RALEIGH, N.C. — A new year can be a good time to introduce a healthier diet, as doctors are seeing a direct correlation between high sodium diets and kidney stones, specifically in kids.

The National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases said there is an uptick in the number of children developing kidney stones. 

North Carolina is sometimes referred to in the medical world as a member of the “stone belt," a section of southeastern states where kidney stones are often prevalent.

“Some people blame it on, that we drink a lot of iced tea here in North Carolina, and there's a lot of oxalate in tea. But I think some of it is inherited. Because so many children I see who have kidney stones, there's a family history of it,” Dr. John Wiener, the chief of pediatric urology at Duke, said. 

Wiener has been with Duke for close to 30 years, observing the trends of his patients. 

“As the population of North Carolina has grown and lots of people are moving here with children. But nationwide, we're seeing an increase in kidney stones in children, particularly adolescents,” Wiener said. 

Will Florence prepping ingredients for his cooking class. (Spectrum News 1/ Mark Barger)

Besides a family history of kidney stones, Wiener says a salt heavy diet could be a culprit in the increase, as well as a lack of water intake.

“So much of the processed food today has a lot of salt in it. You can't believe how much salt is in a loaf of bread, even though you don't really taste it as salty. But to preserve a lot of these foods, there's a lot of salt,” Wiener said. 

Will Florence, a nutrition health educator at the Poe Center, a nonprofit organization teaching families and children health education, has been a registered dietitian for 10 years, helping others know what to put in their bodies. 

“Initially it started out as a weight problem as a child. And so that kind of got me looking at nutrition facts, labels and focusing on health,” Florence said. 

Florence has been with the Poe Center for four years, but he's been in the kitchen his whole life with his parents. Now, he is teaching the next generation of child chefs through Poe Center cooking classes. He teaches healthy eating and cooking habits. 

“Identifying a fruit or vegetable to being able to kind of make your own meals. What are the healthy nutrients in each of these meals and be able to sort of be able to cook for yourself and know kind of what foods paired together,” Florence said. 

He also includes other flavors to add into your food other than salt. 

According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, the average child in the U.S. consumes around 3,300 milligrams of sodium a day. That is higher than the average recommended intake, which ranges from 1,500 to 2,300 milligrams a day based on age.

A cooking class participant at the Poe Center, snacking on peppers. (Spectrum News 1/Mark Barger)

For example, a 20oz bottle of Gatorade has almost 240 milligrams of sodium, a Lunchables extra cheesy pizza Kit with no juice or candy has 520 milligrams of salt, and a McDonald’s cheeseburger Happy Meal with fries, apples, and a low fat milk, contains 680 milligrams of sodium. 

“It’s cooked into the food from the get go. And the more processed the food, the more salt there is,” Wiener said. 

In fact, the CDC says 75% of kids ages 1-18 in the U.S. exceed the sodium intake suggested by the Dietary Guidelines for Americans.

“Our body requires some sodium, but, there's a lot of other great alternatives. You can kind of train your body, your mind at a young age to detect some of these other flavors, it will benefit a lot in the long run,” Florence said. 

Wiener said while the increase of kidney stones in kids is not an epidemic, he is seeing an increase. 

“I’m sure you hear other doctors say it. 'Eat more fresh fruits and vegetables and drink plenty of water,'” Wiener said. 

The Poe Center located in Raleigh has multiple CookWELL Kitchen programs and other health education courses.