The biggest mistake people tend to make when they try to start eating healthy is that they try to force themselves into an unsustainable diet. For five or six days a week, they do their best to eat more whole foods and stay away from unhealthy snacks, only to over-do it on “cheat days”. But the fact is, yo-yo dieting has been proven to be ineffective! Not mention it leaves people feeling guilty and discouraged.

However, there’s another common healthy eating mistake that’s on the other side of the spectrum. People discover a new healthy food that they actually enjoy, and it becomes all they eat. No matter how nutritious a whole food is, it’s important to find a sustainable diet that’s diverse!

Onee man learned the lesson of a balanced diet the hard way. He ate an abundance of what he believed to be one of the healthiest foods in the world, only to have it lead to a very serious medical problem. Let the following story be a cautionary tale as to why moderation and sustainability are the key to coming out successfully through any dieting regimen.

Case Study: The True Cause of Mr. He’s Abdominal Pain

In 2015, Mr. He, a fifty-five-year-old man in the Dongyang province of China, arrived at Dongyang People’s Hospital complaining about abdominal pain. When the doctors checked him out, they were shocked to find that he had approximately 420 kidney stones that needed to be removed immediately. (2)

Chief surgeon, Dr. Wei Yubin immediately performed the emergency surgery, which took approximately two hours to complete. He told the press “I have never seen so many stones before” Yubin told BBC News.

The head surgeon then went on to describe in detail what he and his team found when removing the kidney stones from Mr. He. “The plate used to collect the stones had at least 420 of them of varying sizes and colored green and yellow. These didn’t include the tiny rice-sized stones that were taken out using specialist suction equipment, and these numbered over 100.” (1)

How Can Your Diet Cause Kidney Stones?

The sole reason why Mr. He needed immediate kidney stone removal surgery was because he was eating large quantities of tofu, particularly gypsum tofu. He would consume the gypsum tofu like it was a bag of chips without drinking the appropriate amount of water.

Many people might be surprised at this because tofu is usually considered to be nutritious. However, Dr. Wei Yubin explained that tofu sold in the Dongyang province tends to contain high levels of calcium, which increases one’s chance of getting kidney stones if not eaten in moderation.

This isn’t the first time Mr. He is getting his kidney stones removed, as he got 10  stones removed 20 years back through a procedure called extracorporeal shock wave lithotripsy. Dr. Yubin is hoping that the current emergency surgery proves to be a wake-up call for Mr. He to take his health seriously.

Should You Stop Eating Tofu?

Seeing as the medical results for Mr. He showed that the kidney stones were a result of excessive tofu consumption, particularly, a specific brand of tofu called gypsum tofu; the following is background information on gypsum.

Originating in East China, gypsum is a non-toxic chemical supplement, which consists of calcium sulfate and is used in a variety of food dishes.

It’s said gypsum can increase calcium intake, but also has an addictive quality. If it is not eaten without water, then it is difficult for the body to flush it out. (3)

Tofu is made by coagulating soymilk to create curds. The curds are then pressed and compacted into the gelatinous white blocks recognized as tofu (6). Tofu can be made with either calcium-based or magnesium-based coagulants. If your diet includes the former, like gypsum- it’s important to consume in moderation and ensure you’re staying well-hydrated.

Studies have shown tofu can be a part of a healthy diet, and can in fact help decrease “bad” LDL cholesterol levels, can help maintain kidney health in diabetics, and may help reduce bone loss from osteoporosis (6).

Surprising Side Effects of Gypsum

Health experts recommend that adults consume approximately 1,000 to 1,2000 milligrams of gypsum. If they consume more than the required amount, it can lead to symptoms, including:

• Nausea
• Abdominal pain
• Constipation
• Vomiting
• Loss of appetite
• Fatigue
• High blood pressure
• Frequent urination
• Confusion
• Coma
• Kidney stones

What Other Foods Contain Gypsum?

Gypsum is most commonly found in the following foods:

• White bread
• Blue cheese
• Ice cream
• Flour
• Canned vegetables
• Processed meats and fish
• Breakfast cereals

The Bottom Line

Unfortunately, you can have too much of a good thing. Talk to a nutritionist, dietitian, or naturopathic doctor to help guide you in making realistic healthy eating choices that you can sustain- no more yo-yo dieting or health food fads!