: Stronger, Smarter, and Still Ripped

It’s been 18 months since Jordan’s ER visit, and guess what?

No new stones. He’s still fit, still training but he’s smarter about it.

He reads supplement labels the way most people read DM's. He drinks water

like it’s his second job. And most importantly?

He respects his kidneys now.

Final Takeaway

If you take nothing else from this story, take this:

Healthy doesn’t always mean safe.

And supplements, while powerful, are not free passes. More isn't necessarily better.

They can help you, or they can quietly build a kidney stone behind your back.

So, take a step back. Look at what you're putting in your body. Ask questions. Get

curious. And if you’re not sure? Ask someone who’s seen what can go wrong.