Certain risk factors may cause your body to form calcium oxalate crystals. These risk factors include: Dehydration from not drinking enough fluids A diet too high in: Protein Oxalate Sodium (salt) Sugar (like high fructose corn syrup) Digestive Diseases and Surgeries like: Inflammatory Bowel Disease (IBD) Ulcerative Colitis Crohn’s Disease Gastric bypass surgeries Hyperparathyroidism (Condition where a very high amount of parathyroid hormone in the blood that causes a loss of calcium. Calcium is needed to bind with oxalate and leave the body) More regarding Inflammatory Bowel Disease and calcium oxalate crystals It is important to know that calcium oxalate crystals are more common if you have Inflammatory Bowel Disease (IBD). These conditions affect your body’s ability to absorb fats properly. When fat is not absorbed the right way, the fat binds to calcium and leaves oxalate behind. The oxalate is then absorbed and taken to the kidney, where it can form calcium oxalate crystals. Similarly, following gastric bypass surgery, your body absorbs less calcium from your digestive system. Because of this, higher levels of oxalate are found in the urinary tract. The build-up of oxalate can form crystals, which can form calcium oxalate crystals. If your calcium oxalate crystals keep coming back, your healthcare provider may test you for some of these conditions. Your healthcare provider may also look at your lifestyle to help lower your risk factors or help find the cause of your forming calcium oxalate crystals.