Urinary stones, also known as urolithiasis, are stones that occur anywhere in the urinary collecting system, including the kidney, ureter, bladder, and urethra, where stones may form. As the most common disease in urology, urolithiasis is the first cause of urological inpatients. Relevant statistics show that the incidence of urinary stones in China is about 1%-5%, and in the southern region, it is as high as 5%-10% due to climate, diet and other reasons; the annual incidence of new cases is about 150-200/10,000 people. In recent years, the incidence of urinary stones in China has increased, and it has become one of the three most prevalent stone areas in the world. The most significant clinical manifestation of urolithiasis is low back pain. The kidney and ureteral stones are usually characterized by paroxysmal lumbar and abdominal pain, while bladder stones are often associated with urinary tract irritation such as frequency, urgency, painful urination and interruption of urination. Most of the smaller stones can be cured by conservative treatment or extracorporeal shock wave lithotripsy, while severe stones often need surgery to be cured. Factor analysis of urinary stones after surgery suggests that calcium oxalate stones are the most common, followed by phosphate, urate and carbonate, and cystine stones are rare. There are many factors that influence stone formation, age, gender, obesity, genetics, environmental factors, dietary habits and occupation have a great impact on stone formation. Abnormalities in body metabolism, obstruction of the urinary tract, infection, foreign body and drug use are common causes of stone formation. Specifically, in terms of age, most stones occur in middle-aged people, with the highest proportion in the age range of 40-60 years, but the incidence of stones is now gradually showing a younger trend. Obesity is a major risk factor for the development of urinary stones. The risk of stone development increases in obese patients with increased body mass index. A diet high in fat, protein, purine, and sugar can create conditions for stone formation. Some occupational demands of sedentary lifestyle are also risk factors for stone formation. Other factors such as urinary tract obstruction, long-term infection and the presence of foreign bodies in the urinary tract are also major local factors that can trigger stone formation. In addition, urinary stones also have a high recurrence rate, with statistics showing that the recurrence rate is 6.7%, 28.0%, and 41.8% at 1, 3, and 5 years after surgical and non-surgical treatment, respectively, and up to 50% at 10 years. And some metabolic disorders caused by hyperoxaluria, hypercalciuria, hypocitraturia, and hyperuricuria are the main causes of recurrent stone recurrence. The main and most effective preventive treatment for stones is to change the diet and lifestyle habits. Increasing water intake is a proven preventive measure. Adult men should drink 2,500-3,000 ml of water per day, while women and elderly people with normal heart, lung and kidney functions should drink 2,000-2,500 ml of water per day. Since the excretion of stone components mostly peaks at night and in the early morning, in addition to drinking a lot of water during the day, it is also important to drink 300-500 ml of water before bedtime and after waking up to urinate during sleep. In addition to increasing the amount of water drunk, changing the diet and avoiding high-risk dietary factors are also effective ways to reduce the recurrence of stones. (1) Pay attention to the intake of dietary fiber. Studies have shown that the intake of dietary fiber is negatively correlated with the incidence of urinary stones. Appropriate intake of dietary fiber can reduce the absorption of calcium oxalate substances and increase the excretion, so that the urinary calcium oxalate and uric acid substances are reduced, thus inhibiting the generation of urinary stones. (2) Reduce the intake of high-salt foods. High-salt foods such as salted vegetables, bacon and other salt-cured products can contribute to the increase of urinary calcium and reduce the secretion of citrate, leading to the formation of urinary stones. (3) Limit the intake of animal protein. Excessive protein intake can increase excretion of oxalic acid and calcium, and reduce urinary citrate secretion, lowering urinary pH and making it one of the risk factors for urinary stones. Especially in the case of excessive intake of animal protein is most likely to form stones. (4) Eat more fruits and vegetables containing vitamins. Vitamin B6 can reduce the production of calcium oxalate crystals, while lack of it leads to crystallization and induces inflammatory damage to the kidney tubules, increasing the risk of urinary stones. Vitamin K reduces oxalic acid levels and also reduces the amount of urinary calcium oxalate. Both of these vitamins are found in green fruits and vegetables and should be taken into account in the daily diet to reduce the incidence of urinary stones. For patients with a previous history of stones, the determination of stone composition will help to prevent the recurrence of stones. (1) Patients with calcium stones should pay attention to their diet: sugar and its products, beverages, etc. can increase urinary calcium, which should be controlled by patients with stones, and an acidic diet is recommended, while drinking foods containing high calcium such as milk generally does not affect the body’s calcium metabolism and can be consumed normally. (2) Patients with oxalate stones should eat less food containing high oxalate, such as radish, spinach, etc.; while oral vitamin B6 and magnesium preparations are beneficial to the prevention and treatment of atopic hyperoxalate stones. (3) Patients with uric acid stones should limit protein intake and consume more fresh vegetables and fruits. An alkaline diet is also recommended, and alcohol should not be consumed, as alcohol consumption can increase uric acid levels, and alcohol also tends to cause concentration of urine. Relevant examination suggests that patients with hyperuricemia can be treated with appropriate oral allopurinol, while oral sodium bicarbonate can alkalize the urine. (4) Calcium carbonate and magnesium ammonium phosphate stones are mostly seen in alkaline urine (urine PH>7.2), patients should have a low phosphorus diet and prefer acidic food, and it is recommended to enhance infection control and to reduce all dairy products. In addition, appropriate oral ammonium chloride can acidify the urine and reduce the production of calcium carbonate and magnesium ammonium phosphate stones. (5) Patients with cystine stones should have a vegetarian diet and avoid large amounts of high methionine diet such as eggs, fish, meat and poultry. In addition, patients with developed stones should also strengthen preventive health care work, regular ultrasound or X-ray examination; and urinary routine, kidney function, electrolytes and other related items to facilitate timely detection and early treatment. As the most common disease in urology, urinary stones often repeatedly cause significant subjective discomfort and seriously affect the patient’s work and life, while the recurrence rate of stones is high after either surgery or non-surgery. At the same time, if the composition of stones can be clarified, and then their common characteristics and causes can be identified, and then a scientific and reasonable diet plan can be formulated, the recurrence of urinary stones can be significantly reduced, and the disease can be truly prevented before it happens.