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Is horse gram good for kidney stones?
Horse gram, or kulthi, has a long traditional reputation as a remedy for kidney and bladder stones. Here is what the tradition holds, and what researchers have started to find.
Horse gram, kulthi in Hindi and kollu in Tamil, is one of the pulses most closely tied to kidney health in Indian tradition. The question comes up often because the food carries a centuries-old reputation in this area, and researchers have begun to look at it too.
What the tradition holds
In Ayurveda, horse gram is described with the special property of *ashmari bhedana*, meaning the breaking down of stones, and it is classed as warming with a diuretic quality. Across the Himalayan villages it has been used for generations as a home remedy for kidney and bladder stones, often by soaking the beans overnight and drinking the water. Siddha medicine, the traditional system of the Tamil lands, holds it in similar regard.
What research has looked at
Researchers have begun to examine horse gram in this area. One laboratory study in 3 Biotech tested horse gram seed extracts against calcium oxalate crystals, the main component of many stones, and reported that some varieties inhibited crystal formation. A systematic review in the Journal of Food Science records the traditional use against kidney and bladder stones and notes the plant compounds horse gram contains. This work so far is early, and done in the lab rather than in large human trials.
Horse gram as a food among foods
Diet guidance for stones tends to look at the whole plate rather than a single food. The US National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases notes that beans, peas and lentils are high in protein and low in oxalate, and that people who eat more plant foods tend to form fewer stones. People who follow the traditional approach usually soak a handful of horse gram overnight and drink the water, or cook the pulse into a thin soup or rasam and take it regularly. It stays a food first, eaten as part of meals rather than as a measured dose.
Whether horse gram does anything for stones is something tradition and research describe in their own ways, and you can weigh both. If you want to bring it in, you might cook it into your week and notice how it sits with you.